2022 PFI 831 Annual Update
PRINCIPAL FUNDS, INC.
(“PFI” or the “Registrant”)
Class A Shares
Class C Shares
Class J Shares
Institutional Class Shares
Class R-1 Shares
Class R-3 Shares
Class R-4 Shares
Class R-5 Shares
Class R-6 Shares
Class S Shares
The date of this Prospectus is December 31, 2022.
FUNDS OF THE REGISTRANT
(each, a “Fund” and, together, the “Funds”) 
 
Ticker Symbols by Share Class
Fund
A
C
J
Inst.
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
S
Blue Chip
PBLAX
PBLCX
PBCJX
PBCKX
 
PGBEX
PGBFX
PGBGX
PGBHX
 
Bond Market Index
 
 
PBIJX
PNIIX
PBIMX
PBOIX
PBIPX
PBIQX
 
 
Capital Securities
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
PCSFX
Diversified Real Asset
PRDAX
 
 
PDRDX
 
PGDRX
 
PGDTX
PDARX
 
Edge MidCap
PEMCX
 
 
PEDGX
 
 
 
 
PEDMX
 
Global Multi-Strategy
PMSAX
 
 
PSMIX
 
 
 
 
PGLSX
 
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure
 
 
 
PGSLX
 
 
 
 
 
 
International Equity Index
 
 
 
PIDIX
PILIX
PIIOX
PIIPX
PIIQX
PFIEX
 
International Small Company
 
 
 
PISMX
 
 
 
 
PFISX
 
Opportunistic Municipal
PMOAX
 
 
POMFX
 
 
 
 
 
 
Origin Emerging Markets
POEYX
 
 
POEIX
 
 
 
 
POEFX
 
Small-MidCap Dividend Income
PMDAX
PMDDX
 
PMDIX
 
 
 
 
PMDHX
 
Small-MidCap Growth
 
 
 
PSMHX
 
 
 
 
 
 
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities
Income
PPSAX
PRFCX
PPSJX
PPSIX
PUSAX
PNARX
PQARX
PPARX
PPREX
 
The Securities and Exchange Commission and the Commodity Futures Trading Commission have not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this Prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.
Table of Contents 
 
3
8
13
17
25
30
38
43
47
51
56
61
66
70
76
97
97
103
104
104
108
111
113
114
114
117
122
124
A-1
B-1
C-1
D-1
E
2
Blue Chip Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” beginning on page 117 of the Fund’s Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” and “Multiple Class Structure” beginning on page 4 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
C
J
Inst.
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases
(as a percentage of offering price)
5.50%
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage
of the offering price or NAV when Sales Load is paid,
whichever is less)
1.00%
1.00%
1.00%
None
None
None
None
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
C
J
Inst.
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
Management Fees(1)
0.59%
0.59%
0.59%
0.59%
0.59%
0.59%
0.59%
0.59%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
1.00%
0.15%
N/A
0.25%
0.10%
N/A
N/A
Other Expenses
0.13%
0.10%
0.08%
0.10%
0.32%
0.28%
0.26%
—%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.97%
1.69%
0.82%
0.69%
1.16%
0.97%
0.85%
0.59%
Fee Waiver and Expense Reimbursement(2),(3)
(0.03)%
(0.03)%
(0.03)%
(0.03)%
(0.03)%
(0.03)%
(0.03)%
(0.03)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee
Waiver and Expense Reimbursement
0.94%
1.66%
0.79%
0.66%
1.13%
0.94%
0.82%
0.56%
(1)
Fees have been restated to reflect current fees.
(2)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s management fees through the period ending December 30, 2023. The fee waiver will reduce the Fund's management fees by 0.03% (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis). It is expected that the fee waiver will continue through the period disclosed; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the fee waiver prior to the end of the period.
(3)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.66% for Institutional Class shares. It is expected that the expense limit will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limit prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
3
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example assumes conversion of the Class C shares to Class A shares after the eighth year. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A
$641
$839
$1,054
$1,672
Class C
269
530
915
1,804
Class J
181
259
452
1,011
Institutional Class
67
218
381
856
Class R-3
115
366
635
1,406
Class R-4
96
306
533
1,187
Class R-5
84
268
468
1,046
Class R-6
57
186
326
735
With respect to Classes C and J shares, you would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares (all other classes would be the same as in the above example): 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class C
$169
$530
$915
$1,804
Class J
81
259
452
1,011
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 24.0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies with large market capitalizations at the time of purchase that, in the opinion of Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the Fund’s investment advisor, display characteristics of a “blue chip” company. For this Fund, companies with large market capitalizations are those with market capitalizations similar to companies in the Russell 1000® Growth Index (as of November 30, 2022, this was between approximately $1.2 billion and $2.4 trillion). In PGI’s view, “blue chip” companies typically display some or all of the following characteristics: (1) large, well-established and financially sound companies; (2) issuers with market capitalizations in the billions; (3) are considered market leaders or among the top three companies in its sector; and (4) commonly considered household names. The Fund tends to focus on securities of companies that show potential for growth of capital as well as an expectation for above-average earnings. In selecting securities in which to invest, PGI uses a bottom-up, fundamental process, focusing on a fundamental analysis of individual companies. The Fund invests in securities of foreign companies. The Fund invested significantly in industries within the financial services and information technology sectors as of November 30, 2022.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
4
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
Financial Services Sector Risk.  A fund that invests significantly in financial services companies may be more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting financial services companies. Financial companies may be adversely affected in certain market cycles, including periods of rising interest rates, which may restrict the availability and increase the cost of capital, and declining economic conditions, which may cause credit losses due to financial difficulties of borrowers. Because many types of financial companies are especially vulnerable to these economic cycles, the Fund’s investments in these companies may lose significant value during such periods.
Foreign Currency Risk.  Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
Information Technology Sector Risk.  Companies in the information technology sector may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and are particularly vulnerable to changes in technology product cycles, product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition, both domestically and internationally. Such companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
Using the historical performance of the Fund's Institutional Class shares, adjusted as described below, the bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
Life of Fund returns are measured from the date the Fund’s shares were first sold (June 14, 2012).
For periods prior to the inception date of Classes A and C shares (September 30, 2013), Classes R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares (March 29, 2016), Class R-6 shares (January 3, 2017), and Class J shares (September 11, 2017), the performance shown in the bar chart for Class A shares and the table for Classes A, C, J, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 shares is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the respective fees and expenses of each class. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for a newer class that is higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares is used. These adjustments for these newer classes result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, which were first sold June 14, 2012.
5
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
27.66%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(13.38)%
Year-to-date return for Class A shares:
Q3 2022
(34.66)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
Life of Fund
 
 
 
06/14/12
Class A Return Before Taxes
17.95%
23.64%
18.63%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions
16.06%
22.18%
17.69%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
11.81%
19.07%
15.63%
Class C Return Before Taxes
22.90%
24.11%
18.46%
Class J Return Before Taxes
23.99%
25.16%
19.54%
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
25.14%
25.44%
19.88%
Class R-3 Return Before Taxes
24.54%
24.82%
19.25%
Class R-4 Return Before Taxes
24.79%
25.06%
19.48%
Class R-5 Return Before Taxes
24.95%
25.22%
19.62%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
25.28%
25.54%
19.90%
Russell 1000 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
27.62%
25.32%
19.89%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
K. William Nolin (since 2012), Portfolio Manager
•
Tom Rozycki (since 2012), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Classes A, C, and J shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
For Classes R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
6
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Class C shares are subject to an 8-year automatic conversion plan whereby Class C shares held for eight years after purchase will automatically convert to Class A shares of the same Fund.
See Purchase of Fund Shares for more information.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
7
Bond Market Index Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks to provide current income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
If you purchase Institutional Class shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
J
Inst.
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the offering price
or NAV at the time Sales Load is paid, whichever is less)
1.00%
None
None
None
None
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
J
Inst.
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
Management Fees
0.14%
0.14%
0.14%
0.14%
0.14%
0.14%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.15%
N/A
0.35%
0.25%
0.10%
N/A
Other Expenses
0.23%
0.03%
0.55%
0.34%
0.30%
0.28%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.53%
0.18%
1.05%
0.74%
0.55%
0.43%
Fee Waiver(1)
(0.02)%
(0.02)%
(0.02)%
(0.02)%
(0.02)%
(0.02)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Fee Waiver
0.51%
0.16%
1.03%
0.72%
0.53%
0.41%
(1)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to waive a portion of the Fund’s management fees through the period ending December 30, 2023. The fee waiver will reduce the Fund's management fees by 0.015% (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis). It is expected that the fee waiver will continue through the period disclosed; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the fee waiver prior to the end of the period.
8
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class J
$152
$168
$294
$663
Institutional Class
16
56
99
228
Class R-1
105
332
577
1,281
Class R-3
74
235
410
917
Class R-4
54
174
305
687
Class R-5
42
136
239
540
With respect to Class J shares, you would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares (all other classes would be the same as in the above example): 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class J
$52
$168
$294
$663
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 113.4% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund uses a passive investment approach known as “sampling” to invest at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in investments designed to track the Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (the “Index”) at the time of purchase. The Index is composed of investment grade, fixed-rate debt issues with maturities of one year or more, including government securities, corporate securities, and asset-backed and mortgage-backed securities (securitized products). As of November 30, 2022, the Index was composed of 12,671 issues. The Index is rebalanced monthly to reflect securities that have dropped out of or entered the Index in the preceding month. Generally, the Fund makes corresponding changes to its portfolio shortly after Index changes are made public. Because of the practical difficulties and expense of purchasing all of the securities in the Index, the Fund does not purchase all of the securities in the Index. Instead, the Fund uses a sampling methodology to purchase securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. Under normal circumstances, the Fund maintains an average portfolio duration that is in line with the duration of the Index, which as of November 30, 2022 was 6.22 years. The Fund will not concentrate (i.e., invest more than 25% of its assets) its investments in a particular industry except to the extent the Index is so concentrated. As of November 30, 2022, the Index was not concentrated in any industry. The Fund’s strategies may result in the active and frequent trading of the Fund’s portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Fixed-Income Securities Risk.  Fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate, credit quality, and liquidity risks. The market value of fixed-income securities generally declines when interest rates rise, and increased interest rates may adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income securities. Moreover, an issuer of fixed-income securities could default on its payment obligations due to increased interest rates or for other reasons.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk.  High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) caused by active and frequent trading of portfolio securities may result in accelerating the realization of taxable gains and losses, lower fund performance, and increased brokerage costs.
9
Index Fund Risk.  Index funds use a passive investment approach and generally do not attempt to manage market volatility, use defensive strategies, or reduce the effect of any long-term periods of poor investment performance. Therefore, the Fund may hold securities that present risks that an investment advisor researching individual securities might seek to avoid. An index fund has operating and other expenses while an index does not. As a result, over time, index funds tend to underperform the index. The correlation between fund performance and index performance may also be affected by the type of passive investment approach used by a fund (sampling or replication), changes in securities markets, changes in the composition of the index, and the timing of purchases and sales of fund shares. Errors or delays in compiling or rebalancing the Index may impact the performance of the Fund and increase transaction costs.
Industry Concentration Risk.  A fund that concentrates investments in a particular industry or group of industries has greater exposure than other funds to market, economic, and other factors affecting that industry or group of industries.
Portfolio Duration Risk.  Portfolio duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed-income security and its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The longer a fund’s average portfolio duration, the more sensitive the fund will be to changes in interest rates, which means funds with longer average portfolio durations may be more volatile than those with shorter durations.
Real Estate Securities Risk.  Investing in real estate securities subjects the fund to the risks associated with the real estate market (which are similar to the risks associated with direct ownership in real estate), including declines in real estate values, loss due to casualty or condemnation, property taxes, interest rate changes, increased expenses, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, regulatory changes (including zoning, land use, and rents), and environmental problems, as well as to the risks related to the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Securitized Products Risk.  Investments in securitized products are subject to risks similar to traditional fixed-income securities, such as credit, interest rate, liquidity, prepayment, extension, and default risk, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets. Unscheduled prepayments on securitized products may have to be reinvested at lower rates. A reduction in prepayments may increase the effective maturities of these securities, exposing them to the risk of decline in market value over time (extension risk).
U.S. Government Securities Risk.  Yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than yields from many other fixed-income securities.
U.S. Government-Sponsored Securities Risk.  Securities issued by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the Federal Home Loan Banks are not issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
During 2014, the Institutional Class experienced a significant withdrawal of monies by an affiliate. As the remaining shareholders held relatively small positions, the total return amounts expressed herein are greater than those that would have been experienced without the withdrawal.
10
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
3.28%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2021
(3.34)%
Year-to-date return for Institutional Class shares:
Q3 2022
(14.56)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
(1.67)%
3.36%
2.70%1
Institutional Class Return After Taxes on Distributions
(2.47)%
1.50%
1.34%1
Institutional Class Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
(0.99)%
1.97%
1.58%1
Class J Return Before Taxes
(3.00)%
2.92%
2.11%
Class R-1 Return Before Taxes
(2.58)%
2.46%
1.70%
Class R-3 Return Before Taxes
(2.29)%
2.76%
2.01%
Class R-4 Return Before Taxes
(2.05)%
3.01%
2.23%
Class R-5 Return Before Taxes
(1.97)%
3.10%
2.33%
Bloomberg U.S. Aggregate Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
(1.54)%
3.57%
2.90%
1
During 2014, the Institutional Class experienced a significant withdrawal of monies by an affiliate. As the remaining shareholders held relatively small positions, the total return amounts expressed herein are greater than those that would have been experienced without the withdrawal.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Institutional Class shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
Jeff Callahan (since 2020), Portfolio Manager
•
Darryl Trunnel (since 2019), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Class J shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
For Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
11
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
For retirement plan investors, effective as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange on January 31, 2017, Class R-1 shares are no longer available for purchase from new retirement plans except in limited circumstances.
See Purchase of Fund Shares for more information.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
12
Capital Securities Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks to provide current income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. 
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
S
Management Fees
0.00%
Other Expenses
0.05%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.05%
Expense Reimbursement(1)
(0.05)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement(2)
0.00%
(1)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund's expenses attributable to Class S shares by paying expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.00%. It is expected that the expense limit will continue permanently (and in any event, through December 30, 2023); however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limit.
(2)
The table reflects that Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, is absorbing all expenses of the Fund. You should be aware, however, that the Fund is an integral part of “wrap-fee” programs, including those sponsored by registered investment advisors and broker-dealers unaffiliated with the Fund. Participants in these programs pay a “wrap” fee to the sponsor of the program. You should carefully read the wrap-fee brochure provided to you by your sponsor or your registered investment advisor. The brochure is required to include information about the fees charged to you by the sponsor and the fees paid to the registered investment advisor.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class S
$0
$0
$0
$0
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 14.0% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in capital securities at the time of purchase. Capital securities include Tier 2 subordinated debt securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. financial institutions (including, but not limited to, banks and insurance companies) and contingent convertible securities (“CoCos”), as well as preferred securities, including preferred stock and junior subordinated debt, issued by U.S. and non-U.S. corporations, financial institutions, and other issuers for purposes of satisfying regulatory capital requirements or obtaining rating agency credit. Capital securities may pay fixed-rate or adjustable-rate distributions and generally have a payment “preference” over common stock, but are junior to the issuer’s senior debt in a liquidation of the issuer’s assets.
13
CoCos are hybrid debt securities typically issued by banking institutions that have contractual equity conversion or principal write-down features that are triggered by regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuing banking institution’s continued viability as a going-concern if the conversion trigger were not exercised.
Tier 2 and preferred securities purchased by the Fund are issued by companies with senior debt rated at the time of purchase BBB- or higher by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P Global”) or Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”). The Fund may invest up to 100% of its assets in below investment grade (sometimes called “junk”) preferred securities, which are rated at the time of purchase Ba1 or lower by Moody’s and BB+ or lower by S&P Global (if the preferred security has been rated by only one of those agencies, that rating will determine whether the preferred security is below investment grade; if the preferred security has not been rated by either of those agencies, those selecting such investments will determine whether the preferred security is of a quality comparable to those rated below investment grade), provided that the issuer of such below investment grade preferred securities has senior debt outstanding that is rated at the time of purchase BBB- or higher by S&P Global or Baa3 or higher by Moody’s. The Fund is not managed to a particular maturity or duration.
The Fund concentrates its investments (invests more than 25% of its net assets) in securities in one or more industries (i.e., banking, insurance and commercial finance) within the U.S. and non-U.S. (foreign) financial services sector.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Capital Securities Risk.  In addition to the risks associated with other types of preferred securities and fixed-income securities, investing in capital securities includes the risk that the value of securities may decline in response to changes in legislation and regulations applicable to financial institutions and financial markets, increased competition, adverse changes in general or industry-specific economic conditions, or unfavorable interest rates.
Contingent Convertible Securities Risk.  In addition to the general risks associated with fixed-income securities and convertible securities, the risks of investing in contingent convertible securities (“CoCos”) include the risk that a CoCo may be written down, written off, or converted into an equity security when the issuer’s capital ratio falls below a specified trigger level, or in a regulator’s discretion depending on the regulator’s judgment about the issuer’s solvency prospects. Due to these features, CoCos may have substantially greater risk than other securities in times of financial stress. If the trigger level is breached, the issuer’s decision to write down, write off, or convert a CoCo may result in the fund’s complete loss on an investment in CoCos with no chance of recovery even if the issuer remains in existence.
Fixed-Income Securities Risk.  Fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate, credit quality, and liquidity risks. The market value of fixed-income securities generally declines when interest rates rise, and increased interest rates may adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income securities. Moreover, an issuer of fixed-income securities could default on its payment obligations due to increased interest rates or for other reasons.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
High Yield Securities Risk.  High yield fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit quality risk than higher rated fixed-income securities and should be considered speculative.
Industry Concentration Risk.  A fund that concentrates investments in a particular industry or group of industries has greater exposure than other funds to market, economic, and other factors affecting that industry or group of industries.
•
Financial Services.  A fund concentrating in financial services companies may be more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting financial services companies. Financial companies may be adversely affected in certain market cycles, including periods of rising interest rates, which may restrict the availability and increase the cost of capital, and declining economic conditions, which may cause credit losses due to financial difficulties of borrowers. Because many types of financial companies are especially vulnerable to these economic cycles, the Fund’s investments in these companies may lose significant value during such periods.
Portfolio Duration Risk.  Portfolio duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed-income security and its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The longer a fund’s average portfolio duration, the more sensitive the fund will be to changes in interest rates, which means funds with longer average portfolio durations may be more volatile than those with shorter durations.
14
Preferred Securities Risk.  Because preferred securities have a lower priority claim on assets or earnings than senior bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure, they are subject to greater credit and liquidation risk than more senior debt instruments. In addition, preferred securities are subject to other risks, such as limited or no voting rights, deferring or skipping distributions, interest rate risk, and redeeming the security prior to any stated maturity date.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class S shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
Life of Fund returns are measured from the date the Fund’s shares were first sold (March 14, 2014).
Performance does not reflect fees charged in the wrap-fee program.
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
12.13%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(12.72)%
Year-to-date return for Class S shares:
Q3 2022
(14.40)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
Life of Fund
 
 
 
03/14/14
Class S Return Before Taxes
3.74%
6.90%
6.10%
Class S Return After Taxes on Distributions
2.37%
5.19%
4.26%
Class S Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
2.73%
4.87%
4.10%
ICE BofA U.S. All Capital Securities Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
3.43%
6.84%
6.51%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class S shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
15
Sub-Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Spectrum Asset Management, Inc. (“Spectrum”)
•
Fernando (“Fred”) Diaz (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
Roberto Giangregorio (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
L. Phillip Jacoby, IV (since 2014), Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager
•
Manu Krishnan (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
Mark A. Lieb (since 2014), President and Chief Executive Officer
•
Satomi Yarnell (since 2021), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Eligibility to invest in the Fund is limited to certain wrap-fee program accounts. Only wrap-fee program accounts as to which Spectrum and/or PGI have an agreement with the wrap-fee program’s sponsor (“Sponsor”) or the wrap account owner to provide investment advisory or sub-advisory services (either directly or by providing a model investment portfolio created and maintained by Spectrum and/or PGI to the Sponsor or one or more Sponsor-designated investment managers (“Eligible Wrap Accounts”)) are eligible to purchase shares of the Fund. References to Wrap Fee Advisor shall mean Spectrum and/or PGI in their role providing such services to Eligible Wrap Accounts.
A client agreement with the Sponsor to open an account in the Sponsor’s wrap-fee program typically may be obtained by contacting the Sponsor or your financial advisor. Purchase and sale decisions regarding Fund shares for your wrap-fee account ordinarily will be made by the Wrap Fee Advisor, the Sponsor, or a Sponsor-designated investment manager, depending on the particular wrap-fee program in which your wrap-fee account participates. If your wrap-fee account’s use of the Wrap Fee Advisor’s investment style is terminated by you, the Sponsor, or the Wrap Fee Advisor, your wrap-fee account will cease to be an Eligible Wrap Account, and you will be required to redeem all your shares of the Fund. Each Eligible Wrap Account, by purchasing shares, agrees to any such redemption.
There are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for Eligible Wrap Accounts. Eligible Wrap Accounts may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through its intermediary.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
16
Diversified Real Asset Fund
SHARE CLASS CONVERSION NOTICE: On June 14, 2022, the Fund’s Board of Directors approved the conversion of the Fund’s Class R-5 shares into Class R-6 shares. Following the close of business on or about January 13, 2023, Class R-5 shares of the Fund will automatically convert into Class R-6 shares of the Fund on the basis of the share classes’ relative net asset values on such date. The conversion will not result in the imposition of any charges. As a result of the conversion, the affected shareholders will be in a better position with respect to expenses, as expenses are lower for Class R-6 shares than for the current Class R-5 shares. The Fund expects these share class conversions will not constitute taxable sales or exchanges to shareholders.
On or about January 13, 2023, delete references to Class R-5 shares of this Fund from the Prospectus.
Objective
The Fund seeks a long-term total return in excess of inflation.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Class A shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” beginning on page 117 of the Fund’s Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” and “Multiple Class Structure” beginning on page 4 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
R-3
R-5
R-6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
3.75%
None
None
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the offering price or NAV at
the time Sales Load is paid, whichever is less)
1.00%
None
None
None
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
R-3
R-5
R-6
Management Fees(1)
0.75%
0.75%
0.75%
0.75%
0.75%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
N/A
0.25%
N/A
N/A
Other Expenses
0.22%
0.11%
0.33%
0.27%
0.02%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.23%
0.87%
1.34%
1.03%
0.78%
Expense Reimbursement(2)
(0.02)%
(0.03)%
N/A
N/A
—%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
1.21%
0.84%
1.34%
1.03%
0.78%
(1)
Fees have been restated to reflect current fees.
(2)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 1.20% for Class A and 0.83% for Institutional Class shares. In addition, for Class R-6, the expense limit will maintain “Other Expenses” (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.02% (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses). It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
17
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A
$494
$749
$1,023
$1,806
Institutional Class
86
275
479
1,070
Class R-3
136
425
734
1,613
Class R-5
105
328
569
1,259
Class R-6
80
249
433
966
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 90.9% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in investments related to real assets and real asset companies. The Fund allocates its assets among general investment categories related to real assets, which include tangible assets and investments that are expected to perform well in periods of rising or high inflation, such as the following: infrastructure, natural resources, commodities, real estate, inflation-indexed bonds, and floating rate debt. In pursuing these strategies, the Fund invests in equity securities, including growth and value securities, of any market capitalization size (small, medium, large); fixed-income securities, which are not managed to any particular maturity or duration; U.S. and foreign securities; and derivative instruments, such as forwards, futures, swaps, and options. A derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is derived from, or based on, a traditional security, asset, or market index. The Fund concentrates its investments (invests more than 25% of its net assets) in securities of one or more of the following industries: real estate, energy, natural resources, and infrastructure.
In managing the Fund, Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the Fund’s investment advisor, determines the Fund’s strategic asset allocation among actively managed and passively managed (index) strategies that are executed by PGI and multiple sub-advisors. PGI has considerable latitude in allocating the Fund’s assets. The Fund uses strategies and sub-advisors to varying degrees and may change allocations, add new or eliminate existing strategies and sub-advisors, and temporarily or permanently reduce allocations from time to time such that the Fund would have little or no assets allocated to a particular strategy or sub-advisor.
Infrastructure.  The Fund invests in companies that own or operate infrastructure assets related to the transportation, communications, water, electricity transmission and distribution, and oil and gas storage, processing, and transportation industries.
Natural Resources.  The Fund invests in securities of companies that primarily own, explore, mine, process, or otherwise develop natural resources, renewable energy, or agricultural commodities and products, or that supply goods and services to such companies. These include companies contributing to and/or profiting from, these sectors, especially those active in production, processing, and supply chain services. These also include companies that are developing technologies, processes, products, and services relating to more efficient use, delivery, storage, management, or conversion of natural resources or products derived from natural resources, such as water treatment companies, smart electricity grid companies, companies that focus on creating energy efficiency for industrial processes, and companies focused on renewable energy resources. Natural resources generally include precious metals, such as gold, silver and platinum; ferrous and nonferrous metals, such as iron, aluminum, and copper; strategic metals, such as uranium and titanium; hydrocarbons, such as coal, oil, and natural gas; timber and wood products; and undeveloped real property.
18
Commodities.  Commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, coal, natural gas, agricultural products, industrial metals, livestock, and precious metals. To gain exposure to the commodities markets without investing directly in physical commodities, the Fund invests in a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Fund organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Cayman Subsidiary”) and fixed-income securities (primarily short-term U.S. Treasury and Agency notes and bonds). In order to gain exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of certain federal tax law requirements, the Cayman Subsidiary invests in commodity-linked equities, commodity-linked exchange traded funds (ETFs), and commodity-linked derivatives, including commodity-linked swaps, commodity futures, and forward contracts and/or options on commodities, as well as instruments such as fixed-income securities (cash, cash equivalents, and/or U.S. Treasury and Agency notes and bonds), either as investments or to serve as margin or collateral for the Cayman Subsidiary’s derivatives positions.
Real Estate.  The Fund invests in equity securities of companies that have at least 50% of their assets, income, or profits derived from products or services related to the real estate industry (“real estate companies”). Real estate companies include real estate investment trusts (“REITs”), REIT-like entities, and companies with substantial real estate holdings such as paper, lumber, hotel, and entertainment companies, as well as building supply manufacturers, mortgage lenders, and mortgage servicing companies.
Inflation-Indexed Bonds.  The Fund invests in inflation-indexed bonds issued by the U.S. and non-U.S. governments, their agencies, or instrumentalities and by U.S. and non-U.S. corporations. Inflation-indexed bonds are fixed-income securities that are structured to provide protection against inflation. The value of the bond’s principal or the interest income paid on the bond is adjusted to track changes in an official inflation measure.
Floating Rate Debt.  The Fund invests in below-investment-grade (sometimes called “junk”) or comparable unrated floating rate debt (also known as bank loans, syndicated loans, leveraged loans or senior floating rate interests). Floating rate debt has a variable coupon that resets periodically, with interest payments determined by a representative interest rate index (e.g., LIBOR, SOFR, the federal funds rate, or a similar reference rate) plus a fixed spread. As a result, the coupon payments vary, or “float” with prevailing market interest rates.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Asset Allocation Risk.  A fund’s selection and weighting of asset classes and allocation among sub-advisors may cause it to underperform other funds with a similar investment objective.
Bank Loans Risk.  Changes in economic conditions are likely to cause issuers of bank loans (also known as senior floating rate interests) to be unable to meet their obligations. In addition, the value of the collateral securing the loan (if any) may decline, causing a loan to be substantially unsecured. Underlying credit agreements governing the bank loans, reliance on market makers, priority of repayment, and overall market volatility may harm the liquidity of loans.
Cayman Subsidiary Risk.  The Fund is subject to the particular risks associated with the investments of the Fund’s wholly-owned Cayman Subsidiary, namely commodity-related investments risk, counterparty risk, and derivatives risk. The Cayman Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not subject to all the investor protections of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The laws of the Cayman Islands and/or the United States (including the IRS position on income earned from wholly-owned subsidiaries described in past IRS private letter rulings) may change, resulting in the inability of the Fund and/or the Cayman Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus.
Commodity-Related Investments Risk.  The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and economic health, political, international, regulatory, and other developments. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.
Counterparty Risk.  Counterparty risk is the risk that the counterparty to a contract or other obligation will be unable or unwilling to honor its obligations.
Derivatives Risk.  Derivatives may not move in the direction anticipated by the portfolio manager. Transactions in derivatives may increase volatility, cause the liquidation of portfolio positions when not advantageous to do so, and result in disproportionate losses that may be substantially greater than a fund’s initial investment.
19
•
Forward Contracts, Futures, and Swaps.  Forward contracts, futures, and swaps involve specific risks, including: the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the fund and the price of the forward contract, future, or swap; possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward contract, future, or swap and the resulting inability to close a forward contract, future, or swap when desired; counterparty risk; and if the fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements.
•
Options.  Options involve specific risks, including: imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the options, counterparty risk, difference in trading hours for the options markets and the markets for the underlying securities (rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets), and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options.
Energy Sector Risk.  The market value of securities in the energy sector may decline for many reasons, including, among others, changes in energy prices, energy supply and demand, government regulations, and energy conservation efforts. Energy companies can be significantly affected by the supply of, and demand for, specific products (e.g., oil and natural gas) and services, exploration and production spending, government subsidization and tax incentives, world events, and general economic conditions. In addition, renewable energy companies may be more volatile than companies operating in more established industries. Seasonal weather conditions, extreme weather, or other natural disasters could have a disproportionate effect on renewable energy companies versus other types of energy companies. These factors could impact the ability of renewable energy companies to pay dividends comparable to those paid by other types of energy companies.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•
Smaller Companies Risk.  Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
•
Value Style Risk.  Value investing entails the risk that value stocks may continue to be undervalued by the market for extended periods, including the entire period during which the stock is held by a fund, or the events that would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock that appears to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and, therefore, would not be profitable for the fund.
Fixed-Income Securities Risk.  Fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate, credit quality, and liquidity risks. The market value of fixed-income securities generally declines when interest rates rise, and increased interest rates may adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income securities. Moreover, an issuer of fixed-income securities could default on its payment obligations due to increased interest rates or for other reasons.
Foreign Currency Risk.  Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
High Yield Securities Risk.  High yield fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit quality risk than higher rated fixed-income securities and should be considered speculative.
Industry Concentration Risk.  A fund that concentrates investments in a particular industry or group of industries has greater exposure than other funds to market, economic, and other factors affecting that industry or group of industries.
•
Energy/Natural Resources.  A fund concentrating in energy/natural resource companies may be affected by numerous factors, including events occurring in nature, inflationary pressures, international politics, the success of exploration projects, commodity prices, energy conservation and environmental concerns, rapid product development and/or product obsolescence due to technological advancements and changing consumer demand and societal trends,
20
taxes, and other government regulations. In addition, interest rates and general economic conditions may affect the demand for energy/natural resources. For example, events occurring in nature (such as earthquakes or fires in prime energy/natural resource areas) and political events (such as coups, military confrontations, or acts of terrorism) can affect overall supply of energy/natural resources and the value of companies involved in energy/natural resources.
•
Infrastructure.  A fund concentrating in infrastructure-related assets is subject to numerous related risks, including the following: supply and demand for services from and access to infrastructure; operational and technical risks; government and political involvement, including changes in laws and regulations; environmental claims; changes in energy prices; natural disasters, terrorist events, and under-insured or uninsurable losses; and complex legal agreements and claims. Moreover, it may be difficult for the Fund to dispose of an infrastructure investment at an attractive price or at the appropriate time or in response to changing market conditions, or the Fund may otherwise be unable to complete a favorable exit strategy.
•
Real Estate.  A fund concentrating in the real estate industry is subject to the risks associated with direct ownership of real estate, securities of companies in the real estate industry, and/or real estate investment trusts.
Leverage Risk.  Leverage created by borrowing or certain types of transactions or investments may impair the fund’s liquidity, cause it to liquidate positions at an unfavorable time, increase volatility of the fund’s net asset value, or diminish the fund’s performance.
Portfolio Duration Risk.  Portfolio duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed-income security and its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The longer a fund’s average portfolio duration, the more sensitive the fund will be to changes in interest rates, which means funds with longer average portfolio durations may be more volatile than those with shorter durations.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) Risk.  In addition to risks associated with investing in real estate securities, REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. Investment in REITs also involves risks similar to risks of investing in small market capitalization companies, such as limited financial resources, less frequent and limited volume trading, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. A REIT could fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code. Fund shareholders will indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of REITs in which the fund invests.
Real Estate Securities Risk.  Investing in real estate securities subjects the fund to the risks associated with the real estate market (which are similar to the risks associated with direct ownership in real estate), including declines in real estate values, loss due to casualty or condemnation, property taxes, interest rate changes, increased expenses, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, regulatory changes (including zoning, land use, and rents), and environmental problems, as well as to the risks related to the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
U.S. Government Securities Risk.  Yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than yields from many other fixed-income securities.
Utilities Sector Risk.  Companies in the utilities sector are sensitive to changes in interest rates and other economic conditions, government regulation, uncertainties created by deregulation, environmental protection or energy conservation policies and practices, the level and demand for services, and the cost and delay of technological developments. In addition, securities of utility companies are volatile and may underperform in a sluggish economy.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
21
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
For periods prior to the inception date of Class R-6 shares (December 31, 2014), and Classes R-3 and R-5 shares (March 29, 2016), the performance shown in the table for these newer classes is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the respective fees and expenses of each class. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for a newer class that is higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares is used. These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, which were first sold March 16, 2010.
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
11.09%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(19.62)%
Year-to-date return for Class A shares:
Q3 2022
(13.02)%
22
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Class A Return Before Taxes
12.56%
6.11%
3.59%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions
10.18%
5.19%
2.86%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
7.81%
4.44%
2.57%
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
17.34%
7.32%
4.38%
Class R-3 Return Before Taxes
16.72%
6.76%
3.84%
Class R-5 Return Before Taxes
17.15%
7.13%
4.18%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
17.42%
7.37%
4.40%
Diversified Real Asset Strategic Index (except as noted for the below indexes, reflects no deduction
for fees, expenses, or taxes)
15.87%
6.82%
4.03%
Bloomberg U.S. Treasury TIPS Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
5.96%
5.34%
3.09%
S&P Global Infrastructure Index NTR (reflects withholding taxes on foreign dividends, but no
deduction for fees, expenses, or other taxes)
27.13%
3.66%
(2.85)%
S&P Global Natural Resources Index NTR (reflects withholding taxes on foreign dividends, but no
deduction for fees, expenses, or other taxes)
26.11%
7.81%
8.64%
Bloomberg Commodity Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
11.05%
6.86%
6.81%
FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Markets Index NTR (reflects withholding taxes on foreign dividends,
but no deduction for fees, expenses, or other taxes)
24.42%
8.95%
3.94%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Performance of a blended index shows how the Fund’s performance compares to a blend of indices with similar investment objectives. Performance of the components of the blended index are also shown. The weightings of the Diversified Real Asset Strategic Index are as follows:
•
for periods from January 1, 2022 and after, the Diversified Real Asset Strategic Index will be known as the Diversified Real Asset Index (Linked): 30% S&P Global Infrastructure Index NTR, 25% FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Markets Index NTR, 15% Bloomberg U.S. Treasury TIPS Index, 15% Bloomberg Commodity Index, and 15% S&P Global Natural Resources Index NTR.
•
for periods prior to January 1, 2022: 35% Bloomberg U.S. Treasury TIPS Index, 20% S&P Global Infrastructure Index NTR, 20% S&P Global Natural Resources Index NTR, 15% Bloomberg Commodity Index, and 10% FTSE EPRA/NAREIT Developed Markets Index NTR. The blended index returns reflect the allocation described in the preceding sentence.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
Jessica S. Bush (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
Benjamin E. Rotenberg (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
May Tong (since 2021), Portfolio Manager
Sub-Advisors
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc.
ClearBridge Investments (North America) Pty Limited
CoreCommodity Management, LLC
Delaware Investments Fund Advisers
Impax Asset Management Limited
Newton Investment Management North America LLC
Nuveen Asset Management, LLC
Pictet Asset Management SA
Principal Real Estate Investors, LLC
Wellington Management Company LLP
Sub-Sub-Advisor
BlackRock International Limited
23
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Class A shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
For Classes R-3, R-5, R-6, and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Effective as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange on July 20, 2022, Class R-5 shares will no longer be available for purchase except in limited circumstances.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
24
Edge MidCap Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” beginning on page 117 of the Fund’s Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” and “Multiple Class Structure” beginning on page 4 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
R-6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
5.50%
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the offering price or NAV at the time Sales Load is
paid, whichever is less)
1.00%
None
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
R-6
Management Fees(1)
0.65%
0.65%
0.65%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
N/A
N/A
Other Expenses
0.30%
0.14%
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.20%
0.79%
0.66%
Expense Reimbursement(2)
(0.10)%
(0.02)%
—%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
1.10%
0.77%
0.66%
(1)
Fees have been restated to reflect current fees.
(2)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 1.10% for Class A and 0.77% for Institutional Class shares. In addition, for Class R-6, the expense limit will maintain “Other Expenses” (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.02% (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses). It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
25
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A
$656
$901
$1,164
$1,916
Institutional Class
79
250
437
976
Class R-6
67
211
368
822
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 16.1% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies with medium market capitalizations at the time of purchase. For this Fund, companies with medium market capitalizations are those with market capitalizations within the range of companies in the Russell MidCap® Index (as of November 30, 2022, this was between approximately $714.0 million and $54.7 billion). The Fund invests in real estate investment trust (“REIT”) securities.
The Fund invests in equity securities with value and/or growth characteristics and constructs an investment portfolio that has a “blend” of equity securities with these characteristics. Investing in value equity securities is an investment strategy that emphasizes buying equity securities that appear to be undervalued. The growth orientation selection emphasizes buying equity securities of companies whose potential for growth of capital and earnings is expected to be above average. The Fund does not have a policy of preferring one of these categories over the other.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•
Smaller Companies Risk.  Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
•
Value Style Risk.  Value investing entails the risk that value stocks may continue to be undervalued by the market for extended periods, including the entire period during which the stock is held by a fund, or the events that would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock that appears to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and, therefore, would not be profitable for the fund.
26
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) Risk.  In addition to risks associated with investing in real estate securities, REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. Investment in REITs also involves risks similar to risks of investing in small market capitalization companies, such as limited financial resources, less frequent and limited volume trading, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. A REIT could fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code. Fund shareholders will indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of REITs in which the fund invests.
Real Estate Securities Risk.  Investing in real estate securities subjects the fund to the risks associated with the real estate market (which are similar to the risks associated with direct ownership in real estate), including declines in real estate values, loss due to casualty or condemnation, property taxes, interest rate changes, increased expenses, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, regulatory changes (including zoning, land use, and rents), and environmental problems, as well as to the risks related to the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), adjusted as described below. These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
Life of Fund returns are measured from the date the Fund’s shares were first sold (September 28, 2015).
For periods prior to the inception date of Class A shares (December 31, 2018) and Class R-6 shares (January 3, 2017), the performance shown in the bar chart and table for Class A and table for Class R-6 shares is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the fees and expenses of each class. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for a newer class that is higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares is used. These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, which were first sold September 28, 2015.
27
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
24.61%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(28.72)%
Year-to-date return for Class A shares:
Q3 2022
(25.91)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
Life of Fund
 
 
 
09/28/15
Class A Return Before Taxes
14.34%
12.32%
13.86%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions
7.06%
10.00%
11.67%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
12.63%
9.47%
10.78%
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
21.42%
13.98%
15.28%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
21.55%
14.23%
15.47%
Russell MidCap Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
22.60%
15.10%
15.19%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
Lauren Choi (since 2021), Associate Portfolio Manager
•
Daniel R. Coleman (since 2015), Portfolio Manager
•
Theodore Jayne (since 2015), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Class A shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
For Class R-6 and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
28
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
29
Global Multi-Strategy Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks to achieve long-term capital appreciation with an emphasis on positive total returns and managing volatility.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Class A shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” beginning on page 117 of the Fund’s Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” and “Multiple Class Structure” beginning on page 4 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
R-6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
3.75%
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the offering price or NAV at the time Sales Load is
paid, whichever is less)
1.00%
None
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
R-6
Management Fees(1)
1.44%
1.44%
1.44%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
N/A
N/A
Other Expenses:
 
 
 
Dividend and Interest Expense on Short Sales
0.33%
0.33%
0.33%
Remainder of Other Expenses
0.27%
0.19%
0.09%
Total Other Expenses
0.60%
0.52%
0.42%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
0.03%
0.03%
0.03%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
2.32%
1.99%
1.89%
Expense Reimbursement(2)
N/A
(0.15)%
(0.07)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
2.32%
1.84%
1.82%
(1)
Fees have been restated to reflect current fees.
(2)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 1.48% for Institutional Class shares. In addition, for Class R-6, the expense limit will maintain “Other Expenses” (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.02% (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses). It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
30
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A
$601
$1,072
$1,569
$2,931
Institutional Class
187
610
1,059
2,305
Class R-6
185
587
1,015
2,206
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 123.2% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the Fund’s investment advisor, seeks to combine diversified investment strategies efficiently and systematically so that the Fund generates a positive total return with relatively low volatility and low sensitivity or correlation to market indices. In managing the Fund, PGI allocates the Fund’s assets among the investment strategies described below, which are executed by PGI or one or more of the Fund’s sub-advisors. PGI has considerable latitude in allocating the Fund’s assets. The Fund will use strategies and sub-advisors to varying degrees and may change allocations, add new or eliminate existing strategies and sub-advisors, and temporarily or permanently reduce allocations from time to time such that the Fund would have little or no assets allocated to a particular strategy or sub-advisor.
The Fund invests in a broad range of instruments, including, but not limited to, equities, bonds, currencies, commodities, convertible securities, and bank loans. Under normal market conditions, the Fund invests in securities of issuers located throughout the world, including the U.S., invests at least 30% of its net assets in foreign and emerging market securities, and holds investments tied economically to at least twenty countries.
The Fund invests in equity securities regardless of market capitalization size (small, medium, or large) and style (growth or value). The Fund invests in investment-grade and below investment-grade bonds (sometimes called “high yield bonds” or “junk bonds”), which are rated at the time of purchase Ba1 or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and BB+ or lower by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P Global”) (if the bond has been rated by only one of those agencies, that rating will determine whether the bond is below investment grade; if the bond has not been rated by either of those agencies, those selecting such investments will determine whether the bond is of a quality comparable to those rated below investment grade). The fixed-income portion of the Fund is not managed to a particular maturity or duration. The Fund’s strategies may result in the active and frequent trading of the Fund’s portfolio securities.
The Fund invests in derivative instruments. A derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is derived from, or based on, a traditional security, asset, or market index. The strategies use different types of derivative instruments for various purposes, including to gain exposure to securities and to attempt to reduce risk. The Fund may invest in money market funds in order to provide collateral for certain derivative positions and other financial instruments and to provide asset coverage for certain derivative positions and other financial instruments that create obligations to make future payments to third parties.
The Fund takes long and short positions in securities and derivative instruments. When taking a short position, the Fund may sell an instrument that it does not own and then borrow to meet its settlement obligations. Short positions benefit from a decrease in price of the underlying instrument and lose value if the price of the underlying instrument increases. Long positions profit if the value of the instrument increases. Simultaneously engaging in long investing and short selling reduces the net exposure to general market movements. The Fund also takes relative value positions in an effort capitalize on price differences between similar securities or relative value among securities of the same company. The Fund also invests a portion of the proceeds it receives from short sales into long positions.
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Relative Value.  This strategy uses a flexible approach to invest primarily in fixed-income securities and instruments related to credit, currencies, and interest rates, while employing risk-management strategies. This strategy uses a variety of techniques to obtain market exposure, such as derivative instruments, including options, futures, forwards, and swaps (including credit default swaps); entering into a series of purchase and sale contracts; purchasing securities on a when-issued, delayed delivery, or forward-commitment basis; and engaging in short sales. This strategy may obtain investment exposure substantially through derivatives instruments, may use such instruments in an effort to minimize volatility, and may use equity futures for hedging purposes.
A portion of this strategy takes long and short positions in selected emerging market issuers when those selecting such investments identify factors (such as macro-economic factors, country-specific factors, or credit-specific factors) that they believe will drive substantial appreciation or depreciation of the particular exposure. The strategy’s geographic focus is derived from economic and political developments and the specific nature of local jurisdictions in the emerging markets.
Equity Long/Short.  This strategy provides long and short exposure to a diversified portfolio of U.S. and foreign, including emerging market, equity securities. Those selecting such investments simultaneously invest long in equities they expect to increase in value and either short sell equities they expect to decrease in value, or hedge equity market exposure another way (for example, by using derivatives such as futures, options, or swaps). This strategy uses two methods of analysis: fundamental analysis, which examines a company’s financial statements and operations, especially sales, earnings, products, management, and competition; and quantitative analysis, which uses mathematical models to evaluate a company’s measurable characteristics such as revenue, earnings, margins, and market share.
Event-Driven.  This strategy invests in securities on the basis that a specific event or catalyst will affect future prices. This strategy attempts to capitalize on price discrepancies and returns generated by corporate activity, such as merger arbitrage, where the Fund holds a long/short portfolio of securities of companies involved in mergers.
Global Macro.  This strategy provides long and short exposure to a broad spectrum of global assets (including equities, currencies, fixed-income securities, bonds, commodities, and interest rates) in an effort to profit from movement in the prices of securities that are highly sensitive to macroeconomic conditions. The managed futures portion of this strategy uses quantitative selection models to help predict movements in these markets. In pursuing this strategy, the Fund, either directly or through its wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (the “Cayman Subsidiary”), invests in commodity-linked derivatives and in instruments such as fixed-income securities, cash and cash equivalents, and/or U.S. government securities, either as investments or to serve as margin or collateral for derivative positions.
Commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, coal, natural gas, agricultural products, industrial metals, livestock, and precious metals. In pursuing certain commodity strategies, the Fund invests its assets in the Cayman Subsidiary to gain exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies under the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund’s investments in its Cayman Subsidiary at any time will not exceed 25% of the Fund’s net assets.
Market Neutral.  This strategy invests in long and short positions across different asset classes (including equity and fixed-income securities) in an effort to neutralize market risk exposure. The fixed-income portion seeks product types that have attractive return characteristics with low volatility. This strategy uses arbitrage, which is the simultaneous purchase and sale of assets in an effort to exploit price differences of identical or similar securities on different markets or in different forms. The fixed-income arbitrage portion seeks to exploit mispricing of various, liquid fixed-income or interest-rate-sensitive securities and provides long and short exposure to developed country bond and currency markets, investment grade and high yield credit markets, and forward mortgage-backed securities trading in the to-be-announced (“TBA”) markets. The convertible arbitrage portion structures trades using multiple securities within a convertible bond issuer’s capital structure. This strategy may also use derivatives to hedge against a decline in interest rates or credit exposure.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Arbitrage Trading Risk.  The underlying relationships between securities in which the fund takes arbitrage investment positions may change in an adverse manner, in which case the fund may realize losses.
Asset Allocation Risk.  A fund’s selection and weighting of asset classes and allocation among sub-advisors may cause it to underperform other funds with a similar investment objective.
32
Bank Loans Risk.  Changes in economic conditions are likely to cause issuers of bank loans (also known as senior floating rate interests) to be unable to meet their obligations. In addition, the value of the collateral securing the loan (if any) may decline, causing a loan to be substantially unsecured. Underlying credit agreements governing the bank loans, reliance on market makers, priority of repayment, and overall market volatility may harm the liquidity of loans.
Cayman Subsidiary Risk.  The Fund is subject to the particular risks associated with the investments of the Fund’s wholly-owned Cayman Subsidiary, namely commodity-related investments risk, counterparty risk, and derivatives risk. The Cayman Subsidiary is not registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940 and is not subject to all the investor protections of the Investment Company Act of 1940. The laws of the Cayman Islands and/or the United States (including the IRS position on income earned from wholly-owned subsidiaries described in past IRS private letter rulings) may change, resulting in the inability of the Fund and/or the Cayman Subsidiary to operate as described in this Prospectus.
Commodity-Related Investments Risk.  The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and economic health, political, international, regulatory, and other developments. Exposure to the commodities markets may subject the Fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities.
Convertible Securities Risk.  Convertible securities are securities that are convertible into common stock. Convertible securities are subject to credit and interest rate risks associated with fixed-income securities and to stock market risk associated with equity securities.
Counterparty Risk.  Counterparty risk is the risk that the counterparty to a contract or other obligation will be unable or unwilling to honor its obligations.
Derivatives Risk.  Derivatives may not move in the direction anticipated by the portfolio manager. Transactions in derivatives may increase volatility, cause the liquidation of portfolio positions when not advantageous to do so, and result in disproportionate losses that may be substantially greater than a fund’s initial investment.
•
Credit Default Swaps.  Credit default swaps involve special risks in addition to those associated with swaps generally because they are difficult to value, are highly susceptible to liquidity and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty). The protection “buyer” in a credit default contract may be obligated to pay the protection “seller” an up-front payment or a periodic stream of payments over the term of the contract, provided, generally, that no credit event on a reference obligation has occurred. If a credit event occurs, the seller generally must pay the buyer the “par value” (i.e., full notional value) of the swap in exchange for an equal face amount of deliverable obligations of the reference entity described in the swap, or the seller may be required to deliver the related net cash amount, if the swap is cash settled. The Fund may be either the buyer or seller in the transaction.
•
Currency Contracts.  Derivatives related to currency contracts involve the specific risk of government action through exchange controls that would restrict the ability of the fund to deliver or receive currency.
•
Forward Contracts, Futures, and Swaps.  Forward contracts, futures, and swaps involve specific risks, including: the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the fund and the price of the forward contract, future, or swap; possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a forward contract, future, or swap and the resulting inability to close a forward contract, future, or swap when desired; counterparty risk; and if the fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements.
•
Options.  Options involve specific risks, including: imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the Fund and the price of the options, counterparty risk, difference in trading hours for the options markets and the markets for the underlying securities (rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets), and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options.
Emerging Markets Risk.  Investments in emerging markets may have more risk than those in developed markets because the emerging markets are less developed and more illiquid. Emerging markets can also be subject to increased social, economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties and can be extremely volatile. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and other U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to pursue bad actors in emerging markets, including with respect to fraud.
33
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•
Smaller Companies Risk.  Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
•
Value Style Risk.  Value investing entails the risk that value stocks may continue to be undervalued by the market for extended periods, including the entire period during which the stock is held by a fund, or the events that would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock that appears to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and, therefore, would not be profitable for the fund.
Event-Driven Trading Risk.  Event-driven trading involves the risk that the special situation may not occur as anticipated, if at all, and that the market price of a stock declines.
Fixed-Income Securities Risk.  Fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate, credit quality, and liquidity risks. The market value of fixed-income securities generally declines when interest rates rise, and increased interest rates may adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income securities. Moreover, an issuer of fixed-income securities could default on its payment obligations due to increased interest rates or for other reasons.
Foreign Currency Risk.  Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
Hedging Risk.  A fund that implements a hedging strategy using derivatives and/or securities could expose the fund to the risk that can arise when a change in the value of a hedge does not match a change in the value of the asset it hedges. In other words, the change in value of the hedge could move in a direction that does not match the change in value of the underlying asset, resulting in a risk of loss to the fund.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk.  High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) caused by active and frequent trading of portfolio securities may result in accelerating the realization of taxable gains and losses, lower fund performance, and increased brokerage costs.
High Yield Securities Risk.  High yield fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit quality risk than higher rated fixed-income securities and should be considered speculative.
Investment Company Securities Risk.  A fund that invests in another investment company (for example, another fund or an exchange-traded fund (or ETF)) is subject to the risks associated with direct ownership of the securities in which such investment company invests. Fund shareholders indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of each such investment company.
Leverage Risk.  Leverage created by borrowing or certain types of transactions or investments may impair the fund’s liquidity, cause it to liquidate positions at an unfavorable time, increase volatility of the fund’s net asset value, or diminish the fund’s performance. In particular, investing the proceeds of short sales may amplify leverage risk.
Portfolio Duration Risk.  Portfolio duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed-income security and its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The longer a fund’s average portfolio duration, the more sensitive the fund will be to changes in interest rates, which means funds with longer average portfolio durations may be more volatile than those with shorter durations.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional
34
cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Securitized Products Risk.  Investments in securitized products are subject to risks similar to traditional fixed-income securities, such as credit, interest rate, liquidity, prepayment, extension, and default risk, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets. Unscheduled prepayments on securitized products may have to be reinvested at lower rates. A reduction in prepayments may increase the effective maturities of these securities, exposing them to the risk of decline in market value over time (extension risk). With respect to securities that are delivered in TBA transactions, there is a risk that the actual securities received by the Fund may be less favorable than what was anticipated when entering into the transaction.
Short Sales Risk.  A short sale involves the sale by the Fund of a security that it does not own with the hope of purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. A fund may also enter into a short derivative position through a futures contract or swap agreement. If the price of the security or derivative has increased during this time, then the Fund will incur a loss equal to the increase in price from the time that the short sale was entered into plus any premiums and interest paid to the third party. Therefore, short sales involve the risk that losses may be exaggerated, potentially losing more money than the actual cost of the investment. Also, there is the risk that the third party to the short sale may fail to honor its contract terms, causing a loss to the Fund.
U.S. Government Securities Risk.  Yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than yields from many other fixed-income securities.
U.S. Government-Sponsored Securities Risk.  Securities issued by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the Federal Home Loan Banks are not issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
For periods prior to the inception date of Class R-6 shares (June 12, 2017), the performance shown in the table for Class R-6 shares is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the fees and expenses of the Class R-6 shares. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for Class R-6 that is higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares is used. These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, which were first sold on October 24, 2011.
35
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
7.24%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(9.50)%
Year-to-date return for Class A shares:
Q3 2022
(4.93)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Class A Return Before Taxes
1.17%
2.94%
3.03%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions
0.07%
2.06%
2.41%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
1.04%
1.98%
2.20%
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
5.63%
4.14%
3.83%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
5.63%
4.18%
3.84%
HFRX Global Hedge Fund Index (reflects no deduction for taxes)
3.65%
3.52%
2.58%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
Jessica S. Bush (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
Benjamin E. Rotenberg (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
May Tong (since 2021), Portfolio Manager
Sub-Advisors
Gotham Asset Management, LLC
Graham Capital Management, L.P.
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P.
Los Angeles Capital Management LLC
Sound Point Capital Management, LP*
Wellington Management Company LLP
Westchester Capital Management, LLC
*
Allocation has been decreased and is expected to further decrease over time, with no future allocations expected.
36
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Class A shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
For Class R-6 and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
37
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks total return.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
If you purchase Institutional Class shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary. 
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
Inst.
Management Fees
0.75%
Other Expenses(1)
0.55%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.30%
Expense Reimbursement(2)
(0.42)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
0.88%
(1)
Based on estimated amounts for the current fiscal year.
(2)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.88% for Institutional Class shares. It is expected that the expense limit will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limit prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
Institutional Class
$90
$371
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. This is a new fund and does not yet have a portfolio turnover rate to disclose.
Principal Investment Strategies
The Fund seeks to achieve its objective by investing, under normal circumstances, at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities issued by listed infrastructure companies that are subject to the sub-advisor’s sustainable investing strategy (as explained in more detail below). A “listed infrastructure company” is a publicly traded company engaged in the development, operation, and management of infrastructure assets. Infrastructure assets include but are not limited to utilities (electric, gas, water), transportation infrastructure (airports, highways, railways, marine ports), energy infrastructure (renewable energy generation, oil and gas pipeline operators), and communications infrastructure (cell phone tower operators, data centers, other providers of telecommunication services).
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The Fund invests primarily in equity securities regardless of market capitalization (small, medium, or large) and invests in both value and growth securities. The Fund also invests in real estate investment trusts (“REITs”) but only those REITs that are engaged in the development, operation, or management of infrastructure assets. In addition, under normal circumstances, the Fund holds investments tied economically to multiple countries and invests at least 40% of its net assets, measured at the time of purchase, in securities of issuers organized or located outside the United States or doing a substantial amount of business outside the United States, including those located in emerging markets, such as China.
The Fund is considered non-diversified, which means it can invest a higher percentage of assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. The Fund also concentrates its investments (invests more than 25% of its net assets) in securities in the utilities industry.
The sub-advisor initially identifies listed infrastructure companies and assesses them against the following three metrics: overall quality, valuation, and market perception. As described in more detail below, the overall quality metric includes, among other things, an assessment of a company’s environmental, social, and governance (“ESG”) practices using the sub-advisor’s proprietary ESG-ratings framework. After it has assessed a potential investment against these three metrics, the sub-advisor assesses the remaining companies for their alignment with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (“SDGs”). The sub-advisor’s assessments of a company’s overall quality (which includes an assessment of a company’s ESG practices) and SDG alignment contain minimum sustainability thresholds that a company must meet before it is considered for portfolio inclusion. The sub-advisor applies these assessments of ESG practices and SDG alignment to each Fund investment (other than cash and cash equivalents) and believes that ESG factors are a significant consideration in selecting investments for the Fund’s portfolio. The sub-advisor does, however, consider non-ESG factors too when evaluating potential Fund investments.
The sub-advisor’s assessment of a company’s overall quality metric consists of assessments of several key measurements, which include, among others, a company’s ESG practices; financial condition; profitability and projected growth; management quality and governance structure; business strategy; market outlook; and infrastructure business quality, which covers the strength of a company’s regulatory relationships, the nature of its contractual and regulatory right to operate its assets, and the predictability and longevity of its cash flows.
The sub-advisor measures a company’s ESG practices and potential for those practices to improve by, among other things, maintaining a proprietary ESG-ratings framework, supplemented by insights from third-party research providers (e.g., sell-side research firms and ESG rating firms), and regular engagement with company management teams, in which ESG factors are a significant consideration and which includes correspondence with company management specifically focused on ESG issues. The sub-advisor does not rely exclusively on the insights from third-party research providers; it may discount these third-party insights if they conflict with the sub-advisor’s independent analyses and judgments. The proprietary ratings framework seeks to benchmark companies against what the sub-advisor believes to be the ESG practices of leading listed infrastructure companies. It is composed of a set of metrics (identified below) that the sub-advisor deems to be material in evaluating the ESG and sustainability credentials of a listed infrastructure company. This framework sets out areas of materiality by sector and sub-sector and helps to focus analyst research on areas that are most likely to lead to controversies and opportunities for a given listed infrastructure company. The ESG metrics include, but are not limited to, carbon emissions; resource and water management; resiliency to climate-related impacts; environmental business opportunities; human capital development; health and safety; diversity and inclusion; community relations; access and affordability; customer privacy and data security; ownership structure; board composition; compensation and alignment; business ethics; accounting; reporting and transparency; and controversies. These metrics are subject to change as the sub-advisor periodically re-assesses which ESG considerations are most material for listed infrastructure companies.
The sub-advisor’s valuation assessment involves the construction of discounted cash flow-based valuation models for potential investments. The sub-advisor’s market perception analysis seeks to identify companies whose sustainability credentials, in the sub-advisor’s opinion, are over- or underappreciated by other market participants.
Before selecting a company’s security for Fund investment, the sub-advisor also evaluates the company’s alignment with the SDGs generally but with a special emphasis on the following goals: clean water and sanitation; affordable and clean energy; decent work and economic growth; industry, innovation, and infrastructure; sustainable cities and infrastructure; and climate action. This SDG-alignment examination seeks to ensure that the company’s contributions to social and environmental progress are in line with the sub-advisor’s expectations for a listed infrastructure company operating in the relevant sub-sector and country. The sub-advisor identifies individual targets and indicators that are most applicable to each company and that may vary depending on sub-sector and/or country of operation.
The sub-advisor’s assessments of a company’s overall quality (which includes an assessment of a company’s ESG practices) and SDG alignment contain minimum sustainability thresholds that a company must meet before it is considered for portfolio inclusion. Subject to these minimum standards, the sub-advisor may from time to time select for investment a company that the sub-advisor has identified as having certain areas of deficiency in its ESG practices or in its SDG alignment relative
39
to its global peers. Before making such an investment, however, the sub-advisor would identify, in its reasonable belief, positive forward-looking trends in the company’s ESG practices or SDG alignment through direct engagement with a company’s management. The sub-advisor typically makes this determination after it has examined a potential investment against the metrics outlined above (overall quality (which contains ESG quality), valuation, market perception, and SDG alignment).
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Emerging Markets Risk.  Investments in emerging markets may have more risk than those in developed markets because the emerging markets are less developed and more illiquid. Emerging markets can also be subject to increased social, economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties and can be extremely volatile. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and other U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to pursue bad actors in emerging markets, including with respect to fraud.
•
China Investment Risk.  The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers located or operating in China. Investing in China involves certain heightened risks and considerations, including, among others: frequent trading suspensions and government interventions (including by nationalizing assets); currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockages; limits on using brokers and on foreign ownership; different financial reporting standards; higher dependence on exports and international trade; political and social instability; infectious disease outbreaks; regional and global conflicts; increased trade tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations; custody and other risks associated with programs used to access Chinese securities; and uncertainties in tax rules that could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Significant portions of the Chinese securities markets may become rapidly illiquid, as Chinese issuers have the ability to suspend the trading of their equity securities. Moreover, actions by the U.S. government, such as delisting of certain Chinese companies from U.S. securities exchanges or otherwise restricting their operations in the U.S., may negatively impact the value of such securities held by the Fund.
Energy Sector Risk.  The market value of securities in the energy sector may decline for many reasons, including, among others, changes in energy prices, energy supply and demand, government regulations, and energy conservation efforts. Energy companies can be significantly affected by the supply of, and demand for, specific products (e.g., oil and natural gas) and services, exploration and production spending, government subsidization and tax incentives, world events, and general economic conditions. In addition, renewable energy companies may be more volatile than companies operating in more established industries. Seasonal weather conditions, extreme weather, or other natural disasters could have a disproportionate effect on renewable energy companies versus other types of energy companies. These factors could impact the ability of renewable energy companies to pay dividends comparable to those paid by other types of energy companies.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•
Smaller Companies Risk.  Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
•
Value Style Risk.  Value investing entails the risk that value stocks may continue to be undervalued by the market for extended periods, including the entire period during which the stock is held by a fund, or the events that would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock that appears to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and, therefore, would not be profitable for the fund.
40
ESG Investing Risk.  The Fund incorporates ESG investment insights into its investment strategy and will forego certain investment opportunities because of this ESG investment strategy. The Fund’s incorporation of ESG investment insights will affect the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries. The Fund’s results may be lower than other funds that do not consider ESG characteristics or apply an ESG investment strategy, or that use different ESG criteria or a different methodology to identify and/or incorporate ESG characteristics. Further, investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative ESG characteristics of a security. As a result, the Fund may invest in securities that do not reflect the beliefs of a particular investor. In addition, the Fund may not be successful in its objectives related to ESG. There is no guarantee that these objectives will be achieved, and ESG-related assessments are at the sub-advisor’s discretion. The sub-advisor is dependent upon certain information and data from issuers and from third-party providers of ESG research, which may be incomplete, inaccurate, or unavailable. As a result, there is a risk that the sub-advisor may incorrectly assess a security or issuer. There is also a risk that the sub-advisor may not apply the relevant ESG criteria correctly or that the Fund could have indirect exposure to issuers that do not meet the relevant ESG criteria used by the Fund. There may be limitations with respect to availability of ESG data in certain sectors, as well as limited availability of investments with positive ESG assessments in certain sectors. The advisor and/or sub-advisor’s evaluation of ESG criteria is subjective and may change over time.
Foreign Currency Risk.  Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
Industry Concentration Risk.  A fund that concentrates investments in a particular industry or group of industries (in this case, the utilities sector) has greater exposure than other funds to market, economic, and other factors affecting that industry or group of industries. These factors and risks are explained more fully below in Utilities Sector Risk.
Non-Diversification Risk.  A non-diversified fund may invest a high percentage of its assets in the securities of a small number of issuers and is more likely than diversified funds to be significantly affected by a specific security’s poor performance.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) Risk.  In addition to risks associated with investing in real estate securities, REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. Investment in REITs also involves risks similar to risks of investing in small market capitalization companies, such as limited financial resources, less frequent and limited volume trading, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. A REIT could fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code. Fund shareholders will indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of REITs in which the fund invests.
Real Estate Securities Risk.  Investing in real estate securities subjects the fund to the risks associated with the real estate market (which are similar to the risks associated with direct ownership in real estate), including declines in real estate values, loss due to casualty or condemnation, property taxes, interest rate changes, increased expenses, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, regulatory changes (including zoning, land use, and rents), and environmental problems, as well as to the risks related to the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Telecommunication Services Risk.  The telecommunications industry is subject to governmental regulation and a greater price volatility than the overall market, and the products and services of telecommunications companies may be subject to rapid obsolescence resulting from changing consumer tastes, intense competition, and strong market reactions to technological developments throughout the industry. Companies in the telecommunications sector may encounter distressed cash flows due to the need to commit substantial capital to meet increasing competition, particularly in formulating new products and services using new technology.
41
Transportation Risk.  Companies in the transportation industry may be adversely affected by economic changes, increases in fuel and operating costs, labor relations, and insurance costs. Transportation companies may also be subject to significant government regulation and oversight, which may adversely affect their businesses.
Utilities Sector Risk.  When interest rates go up, the value of securities issued by utilities companies historically has gone down. In most countries and localities, the utilities industry is regulated by governmental entities, which can increase costs and delays for new projects and make it difficult to pass increased costs on to consumers. In certain areas, deregulation of utilities has resulted in increased competition and reduced profitability for certain companies and increased the risk that a particular company will become bankrupt or fail completely. Reduced profitability, as well as new uses for or additional need of funds (such as for expansion, operations, or stock buybacks), could result in reduced dividend payout rates for utilities companies. In addition, utilities companies face the risk of increases in the cost and reduced availability of fuel (such as oil, coal, natural gas, or nuclear energy) and potentially high interest costs for borrowing to finance new projects.
Performance
No performance information is shown below because the Fund has not yet had a calendar year of performance. The Fund’s performance is benchmarked against the FTSE Global Core Infrastructure 50/50 Index. Performance information provides an indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information by calling 1-800-222-5852.
Investment Advisor
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
Sub-Advisor and Portfolio Manager
Principal Real Estate Investors, LLC
•
Emily Foshag (since 2022), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
42
International Equity Index Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary. 
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
Inst.
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
Management Fees
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%
0.25%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
N/A
0.35%
0.25%
0.10%
N/A
N/A
Other Expenses
0.19%
0.59%
0.38%
0.34%
0.32%
0.07%
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.45%
1.20%
0.89%
0.70%
0.58%
0.33%
Expense Reimbursement(1)
(0.12)%
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
(0.02)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
0.33%
1.20%
0.89%
0.70%
0.58%
0.31%
(1)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.31% for Institutional Class shares. In addition, for Class R-6, the expense limit will maintain “Other Expenses” (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.04% (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses). It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Institutional Class
$34
$132
$240
$555
Class R-1
122
381
660
1,455
Class R-3
91
284
493
1,096
Class R-4
72
224
390
871
Class R-5
59
186
324
726
Class R-6
32
104
183
416
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 20.1% of the average value of its portfolio.
43
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in securities that compose the MSCI EAFE Index (the “Index”) at the time of purchase. The Index is a market-weighted equity index designed to measure the equity performance of developed markets (Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Far East, which includes Hong Kong, Japan, and Singapore), excluding the United States and Canada. The Index includes securities of different market capitalizations (medium and large) and is rebalanced quarterly. The Fund employs a passive investment approach designed to attempt to track the performance of the Index. In seeking its objective, the Fund typically employs a replication strategy, which involves investing in the securities that make up the Index, in the same approximate proportions as the Index. The Fund utilizes exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”) and derivative strategies (including index futures) on a daily basis to gain exposure to the Index in an effort to minimize tracking error relative to the benchmark. A derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is derived from, or based on, a traditional security, asset, or market index. The Fund will not concentrate (invest more than 25% of its assets) its investments in a particular industry except to the extent the Index is so concentrated. As of November 30, 2022, the Index was not concentrated in any industry.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Derivatives Risk.  Derivatives may not move in the direction anticipated by the portfolio manager. Transactions in derivatives may increase volatility, cause the liquidation of portfolio positions when not advantageous to do so, and result in disproportionate losses that may be substantially greater than a fund’s initial investment.
•
Futures.  Futures contracts involve specific risks, including: the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the fund and the price of the futures contract; possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; counterparty risk; and if the fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
Foreign Currency Risk.  Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
Index Fund Risk.  Index funds use a passive investment approach and generally do not attempt to manage market volatility, use defensive strategies, or reduce the effect of any long-term periods of poor investment performance. Therefore, the Fund may hold securities that present risks that an investment advisor researching individual securities might seek to avoid. An index fund has operating and other expenses while an index does not. As a result, over time, index funds tend to underperform the index. The correlation between fund performance and index performance may also be affected by the type of passive investment approach used by a fund (sampling or replication), changes in securities markets, changes in the composition of the index, and the timing of purchases and sales of fund shares. Errors or delays in compiling or rebalancing the Index may impact the performance of the Fund and increase transaction costs.
Industry Concentration Risk.  A fund that concentrates investments in a particular industry or group of industries has greater exposure than other funds to market, economic, and other factors affecting that industry or group of industries.
Investment Company Securities Risk.  A fund that invests in another investment company (for example, another fund or an exchange-traded fund (or ETF)) is subject to the risks associated with direct ownership of the securities in which such investment company invests. Fund shareholders indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of each such investment company.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes
44
to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
For periods prior to the inception date of Class R-6 shares (January 3, 2017), the performance shown in the table for Class R-6 shares is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the fees and expenses of Class R-6 shares. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for Class R-6 shares that is higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares is used. These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, which were first sold December 30, 2009.
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
15.89%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(23.11)%
Year-to-date return for Institutional Class shares:
Q3 2022
(27.51)%
45
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
11.07%
9.42%
7.75%
Institutional Class Return After Taxes on Distributions
9.34%
8.51%
6.65%
Institutional Class Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
7.07%
7.36%
6.12%
Class R-1 Return Before Taxes
10.07%
8.47%
6.81%
Class R-3 Return Before Taxes
10.37%
8.80%
7.15%
Class R-4 Return Before Taxes
10.55%
9.00%
7.34%
Class R-5 Return Before Taxes
10.83%
9.15%
7.48%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
11.06%
9.44%
7.72%
MSCI EAFE Index NTR (reflects withholding taxes on foreign dividends, but no deduction for fees,
expenses, or other taxes)
11.27%
9.55%
8.03%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Institutional Class shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
Jeffrey A. Schwarte (since 2016), Portfolio Manager
•
Aaron J. Siebel (since 2018), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
For retirement plan investors, effective as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange on January 31, 2017, Class R-1 shares are no longer available for purchase from new retirement plans except in limited circumstances.
See Purchase of Fund Shares for more information.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
46
International Small Company Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary. 
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
Inst.
R-6
Management Fees(1)
0.99%
0.99%
Other Expenses
0.14%
0.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.13%
1.03%
Expense Reimbursement(2)
(0.05)%
—%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
1.08%
1.03%
(1)
Fees have been restated to reflect current fees.
(2)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 1.08% for Institutional Class shares. In addition, for Class R-6, the expense limit will maintain “Other Expenses” (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.04% (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses). It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Institutional Class
$110
$354
$617
$1,370
Class R-6
105
328
569
1,259
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 61.4% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies with small market capitalizations at the time of purchase. For this Fund, companies with small market capitalizations are those with market capitalizations within the range of companies in the MSCI World Ex-U.S.A. Small Cap Index (as of November 30, 2022, this was between approximately $2.5 million and $8.2 billion). The Fund may invest in equity securities regardless of style (growth or value). The Fund invests primarily in foreign equity securities. The
47
Fund typically invests in foreign securities of more than 10 countries but has no limitation on the percentage of assets that is invested in each country or denominated in any currency. Primary consideration is given to securities of corporations of developed areas, such as Japan, Western Europe, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•
Smaller Companies Risk.  Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
•
Value Style Risk.  Value investing entails the risk that value stocks may continue to be undervalued by the market for extended periods, including the entire period during which the stock is held by a fund, or the events that would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock that appears to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and, therefore, would not be profitable for the fund.
Foreign Currency Risk.  Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
Life of Fund returns are measured from the date the Fund’s shares were first sold (June 11, 2014).
48
For periods prior to the inception date of Institutional Class shares (December 31, 2014) and Class R-6 shares (January 3, 2017), the performance shown in the table for these newer classes is that of the Fund’s Class A shares, adjusted to reflect the respective fees and expenses of each class. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for a newer class that is higher than the historical performance of the Class A shares, the historical performance of the Class A shares is used (without respect to sales charges, which do not apply to Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares). These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Class A shares, which were first sold June 11, 2014, and liquidated on February 23, 2021.
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
21.37%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(30.37)%
Year-to-date return for Institutional Class shares:
Q3 2022
(31.34)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
Life of Fund
 
 
 
06/11/14
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
8.21%
9.41%
6.08%
Institutional Class Return After Taxes on Distributions
6.03%
7.94%
5.05%
Institutional Class Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
6.54%
7.19%
4.61%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
8.36%
9.59%
6.07%
MSCI World Ex-U.S.A. Small Cap Index NTR (reflects withholding taxes on foreign dividends, but
no deduction for fees, expenses, or other taxes)
11.15%
11.03%
9.24%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Institutional Class shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
Tiffany N. Lavastida (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
Brian W. Pattinson (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Class R-6 and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
49
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
50
Opportunistic Municipal Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks to provide a high level of income that is exempt from federal income tax while protecting investors’ capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Class A shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” beginning on page 117 of the Fund’s Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” and “Multiple Class Structure” beginning on page 4 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
3.75%
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the offering price or NAV at the time Sales Load is paid,
whichever is less)
1.00%
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
Management Fees(1)
0.44%
0.44%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
N/A
Other Expenses:
 
 
Interest Expenses
0.06%
0.06%
Remainder of Other Expenses
0.17%
0.16%
Total Other Expenses
0.23%
0.22%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
0.92%
0.66%
Expense Reimbursement(2)
(0.02)%
(0.04)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
0.90%
0.62%
(1)
Fees have been restated to reflect current fees.
(2)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.84% for Class A and 0.56% for Institutional Class shares. It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
51
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A
$463
$655
$863
$1,462
Institutional Class
63
207
364
819
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 52.4% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in municipal obligations, which are securities issued by or on behalf of state or local governments and other public authorities. Municipal obligations generally pay interest that is exempt from federal income tax. The Fund’s investment in municipal obligations include industrial revenue bonds. The Fund has a flexible investment strategy and invests in obligations of any duration and credit quality, including below investment grade bonds (sometimes called “high yield bonds” or “junk bonds”), which are rated at the time of purchase Ba1 or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and BB+ or lower by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P Global”) (if the bond has been rated by only one of those agencies, that rating will determine whether the bond is below investment grade; if the bond has not been rated by either of those agencies, those selecting such investments will determine whether the bond is of a quality comparable to those rated below investment grade). The Fund is not managed to a particular maturity or duration.
The Fund invests in other debt obligations, including (but not limited to) taxable municipal obligations; U.S. Treasury securities; obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies, and instrumentalities; and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) to gain exposure to the municipal market.
The Fund uses derivative instruments, such as futures, for duration management purposes. A derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is derived from, or based on, a traditional security, asset, or market index. The Fund also invests in inverse floating rate instruments, which are generally more volatile than other types of municipal obligations and may involve leverage, to enhance investment income.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Counterparty Risk.  Counterparty risk is the risk that the counterparty to a contract or other obligation will be unable or unwilling to honor its obligations.
Derivatives Risk.  Derivatives may not move in the direction anticipated by the portfolio manager. Transactions in derivatives may increase volatility, cause the liquidation of portfolio positions when not advantageous to do so, and result in disproportionate losses that may be substantially greater than a fund’s initial investment.
•
Futures.  Futures contracts involve specific risks, including: the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by the fund and the price of the futures contract; possible lack of a liquid secondary market for a futures contract and the resulting inability to close a futures contract when desired; counterparty risk; and if the fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements.
52
Fixed-Income Securities Risk.  Fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate, credit quality, and liquidity risks. The market value of fixed-income securities generally declines when interest rates rise, and increased interest rates may adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income securities. Moreover, an issuer of fixed-income securities could default on its payment obligations due to increased interest rates or for other reasons.
High Yield Securities Risk.  High yield fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit quality risk than higher rated fixed-income securities and should be considered speculative.
Industrial Revenue Bond Risk.  The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition and performance of industrial revenue bonds. These revenue bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to finance various public and/or privately operated facilities, including those for business and manufacturing, housing, sports, pollution control, airport, mass transit, port, and parking facilities. These bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments. Consequently, the credit quality of these bonds is dependent upon the ability of the user of the facilities financed by the bonds and any guarantor to meet its financial obligations.
Inverse Floating Rate Investments Risk.  Inverse floating rate investments are extremely sensitive to changes in interest rates and, in some cases, their market value may be extremely volatile.
Investment Company Securities Risk.  A fund that invests in another investment company (for example, another fund or an exchange-traded fund (or ETF)) is subject to the risks associated with direct ownership of the securities in which such investment company invests. Fund shareholders indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of each such investment company.
Leverage Risk.  Leverage created by borrowing or certain types of transactions or investments may impair the fund’s liquidity, cause it to liquidate positions at an unfavorable time, increase volatility of the fund’s net asset value, or diminish the fund’s performance.
Municipal Obligations Risk.  Principal and interest payments on municipal securities may not be guaranteed by the issuing body and may be payable only from a particular source. That source may not perform as expected, and payment obligations may not be made or made on time.
Portfolio Duration Risk.  Portfolio duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed-income security and its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The longer a fund’s average portfolio duration, the more sensitive the fund will be to changes in interest rates, which means funds with longer average portfolio durations may be more volatile than those with shorter durations.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
U.S. Government Securities Risk.  Yields available from U.S. government securities are generally lower than yields from many other fixed-income securities.
U.S. Government-Sponsored Securities Risk.  Securities issued by U.S. government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation, the Federal National Mortgage Association, and the Federal Home Loan Banks are not issued or guaranteed by the U.S. government.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
53
Life of Fund returns are measured from the date the Fund’s shares were first sold (June 14, 2012).
For periods prior to the inception date of Institutional Class shares (March 10, 2015), the performance shown in the table for Institutional Class shares is that of the Fund’s Class A shares, adjusted to reflect the fees and expenses of Institutional Class shares. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for the Institutional Class that is higher than the historical performance of the Class A shares, the historical performance of the Class A shares is used (without respect to sales charges, which does not apply to Institutional Class). These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Class A shares, which were first sold June 14, 2012.
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2014
6.17%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(7.70)%
Year-to-date return for Class A shares:
Q3 2022
(18.24)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
Life of Fund
 
 
 
06/14/12
Class A Return Before Taxes
2.37%
5.70%
5.03%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions
2.37%
5.70%
5.02%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
2.68%
5.24%
4.75%
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
6.76%
6.83%
5.65%
Bloomberg Municipal Bond Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
1.52%
4.17%
3.53%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
James Noble (since 2012), Portfolio Manager
•
James Welch (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Class A shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
54
For Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Tax Information
While the Fund intends to distribute income that is exempt from regular federal and possibly some state income taxes, a portion of the Fund’s distributions may be subject to federal income taxes or to the federal individual alternative minimum tax. A portion of the Fund’s distributions likely will be subject to state income taxes depending on your state’s rules. Different rules may apply if you are tax exempt or if your account is tax deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
55
Origin Emerging Markets Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” beginning on page 117 of the Fund’s Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” and “Multiple Class Structure” beginning on page 4 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
R-6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
5.50%
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the offering price or NAV at the time Sales Load is
paid, whichever is less)
1.00%
None
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
Inst.
R-6
Management Fees(1)
0.95%
0.95%
0.95%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
N/A
N/A
Other Expenses
0.64%
0.21%
0.04%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.84%
1.16%
0.99%
Expense Reimbursement(2)
(0.39)%
(0.06)%
N/A
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
1.45%
1.10%
0.99%
(1)
Fees have been restated to reflect current fees.
(2)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 1.45% for Class A and 1.10% for Institutional Class shares. It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
56
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A
$689
$1,061
$1,456
$2,560
Institutional Class
112
363
633
1,404
Class R-6
101
315
547
1,213
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 48.7% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of emerging market companies at the time of purchase. The Fund considers a security to be tied economically to an emerging market if the issuer of the security has its principal place of business or principal office in an emerging market, has its principal securities trading market in an emerging market, or derives a majority of its revenue from emerging markets.
“Emerging market” means any market that is considered to be an emerging market by the international financial community (including the MSCI Emerging Markets Index or Bloomberg Emerging Markets USD Aggregate Bond Index). The Fund invests in equity securities of small, medium, and large market capitalization companies and in growth and value stocks.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Emerging Markets Risk.  Investments in emerging markets may have more risk than those in developed markets because the emerging markets are less developed and more illiquid. Emerging markets can also be subject to increased social, economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties and can be extremely volatile. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and other U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to pursue bad actors in emerging markets, including with respect to fraud.
•
China Investment Risk.  The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers located or operating in China. Investing in China involves certain heightened risks and considerations, including, among others: frequent trading suspensions and government interventions (including by nationalizing assets); currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockages; limits on using brokers and on foreign ownership; different financial reporting standards; higher dependence on exports and international trade; political and social instability; infectious disease outbreaks; regional and global conflicts; increased trade tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations; custody and other risks associated with programs used to access Chinese securities; and uncertainties in tax rules that could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Significant portions of the Chinese securities markets may become rapidly illiquid, as Chinese issuers have the ability to suspend the trading of their equity securities. Moreover, actions by the U.S. government, such as delisting of certain Chinese companies from U.S. securities exchanges or otherwise restricting their operations in the U.S., may negatively impact the value of such securities held by the Fund.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
57
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•
Smaller Companies Risk.  Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
•
Value Style Risk.  Value investing entails the risk that value stocks may continue to be undervalued by the market for extended periods, including the entire period during which the stock is held by a fund, or the events that would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock that appears to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and, therefore, would not be profitable for the fund.
Foreign Currency Risk.  Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
Life of Fund returns are measured from the date the Fund’s shares were first sold (January 23, 2015).
During 2015, Class A experienced a significant withdrawal of monies by an affiliate. As the remaining shareholders held relatively small positions, the total return amounts expressed herein are greater than those that would have been experienced without the withdrawal.
58
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
18.46%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(19.18)%
Year-to-date return for Class A shares:
Q3 2022
(34.31)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
Life of Fund
 
 
 
01/23/15
Class A Return Before Taxes
(5.95)%
9.90%
4.44%1
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions
(6.56)%
9.76%
4.34%1
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
(2.94)%
8.01%
3.61%1
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
(0.15)%
11.60%
5.49%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
0.03%
11.71%
5.56%
MSCI Emerging Markets Index NTR (reflects withholding taxes on foreign dividends, but no
deduction for fees, expenses, or other taxes)
(2.54)%
9.88%
5.62%
1
During 2015, the Class experienced a significant withdrawal of monies by an affiliate. As the remaining shareholders held relatively small positions, the total return amounts expressed herein are greater than those that would have been experienced without the withdrawal.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
Sub-Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Origin Asset Management LLP
•
Chris Carter (since 2015), Partner
•
Nigel Dutson (since 2015), Partner
•
Tarlock Randhawa (since 2015), Managing Partner
•
Nerys Weir (since 2021), Portfolio Manager
59
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Class A shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
For Class R-6 and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
60
Small-MidCap Dividend Income Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks to provide current income and long-term growth of income and capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” beginning on page 117 of the Fund’s Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” and “Multiple Class Structure” beginning on page 4 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
C
Inst.
R-6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
5.50%
None
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the offering price or NAV at the time
Sales Load is paid, whichever is less)
1.00%
1.00%
None
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
C
Inst.
R-6
Management Fees
0.78%
0.78%
0.78%
0.78%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
1.00%
N/A
N/A
Other Expenses
0.14%
0.17%
0.09%
0.02%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.17%
1.95%
0.87%
0.80%
Expense Reimbursement(1)
(0.05)%
(0.08)%
(0.02)%
—%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
1.12%
1.87%
0.85%
0.80%
(1)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 1.12% for Class A, 1.87% for Class C and 0.85% for Institutional Class shares. In addition, for Class R-6, the expense limit will maintain “Other Expenses” (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.02% (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses). It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
61
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example assumes conversion of the Class C shares to Class A shares after the eighth year. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A
$658
$896
$1,154
$1,888
Class C
290
604
1,045
2,066
Institutional Class
87
276
480
1,071
Class R-6
82
255
444
990
With respect to Class C shares, you would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares (all other classes would be the same as in the above example): 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class C
$190
$604
$1,045
$2,066
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 22.1% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in dividend-paying equity securities of companies with small-to-medium market capitalizations at the time of purchase. For this Fund, companies with small-to-medium market capitalizations are those with market capitalizations similar to companies in the Russell 2500® Value Index (as of November 30, 2022, this was between approximately $6 million and $21.5 billion). The Fund invests in value equity securities, which emphasizes buying equity securities that appear to be undervalued. The Fund invests in growth equity securities, which emphasizes buying equity securities of companies whose potential for growth of capital and earnings is expected to be above average. The Fund’s investments include the securities of foreign issuers and real estate investment trusts.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•
Smaller Companies Risk.  Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
62
•
Value Style Risk.  Value investing entails the risk that value stocks may continue to be undervalued by the market for extended periods, including the entire period during which the stock is held by a fund, or the events that would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock that appears to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and, therefore, would not be profitable for the fund.
Foreign Currency Risk.  Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”) Risk.  In addition to risks associated with investing in real estate securities, REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. Investment in REITs also involves risks similar to risks of investing in small market capitalization companies, such as limited financial resources, less frequent and limited volume trading, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities. A REIT could fail to qualify for tax-free pass-through of income under the Internal Revenue Code. Fund shareholders will indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of REITs in which the fund invests.
Real Estate Securities Risk.  Investing in real estate securities subjects the fund to the risks associated with the real estate market (which are similar to the risks associated with direct ownership in real estate), including declines in real estate values, loss due to casualty or condemnation, property taxes, interest rate changes, increased expenses, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, regulatory changes (including zoning, land use, and rents), and environmental problems, as well as to the risks related to the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
For periods prior to the inception date of Class C shares (June 14, 2012) and Class R-6 shares (January 3, 2017), the performance shown in the table for these newer classes is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the respective fees and expenses of each class. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for a newer class that is higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares is used. These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, which were first sold on June 6, 2011.
63
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q4 2020
25.08%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(36.08)%
Year-to-date return for Class A shares:
Q3 2022
(19.80)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Class A Return Before Taxes
22.87%
6.90%
10.84%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions
22.64%
5.57%
9.59%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
13.69%
5.07%
8.55%
Class C Return Before Taxes
28.17%
7.33%
10.74%
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
30.41%
8.43%
11.85%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
30.50%
8.53%
11.88%
Russell 2500 Value Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
27.80%
9.88%
12.43%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
Daniel R. Coleman (since 2011), Portfolio Manager
•
Sarah E. Radecki (since 2018), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Classes A and C shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
For Class R-6 and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
64
Class C shares are subject to an 8-year automatic conversion plan whereby Class C shares held for eight years after purchase will automatically convert to Class A shares of the same Fund.
See Purchase of Fund Shares for more information.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
65
Small-MidCap Growth Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below.
If you purchase Institutional Class shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary. 
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment):
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
Inst.
Management Fees
0.70%
Other Expenses
0.48%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.18%
Expense Reimbursement(1)
(0.35)%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement
0.83%
(1)
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund’s expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 0.83% for Institutional Class shares. It is expected that the expense limit will continue through the period ending December 30, 2023; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limit prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Institutional Class
$85
$340
$615
$1,401
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 161.6% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies with small-to-medium market capitalizations at the time of purchase. For this Fund, companies with small-to-medium market capitalizations are those with market capitalizations within the range of companies in the Russell 2500® Growth Index (as of November 30, 2022, this was between approximately $6 million and $21.5 billion). The Fund invests in growth equity securities, which emphasizes buying equity securities of companies whose potential for growth of capital and earnings is expected to be above average. To identify such companies, those managing the Fund’s
66
investments use leading indicators of company-specific business trends (which can include various leading economic indicators, such as unemployment claims and energy prices) to determine a company’s potential for growth and earnings to exceed analyst’s current estimates. The Fund’s strategies may result in the active and frequent trading of the Fund’s portfolio securities.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Equity Securities Risk.  A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer’s financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer’s sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund’s principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
•
Growth Style Risk.  Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•
Smaller Companies Risk.  Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
High Portfolio Turnover Risk.  High portfolio turnover (more than 100%) caused by active and frequent trading of portfolio securities may result in accelerating the realization of taxable gains and losses, lower fund performance, and increased brokerage costs.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
Life of Fund returns are measured from the date the Fund’s shares were first sold (June 12, 2019).
67
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
41.98%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(15.64)%
Year-to-date return for Institutional Class shares:
Q3 2022
(29.69)%
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
Life of Fund
 
 
06/12/19
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
10.70%
34.07%
Institutional Class Return After Taxes on Distributions
1.14%
28.01%
Institutional Class Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
8.48%
25.11%
Russell 2500 Growth Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
5.05%
20.81%
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Institutional Class shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
•
Christopher T. Corbett (since 2019), Portfolio Manager
•
Marc R. Shapiro (since 2020), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
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Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
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Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income Fund
Objective
The Fund seeks to provide current income.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $100,000 in Class A shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” beginning on page 117 of the Fund’s Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” and “Multiple Class Structure” beginning on page 4 of the Fund’s Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
C
J
Inst.
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on
Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
3.75%
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a
percentage of the offering price or NAV at the
time Sales Load is paid, whichever is less)
1.00%
1.00%
1.00%
None
None
None
None
None
None
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment) 
 
Share Class
 
A
C
J
Inst.
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
Management Fees(1)
0.69%
0.69%
0.69%
0.69%
0.69%
0.69%
0.69%
0.69%
0.69%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
0.25%
1.00%
0.15%
N/A
0.35%
0.25%
0.10%
N/A
N/A
Other Expenses
0.09%
0.10%
0.19%
0.10%
0.53%
0.32%
0.28%
0.26%
0.01%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses
1.03%
1.79%
1.03%
0.79%
1.57%
1.26%
1.07%
0.95%
0.70%
(1)
Fees have been restated to reflect current fees.
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Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds.
The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example assumes conversion of the Class C shares to Class A shares after the eighth year. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund’s operating expenses remain the same. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be: 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A
$476
$691
$922
$1,587
Class C
282
563
970
1,905
Class J
205
328
569
1,259
Institutional Class
81
252
439
978
Class R-1
160
496
855
1,867
Class R-3
128
400
692
1,523
Class R-4
109
340
590
1,306
Class R-5
97
303
525
1,166
Class R-6
72
224
390
871
With respect to Classes C and J shares, you would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares (all other classes would be the same as in the above example): 
 
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class C
$182
$563
$970
$1,905
Class J
105
328
569
1,259
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or “turns over” its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund’s performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund’s portfolio turnover rate was 15.4% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowing for investment purposes, in preferred securities and capital securities at the time of purchase. Preferred securities typically include preferred stock and various types of junior subordinated debt and trust preferred securities. Preferred securities may pay fixed-rate or adjustable-rate distributions and generally have a payment “preference” over common stock, but are junior to the issuer’s senior debt in a liquidation of the issuer’s assets. Capital securities include Tier 2 subordinated debt securities issued by U.S. and non-U.S. financial institutions (including, but not limited to, banks and insurance companies), contingent convertible securities (“CoCos”), and certain preferred securities, issued by U.S. and non-U.S. corporations, financial institutions, and other issuers for purposes of satisfying regulatory capital requirements or obtaining rating agency credit. Capital securities may pay fixed-rate or adjustable-rate distributions and generally have a payment “preference” over common stock, but are junior to the issuer’s senior debt in a liquidation of the issuer’s assets. CoCos are hybrid debt securities typically issued by non-US banking institutions that have contractual equity conversion or principal write-down features that are triggered by regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuing banking institution’s continued viability as a going-concern if the conversion trigger were not exercised.
Preferred securities purchased by the Fund are of companies with senior debt rated at the time of purchase BBB- or higher by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P Global”) or Baa3 or higher by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) or, if unrated, of comparable quality in the opinion of those selecting such investments. If securities are rated differently by the rating agencies, the highest rating is used. The Fund also invests up to 55% of its assets in below investment grade preferred securities and bonds (sometimes called “high yield bonds” or “junk bonds”), which are rated at the time of purchase Ba1 or lower by Moody’s and BB+ or lower by S&P Global (if the bond has been rated by only one of those agencies, that rating will determine whether the bond is below investment grade; if the bond has not been rated by either of those agencies, those selecting such investments will determine whether the bond is of a quality comparable to those rated below investment grade). The Fund invests in other debt obligations, including (but not limited to) U.S. Treasury securities and obligations of the U.S. government, its agencies, and instrumentalities. The Fund invests in foreign securities. The Fund is not managed to a particular maturity or duration.
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The Fund concentrates its investments (invests more than 25% of its net assets) in securities in one or more industries (i.e., banking, insurance, and commercial finance) within the financial services sector.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund’s investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Capital Securities Risk.  In addition to the risks associated with other types of preferred securities and fixed-income securities, investing in capital securities includes the risk that the value of securities may decline in response to changes in legislation and regulations applicable to financial institutions and financial markets, increased competition, adverse changes in general or industry-specific economic conditions, or unfavorable interest rates.
Contingent Convertible Securities Risk.  In addition to the general risks associated with fixed-income securities and convertible securities, the risks of investing in contingent convertible securities (“CoCos”) include the risk that a CoCo may be written down, written off, or converted into an equity security when the issuer’s capital ratio falls below a specified trigger level, or in a regulator’s discretion depending on the regulator’s judgment about the issuer’s solvency prospects. Due to these features, CoCos may have substantially greater risk than other securities in times of financial stress. If the trigger level is breached, the issuer’s decision to write down, write off, or convert a CoCo may result in the fund’s complete loss on an investment in CoCos with no chance of recovery even if the issuer remains in existence.
Fixed-Income Securities Risk.  Fixed-income securities are subject to interest rate, credit quality, and liquidity risks. The market value of fixed-income securities generally declines when interest rates rise, and increased interest rates may adversely affect the liquidity of certain fixed-income securities. Moreover, an issuer of fixed-income securities could default on its payment obligations due to increased interest rates or for other reasons.
Foreign Securities Risk.  The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
High Yield Securities Risk.  High yield fixed-income securities (commonly referred to as “junk bonds”) are subject to greater credit quality risk than higher rated fixed-income securities and should be considered speculative.
Industry Concentration Risk.  A fund that concentrates investments in a particular industry or group of industries has greater exposure than other funds to market, economic, and other factors affecting that industry or group of industries.
•
Financial Services.  A fund concentrating in financial services companies may be more susceptible to adverse economic or regulatory occurrences affecting financial services companies. Financial companies may be adversely affected in certain market cycles, including periods of rising interest rates, which may restrict the availability and increase the cost of capital, and declining economic conditions, which may cause credit losses due to financial difficulties of borrowers. Because many types of financial companies are especially vulnerable to these economic cycles, the Fund’s investments in these companies may lose significant value during such periods.
Portfolio Duration Risk.  Portfolio duration is a measure of the expected life of a fixed-income security and its sensitivity to changes in interest rates. The longer a fund’s average portfolio duration, the more sensitive the fund will be to changes in interest rates, which means funds with longer average portfolio durations may be more volatile than those with shorter durations.
Preferred Securities Risk.  Because preferred securities have a lower priority claim on assets or earnings than senior bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure, they are subject to greater credit and liquidation risk than more senior debt instruments. In addition, preferred securities are subject to other risks, such as limited or no voting rights, deferring or skipping distributions, interest rate risk, and redeeming the security prior to any stated maturity date.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk.  Ownership of the Fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
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Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.PrincipalAM.com.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund’s Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund’s average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
For periods prior to the inception date of Class R-6 shares (January 3, 2017), the performance shown in the table for Class R-6 is that of the Fund’s Institutional Class shares, adjusted to reflect the fees and expenses of Class R-6. However, where this adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for Class R-6 that is higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares is used. These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Institutional Class shares, which were first sold May 1, 2002.
Total Returns as of December 31
  
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q2 2020
10.10%
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above:
Q1 2020
(12.31)%
Year-to-date return for Class A shares:
Q3 2022
(13.62)%
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Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2021 
 
1 Year
5 Years
10 Years
Class A Return Before Taxes
(1.08)%
4.88%
6.30%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions
(2.15)%
3.52%
4.54%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares
(0.09)%
3.47%
4.43%
Class C Return Before Taxes
0.98%
4.88%
6.06%
Class J Return Before Taxes
1.84%
5.69%
6.65%
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes
3.03%
5.94%
7.00%
Class R-1 Return Before Taxes
2.16%
5.12%
6.14%
Class R-3 Return Before Taxes
2.57%
5.44%
6.47%
Class R-4 Return Before Taxes
2.69%
5.64%
6.67%
Class R-5 Return Before Taxes
2.89%
5.78%
6.81%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes
3.14%
6.03%
7.00%
ICE BofA U.S. All Capital Securities Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses, or taxes)
3.43%
6.84%
None
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor’s tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”)
Sub-Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Spectrum Asset Management, Inc.
•
Fernando (“Fred”) Diaz (since 2010), Portfolio Manager
•
Roberto Giangregorio (since 2010), Portfolio Manager
•
L. Phillip Jacoby, IV (since 2002), Chief Investment Officer and Portfolio Manager
•
Manu Krishnan (since 2010), Portfolio Manager
•
Mark A. Lieb (since 2009), President and Chief Executive Officer
•
Kevin Nugent (since 2014), Portfolio Manager
•
Satomi Yarnell (since 2021), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
For Classes A, C, and J shares, the required minimum initial investment per Fund is generally $1,000, and the minimum initial investment per Fund for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is $100. The required minimum subsequent investment per Fund is generally $100; however, for accounts with an AIP, subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 has not been met. Some exceptions apply; see “Purchase of Fund Shares – Minimum Investments” for more information.
For Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and Institutional Class shares, there are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchasers.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1407 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
For retirement plan investors, effective as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange on January 31, 2017, Class R-1 shares are no longer available for purchase from new retirement plans except in limited circumstances.
Class C shares are subject to an 8-year automatic conversion plan whereby Class C shares held for eight years after purchase will automatically convert to Class A shares of the same Fund.
See Purchase of Fund Shares for more information.
Tax Information
The Fund’s distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
74
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary’s website for more information.
75
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
Each Fund’s investment objective is described in the summary section for each Fund. The summary section also describes each Fund’s principal investment strategies, including the types of securities in which each Fund invests, and the principal risks of investing in each Fund. The principal investment strategies are not the only investment strategies available to each Fund, but they are the ones each Fund primarily uses to achieve its investment objective.
Except for Fundamental Restrictions described in the Registrant’s Statement of Additional Information (“SAI”), the Registrant’s Board (the “Board”) may change any Fund’s objective or investment strategies without a shareholder vote if it determines such a change is in the best interests of the Fund. If there is a material change to a Fund’s investment objective or investment strategies, you should consider whether the Fund remains an appropriate investment for you. There is no guarantee that each Fund will meet its objective.
Each Fund is designed to be a portion of an investor’s portfolio. No Fund is intended to be a complete investment program. Investors should consider the risks of a Fund before making an investment; it is possible to lose money by investing in a Fund.
The following investment strategies and risks (before the “Strategy and Risk Table” below) apply to the Funds and, depending on market conditions, can materially impact the management of the Funds.
Active Management
The performance of a fund that is actively managed (including hybrid funds or passively managed funds that use a sampling approach that includes some actively managed components) will reflect, in part, the ability of those managing the investments of the fund to make investment decisions that are suited to achieving the fund’s investment objective. Actively managed funds may invest differently from the benchmark against which the Fund’s performance is compared. When making decisions about whether to buy or sell equity securities, considerations may include, among other things, a company’s strength in fundamentals, its potential for earnings growth over time, its ability to navigate certain macroeconomic environments, the current price of its securities relative to their perceived worth and relative to others in its industry, and analysis from computer models. When making decisions about whether to buy or sell fixed-income investments, considerations may include, among other things, the strength of certain sectors of the fixed-income market relative to others, interest rates; a range of economic, political, and financial factors; the balance between supply and demand for certain asset classes; the credit quality of individual issuers; the fundamental strengths of corporate and municipal issuers; and other general market conditions.
Models, which may assist portfolio managers and analysts in formulating their securities trading and allocation decisions by providing investment and risk management insights, may also expose a fund to risks. Models may be predictive in nature, which models depend heavily on the accuracy and reliability of historical data that is supplied by others and may be incorrect or incorrectly input. The fund bears the risk that the quantitative models used will not be successful in identifying trends or in determining the size and direction of investment positions that will enable the fund to achieve its investment objective. In addition, “model prices” will often differ substantially from market prices, especially for instruments with complex characteristics, such as derivative instruments.
An active fund’s investment performance depends upon the successful allocation of the fund’s assets among asset classes, geographical regions, industry sectors, and specific issuers and investments. There is no guarantee that these allocation techniques and decisions will produce the desired results. It is possible to lose money on an investment in a fund as a result of these allocation decisions. If a fund’s investment strategies do not perform as expected, the fund could underperform other funds with similar investment objectives or lose money. Moreover, buying and selling securities to adjust the fund’s asset allocation may increase portfolio turnover and generate transaction costs.
Investment advisors with large assets under management in a Fund, or in other funds that have the same strategy as a Fund, may have difficulty fully investing such Fund’s assets according to its investment objective due to potential liquidity constraints and high transaction costs. Typically, small-cap, mid-cap, and emerging market equity funds are more susceptible to such a risk. A Fund may add additional investment advisors or close the Fund to new investors to address such risks.
Passive Management (Index Funds)
Some funds (including index funds and hybrid funds that include a passive component) use a passive, or indexing, investment approach. Funds that are pure index funds do not attempt to manage market volatility, use defensive strategies or reduce the effect of any long-term periods of poor stock or bond performance. Some index funds attempt to fully replicate their relevant target index by investing primarily in the securities held by the index in approximately the same proportion of the weightings in the index. However, because of the difficulty of executing some relatively small securities trades, other index funds may use a “sampling” approach and may not be invested in the less heavily weighted securities held by the index. Some index funds may invest in index futures, swaps, and/or exchange-traded funds on a daily basis in an effort to minimize tracking error relative to the benchmark.
76
It is unlikely that an index fund’s performance will perfectly correlate with the performance of the fund’s relevant index. An index fund’s ability to match the performance of its index may be affected by many factors, such as fund expenses, the timing of cash flows into and out of the fund, changes in securities markets, and changes in the composition of the index.
The providers of the Funds' respective underlying indexes do not provide any warranty or accept any liability for the quality, accuracy, or completeness of any index or its related data. Those managing an index fund’s investments manage such fund consistently with the underlying index provided by the index provider and do not provide any warranty or guarantee against the index provider’s or its agent’s errors. Errors in the quality, accuracy, and completeness of the data used to compile an underlying index may occur and may not be identified and corrected in a timely manner, or at all. Such errors may negatively or positively impact the performance of a fund.
Unusual market conditions may cause an index provider to postpone a scheduled rebalance, which could cause a fund’s underlying index to vary from its normal or expected composition. The postponement of a scheduled rebalance, particularly in a time of market volatility, could mean that constituents that would otherwise be removed at rebalance due to changes in market capitalizations, issuer credit ratings, or other reasons may remain, causing the performance and constituents of the underlying index to vary from those expected under normal conditions. Apart from scheduled rebalances, an index provider may carry out additional index rebalances due to unusual market conditions or in order, for example, to correct an error in the selection of index constituents. When an index is rebalanced and an index fund in turn rebalances its portfolio, such fund and its shareholders bear any related transaction costs and market exposure.
Cash Management
The Funds may have uninvested cash balances pending investment in other securities, pending payment of redemptions, or in other circumstances where liquidity is necessary or desirable. A Fund may hold uninvested cash; invest it in cash equivalents such as money market funds, including the Principal Funds, Inc. Government Money Market Fund; lend it to other Funds pursuant to the Funds' interfund lending facility; and/or invest in other instruments that those managing the Fund’s assets deem appropriate for cash management purposes. Generally, these types of investments offer less potential for gains than other types of securities. For example, to attempt to provide returns similar to its benchmark, a Fund (regardless of how it designates usage of derivatives and investment companies in the table below) may invest uninvested cash in derivatives, such as stock index futures contracts, or exchange-traded funds (“ETFs”), including Principal Exchange-Traded Funds ETFs. In selecting such investments, Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the Funds’ advisor, may have conflicts of interest due to economic or other incentives to make or retain an investment in certain affiliated funds instead of in other investments that may be appropriate for a Fund.
Liquidity
The Funds have established a liquidity risk management program as required by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission’s (the “SEC”) Liquidity Rule. Under the program, PGI assesses, manages, and periodically reviews each Fund’s liquidity risk, which is the risk that a Fund could not meet requests to redeem shares issued by the Fund without significant dilution of the remaining investors’ interests in the Fund. As part of the program, PGI classifies each investment as a “highly liquid investment,” “moderately liquid investment,” “less liquid investment,” or “illiquid investment.” The liquidity of a Fund’s portfolio investments is determined based on relevant market, trading, and investment-specific considerations under the program. To the extent that an investment is deemed to be an illiquid investment or a less liquid investment, a Fund can expect to be exposed to greater liquidity risk.
Certain fund holdings may be deemed to be less liquid or illiquid because they cannot be readily sold without significantly impacting the value of the holdings. A fund is exposed to liquidity risk when trading volume, lack of a market maker, or legal restrictions impair its ability to sell particular securities or close derivative positions at an advantageous price. Funds with principal investment strategies that involve securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, foreign securities, derivatives, high yield bonds, and bank loans, or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk, tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk.
Liquidity risk also refers to the risk of unusually high redemption requests, redemption requests by certain large shareholders such as institutional investors or asset allocators, or other unusual market conditions that may make it difficult for a fund to sell investments within the allowable time period to meet redemptions. Meeting such redemption requests could require a fund to sell securities at reduced prices or under unfavorable conditions, which would reduce the value of the fund.
Market Volatility and Securities Issuers
The value of a fund’s portfolio securities may decrease in response to overall stock or bond market movements. Markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. Stocks tend to go up and down in value more than bonds. The value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage, and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. As a result, the value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole.
77
Additionally, U.S. and world economies, as well as markets (or certain market sectors), may experience greater volatility in response to the occurrence of natural or man-made disasters and geopolitical events, such as war, acts of terrorism, pandemics, military actions, trade disputes, or political instability. Moreover, if a fund’s investments are concentrated in certain sectors, its performance could be worse than the overall market.
Recent events are impacting the securities markets. Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022 has resulted in sanctions being levied by the United States, European Union, and other countries against Russia. Russia's military actions and the resulting sanctions could adversely affect global energy and financial markets and, thus, could affect the value of the fund's investments, even beyond any direct exposure the fund may have to Russian issuers or the adjoining geographic regions. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions, and resulting market disruptions could be substantial.
Other recent market disruption events include the pandemic spread of the novel coronavirus designated as COVID-19. The transmission of COVID-19 and efforts to contain its spread resulted in border closings and other travel restrictions and disruptions; disruptions to business operations, supply chains, and customer activity; event cancellations and restrictions; service cancellations and reductions; significant challenges in the healthcare industry; and quarantines. As experienced with the COVID-19 pandemic, health crises may exacerbate other pre-existing political, social, economic, market, and financial risks and negatively affect the global economy, as well as the economies of individual countries, the financial performance of individual companies and sectors, and the markets in general in significant ways.
Market disruption events could also impair the information technology and other operational systems upon which a fund’s investment advisor or sub-advisor rely, and could otherwise disrupt the ability of the fund’s service providers to perform essential tasks. In certain cases, an exchange or market may close or issue trading halts on either specific securities or even the entire market, which may result in a fund being, among other things, unable to buy or sell certain securities or financial instruments or accurately price its investments.
Governmental and quasi-governmental authorities and regulators throughout the world, such as the Federal Reserve, have in the past responded to major economic disruptions with a variety of significant fiscal and monetary policy changes, including but not limited to, direct capital infusions into companies, new monetary programs, and dramatic changes to interest rates. Certain of those policy changes were implemented or considered in response to the COVID-19 outbreak and inflationary pressures. Such policy changes may adversely affect the value, volatility, and liquidity of dividend and interest-paying securities.
The impact of current and future market disruption events may last for an extended period of time and could result in a substantial economic downturn or recession. Such events could have significant adverse direct or indirect effects on the funds and their investments, and may result in a fund’s inability to achieve its investment objective, cause funds to experience significant redemptions, cause the postponement of reconstitution/rebalance dates of passive funds’ underlying indices, adversely affect the prices and liquidity of the securities and other instruments in which a fund invests, negatively impact the fund’s performance, and cause losses on your investment in the fund. You should also review this Prospectus and the SAI to understand each fund’s discretion to implement temporary defensive measures, as well as the circumstances in which a fund may satisfy redemption requests in-kind.
Securities Lending
To generate additional income, a Fund may lend its portfolio securities to broker-dealers and other institutional borrowers to the extent permitted under the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended (the “1940 Act”) or the rules, regulations, or interpretations thereunder. A Fund that lends its securities will continue to receive amounts equal to the interest or dividend payments generated by the loaned securities. In addition to receiving these amounts, the Fund generates income on the loaned securities by receiving a fee from the borrower, and by earning interest on the collateral received from the borrower. A negotiated portion of the income is paid to a securities lending agent (e.g., a bank or trust company) that arranged the loan. During the term of the loan, the Fund’s investment performance will reflect changes in the value of the loaned securities.
A borrower’s obligations under a securities loan is secured continuously by collateral posted by the borrower and held by the custodian in an amount at least equal to the market value of the loaned securities. Generally, cash collateral that a Fund receives from securities lending activities will be invested in the Principal Funds, Inc. Government Money Market Fund, which is managed by PGI and for which PGI receives a management fee. The collateral may also be invested in unaffiliated money market funds.
Securities lending involves exposure to certain risks, including the risk of losses resulting from problems in the settlement and accounting process, the risk of a mismatch between the return on cash collateral reinvestments and the fees each Fund has agreed to pay a borrower, and credit, legal, counterparty, and market risk. A Fund’s participation in a securities lending transaction may affect the amount, timing, and character of distributions derived from such transaction to shareholders. Qualified dividend income does not include “payments in lieu of dividends,” which the Funds anticipate they will receive in securities lending transactions.
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Temporary Defensive Measures
From time to time, as part of its investment strategy, a Fund may invest without limit in cash and cash equivalents for temporary defensive purposes in response to adverse market, economic, or political conditions. For this purpose, cash equivalents include: bank notes, bank certificates of deposit, bankers’ acceptances, repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and commercial paper master notes, which are floating rate debt instruments without a fixed maturity. In addition, a Fund may purchase U.S. government securities, preferred stocks, and debt securities, whether or not convertible into or carrying rights for common stock. There is no limit on the extent to which a Fund may take temporary defensive measures. In taking such measures, a Fund may lose the benefit of upswings and may limit its ability to meet, or fail to achieve, its investment objective.
Strategy and Risk Table
The following table lists each Fund and identifies whether the strategies and risks discussed in this section (listed in alphabetical order and not in order of significance) are principal for a Fund. Each Fund is also subject to the risks of any underlying funds in which it invests.
The SAI contains additional information about investment strategies and their related risks. 
INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
AND RISKS
BLUE CHIP
BOND
MARKET INDEX
CAPITAL
SECURITIES
DIVERSIFIED
REAL ASSET
Arbitrage Trading
 
 
 
 
Bank Loans (also known as Senior Floating Rate
Interests)
 
 
 
X
Cayman Subsidiary
 
 
 
X
Commodity-Related Investments
 
 
 
X
Contingent Convertible Securities (“CoCos”)
 
 
X
 
Convertible Securities
 
 
 
 
Counterparty Risk
 
 
 
X
Derivatives
 
 
 
X
Emerging Markets
 
 
 
 
Energy Sector
 
 
 
X
Equity Securities
X
 
 
X
•Growth Style
X
 
 
X
•Smaller Companies
 
 
 
X
•Value Style
 
 
 
X
ESG Investing
 
 
 
 
Fixed-Income Securities
 
X
X
X
Foreign Currency
X
 
 
X
Foreign Securities
X
 
X
X
Hedging
 
 
 
 
High Portfolio Turnover
 
X
 
 
High Yield Securities
 
 
X
X
Industrial Revenue Bond
 
 
 
 
Industry Concentration
 
X (1)
X
X
Inverse Floating Rate Investments
 
 
 
 
Investment Company Securities
 
 
 
 
Leverage
 
 
 
X
Municipal Obligations and AMT-Subject Bonds
 
 
 
 
Portfolio Duration
 
X
X
X
Preferred Securities
 
 
X
 
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
 
 
 
X
Real Estate Securities
 
X
 
X
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk
X
X
 
X
Securitized Products
 
X
 
 
Short Sales
 
 
 
 
Telecommunication Services
 
 
 
 
Transportation
 
 
 
 
U.S. Government and U.S. Government-
Sponsored Securities
 
X
 
X
Utilities Sector
 
 
 
X
(1)
The Fund will not concentrate (i.e., invest more than 25% of its assets) its investments in a particular industry except to the extent the Index is so concentrated.
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INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
AND RISKS
EDGE MIDCAP
GLOBAL
MULTI-STRATEGY
GLOBAL
SUSTAINABLE
LISTED
INFRASTRUCTURE
INTERNATIONAL
EQUITY INDEX
Arbitrage Trading
 
X
 
 
Bank Loans (also known as Senior Floating Rate
Interests)
 
X
 
 
Cayman Subsidiary
 
X
 
 
Commodity-Related Investments
 
X
 
 
Contingent Convertible Securities (“CoCos”)
 
 
 
 
Convertible Securities
 
X
 
 
Counterparty Risk
 
X
 
 
Derivatives
 
X
 
X
Emerging Markets
 
X
X
 
Energy Sector
 
 
X
 
Equity Securities
X
X
X
X
•Growth Style
X
X
X
 
•Smaller Companies
X
X
X
 
•Value Style
X
X
X
 
ESG Investing
 
 
X
 
Fixed-Income Securities
 
X
 
 
Foreign Currency
 
X
X
X
Foreign Securities
 
X
X
X
Hedging
 
X
 
 
High Portfolio Turnover
 
X
 
 
High Yield Securities
 
X
 
 
Industrial Revenue Bond
 
 
 
 
Industry Concentration
 
 
X
X (1)
Inverse Floating Rate Investments
 
 
 
 
Investment Company Securities
 
X
 
X
Leverage
 
X
 
 
Municipal Obligations and AMT-Subject Bonds
 
 
 
 
Portfolio Duration
 
X
 
 
Preferred Securities
 
 
 
 
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
X
 
X
 
Real Estate Securities
X
 
X
 
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk
X
X
X
X
Securitized Products
 
X
 
 
Short Sales
 
X
 
 
Telecommunication Services
 
 
X
 
Transportation
 
 
X
 
U.S. Government and U.S. Government-
Sponsored Securities
 
X
 
 
Utilities Sector
 
 
X
 
(1)
The Fund will not concentrate (i.e., invest more than 25% of its assets) its investments in a particular industry except to the extent the Index is so concentrated.
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INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
AND RISKS
INTERNATIONAL
SMALL COMPANY
OPPORTUNISTIC
MUNICIPAL
ORIGIN
EMERGING
MARKETS
SMALL-MIDCAP
DIVIDEND
INCOME
Arbitrage Trading
 
 
 
 
Bank Loans (also known as Senior Floating Rate
Interests)
 
 
 
 
Cayman Subsidiary
 
 
 
 
Commodity-Related Investments
 
 
 
 
Contingent Convertible Securities (“CoCos”)
 
 
 
 
Convertible Securities
 
 
 
 
Counterparty Risk
 
X
 
 
Derivatives
 
X
 
 
Emerging Markets
 
 
X
 
Energy Sector
 
 
 
 
Equity Securities
X
 
X
X
•Growth Style
X
 
X
X
•Smaller Companies
X
 
X
X
•Value Style
X
 
X
X
ESG Investing
 
 
 
 
Fixed-Income Securities
 
X
 
 
Foreign Currency
X
 
X
X
Foreign Securities
X
 
X
X
Hedging
 
 
 
 
High Portfolio Turnover
 
 
 
 
High Yield Securities
 
X
 
 
Industrial Revenue Bond
 
X
 
 
Industry Concentration
 
 
 
 
Inverse Floating Rate Investments
 
X
 
 
Investment Company Securities
 
X
 
 
Leverage
 
X
 
 
Municipal Obligations and AMT-Subject Bonds
 
X
 
 
Portfolio Duration
 
X
 
 
Preferred Securities
 
 
 
 
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
 
 
 
X
Real Estate Securities
 
 
 
X
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk
X
X
X
X
Securitized Products
 
 
 
 
Short Sales
 
 
 
 
Telecommunication Services
 
 
 
 
Transportation
 
 
 
 
U.S. Government and U.S. Government-
Sponsored Securities
 
X
 
 
Utilities Sector
 
 
 
 
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INVESTMENT STRATEGIES
AND RISKS
SMALL-MIDCAP
GROWTH
SPECTRUM
PREFERRED AND
CAPITAL
SECURITIES
INCOME
Arbitrage Trading
 
 
Bank Loans (also known as Senior Floating Rate Interests)
 
 
Cayman Subsidiary
 
 
Commodity-Related Investments
 
 
Contingent Convertible Securities (“CoCos”)
 
X
Convertible Securities
 
 
Counterparty Risk
 
 
Derivatives
 
 
Emerging Markets
 
 
Energy Sector
 
 
Equity Securities
X
 
•Growth Style
X
 
•Smaller Companies
X
 
•Value Style
 
 
ESG Investing
 
 
Fixed-Income Securities
 
X
Foreign Currency
 
 
Foreign Securities
 
X
Hedging
 
 
High Portfolio Turnover
X
 
High Yield Securities
 
X
Industrial Revenue Bond
 
 
Industry Concentration
 
X
Inverse Floating Rate Investments
 
 
Investment Company Securities
 
 
Leverage
 
 
Municipal Obligations and AMT-Subject Bonds
 
 
Portfolio Duration
 
X
Preferred Securities
 
X
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
 
 
Real Estate Securities
 
 
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk
X
X
Securitized Products
 
 
Short Sales
 
 
Telecommunication Services
 
 
Transportation
 
 
U.S. Government and U.S. Government-Sponsored Securities
 
 
Utilities Sector
 
 
Arbitrage Trading
A fund employing arbitrage strategies has the risk that anticipated opportunities do not play out as planned, resulting in potentially reduced returns or losses to the fund as it unwinds failed trades. For example, with respect to the convertible arbitrage strategy, an issuer may default or may be unable to make interest and dividend payments when due; with respect to the merger arbitrage strategy, the merger deal may terminate before closing, thereby imposing losses to the fund.
Bank Loans (also known as Senior Floating Rate Interests)
Bank loans typically hold the most senior position in the capital structure of a business entity (the “Borrower”), are secured by specific collateral, and have a claim on the Borrower’s assets and/or stock that is senior to that held by the Borrower’s unsecured subordinated debtholders and stockholders. The proceeds of bank loans primarily are used to finance leveraged buyouts, recapitalizations, mergers, acquisitions, stock repurchases, dividends, and, to a lesser extent, to finance internal growth and for other corporate purposes. Bank loans are typically structured and administered by a financial institution that acts as the agent of the lenders participating in the bank loan. The Funds may purchase bank loans that are rated below-investment-grade (sometimes called “junk”) or will be comparable if unrated, which means they are more likely to default than investment-grade loans. A default could lead to non-payment of income, which would result in a reduction of income to the fund, and there can be no assurance that the liquidation of any collateral would satisfy the Borrower’s obligation
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in the event of non-payment of scheduled interest or principal payments, or that such collateral could be readily liquidated. Most bank loans are not traded on any national securities exchange. Bank loans generally have less liquidity than investment-grade bonds, and there may be less public information available about them. Bank loan interests may not be considered “securities,” and purchasers, therefore, may not be entitled to rely on the anti-fraud protections of the federal securities laws.
The primary and secondary market for bank loans may be subject to irregular trading activity, wide bid/ask spreads, and extended trade settlement periods, which may cause a fund to be unable to realize full value and, thus, cause a material decline in a fund’s net asset value. Because transactions in bank loans may be subject to extended settlement periods, a fund may not receive proceeds from the sale of a bank loan for a period of time after the sale. As a result, sale proceeds may not be available to make additional investments or to meet a fund’s redemption obligations for a period of time after the sale of the bank loans, which could lead to a fund having to sell other investments, borrow to meet obligations, or borrow to remain fully invested while awaiting settlement.
Bank loans pay interest at rates that are periodically reset by reference to a base lending rate plus a spread. These base lending rates are generally the prime rate offered by a designated U.S. bank, the London InterBank Offered Rate (LIBOR), the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), a similar reference rate, or the prime rate offered by one or more major U.S. banks.
Bank loans generally are subject to mandatory and/or optional prepayment. Because of these prepayment conditions and because there may be significant economic incentives for the borrower to repay, prepayments may occur.
Cayman Subsidiary
The Diversified Real Asset Fund and the Global Multi-Strategy Fund may each invest up to 25% of its total assets in its respective wholly-owned subsidiary organized under the laws of the Cayman Islands (each, a “Cayman Subsidiary” and, together, the “Cayman Subsidiaries”). The Cayman Subsidiaries are not registered as investment companies under the 1940 Act and are not subject to all the investor protections of the 1940 Act. However, a fund investing in a Cayman Subsidiary wholly owns and controls such Cayman Subsidiary, and the Funds and Cayman Subsidiaries are managed by PGI. Moreover, the Funds’ Board has oversight responsibility for the Funds’ investment activities, including investments in a Cayman Subsidiary, and over a Fund’s role as sole shareholder of a Cayman Subsidiary. Each Cayman Subsidiary is overseen by its own board of directors, which consists of interested director(s) and may include Fund officer(s). The Diversified Real Asset Fund and the Global Multi-Strategy Fund are the sole shareholders of their respective Cayman Subsidiary, and shares of the Cayman Subsidiaries will not be sold or offered to other investors.
Each Cayman Subsidiary has entered into a separate management agreement with PGI whereby PGI provides advisory and accounting agency services to the Cayman Subsidiary. Further, PGI, on behalf of each Cayman Subsidiary, has entered into a sub-advisory agreement with one or more current sub-advisors of the relevant Fund.
A Fund that invests in a Cayman Subsidiary is indirectly exposed to the particular risks associated with the Cayman Subsidiary’s investments. The Cayman Subsidiaries invest in commodity-linked derivatives, including commodity-linked swaps, commodity futures contracts, and options on commodities. Each Cayman Subsidiary may invest in other instruments, including fixed-income securities, equity securities, cash and cash equivalents, and U.S. government securities, either as investments or to serve as margin or collateral for the Cayman Subsidiary’s derivatives positions. To the extent that a Fund invests in its respective Cayman Subsidiary, it will be subject to the particular risks associated with the Cayman Subsidiary’s investments.
The principal purpose of investing in a Cayman Subsidiary is to allow a fund to gain exposure to the commodity markets within the limitations of the federal tax law requirements applicable to regulated investment companies (“RICs”) under the Internal Revenue Code (the “Code”). To qualify as a RIC, a fund must meet certain requirements regarding the source of its income, the diversification of its assets, and the distribution of its income. If a fund fails to qualify as a RIC, it could be subject to federal income tax on its net income at regular corporate rates (without reduction for distributions to shareholders). When distributed, that income would also be taxable to shareholders as an ordinary dividend to the extent attributable to a fund’s earnings and profits. Shareholders of that fund would, therefore, be subject to diminished returns. The Funds rely on the reasoning set forth in certain private letter rulings issued to other RICs from the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”) confirming that income derived from a Cayman Subsidiary will constitute qualifying income to a fund for RIC purposes. However, the IRS no longer issues private letter rulings to that effect and is reportedly reexamining its position with respect to structures of this kind. The Funds have not obtained such a private letter ruling.
Moreover, the Cayman Islands currently do not impose any income, corporate, or capital gains tax, or withholding tax, on the Cayman Subsidiaries. If the laws of the Cayman Islands were changed and a Cayman Subsidiary was required to pay Cayman Islands taxes, this may impact a fund’s returns based upon the percentage of assets allocated to commodities at that time.
83
Changes in the laws of the U.S. and/or the Cayman Islands, particularly with respect to tax laws, could result in the inability of the Funds and/or the Cayman Subsidiaries to operate as described in this Prospectus and could negatively affect the Funds and their shareholders.
Commodity-Related Investments
Commodities are assets that have tangible properties, such as oil, coal, natural gas, agricultural products, industrial metals, livestock, and precious metals. The value of commodities investments will generally be affected by overall market movements and factors specific to a particular industry or commodity, which may include weather, embargoes, tariffs, and health, political, international, and regulatory developments. Economic and other events (whether real or perceived) can reduce the demand for commodities, which may reduce market prices and cause the value of fund shares to fall. The frequency and magnitude of such changes cannot be predicted. Exposure to commodities and commodities markets may subject a fund to greater volatility than investments in traditional securities. No active trading market may exist for certain commodities investments, which may impair the ability of a fund to sell or to realize the full value of such investments in the event of the need to liquidate such investments. In addition, adverse market conditions may impair the liquidity of actively traded commodities investments. Certain types of commodities instruments (such as commodity swaps) are subject to the risk that the counterparty to the instrument will not perform or will be unable to perform in accordance with the terms of the instrument.
Contingent Convertible Securities (“CoCos”)
Contingent convertible securities (“CoCos”) are hybrid debt securities intended to either convert into equity or have their principal written down upon the occurrence of certain “triggers.” The triggers are generally linked to regulatory capital thresholds or regulatory actions calling into question the issuing banking institution’s continued viability as a going-concern if the conversion trigger were not exercised. CoCos’ unique equity conversion or principal write-down features are tailored to the issuing banking institution and its regulatory requirements. Some additional risks associated with CoCos include, but are not limited to, the following:
•
The occurrence of a conversion event is inherently unpredictable and depends on many factors, some of which will be outside the issuer’s control. Because of the uncertainty regarding whether a conversion event will occur, it may be difficult to predict when, if at all, a CoCo will be converted to equity, and a fund may suffer losses as a result.
•
CoCos may have no stated maturity and fully discretionary coupons. This means coupon (i.e., interest) payments can be canceled at the banking institution’s discretion or at the request of the relevant regulatory authority in order to help the bank absorb losses, without causing a default.
•
CoCos are usually issued in the form of subordinated debt instruments to provide the appropriate regulatory capital treatment. If an issuer liquidates, dissolves, or winds-up before a conversion to equity has occurred, the rights and claims of the holders of the CoCos (such as a fund) against the issuer generally rank junior to the claims of holders of unsubordinated obligations of the issuer. In addition, if the CoCos are converted into the issuer’s underlying equity securities after a conversion event (i.e., a “trigger”), each holder will be further subordinated.
•
The value of CoCos is unpredictable and is influenced by many factors, including, without limitation: the creditworthiness of the issuer and/or fluctuations in such issuer’s applicable capital ratios; supply and demand for CoCos; general market conditions and available liquidity; and economic, financial, and political events that affect the issuer, its particular market, or the financial markets in general. Moreover, the performance of CoCos may be correlated with one another and, as a result, negative information of one issuer may cause decline in the value of CoCos of many other issuers.
Due to these features, CoCos may have substantially greater risk than other securities in times of financial stress. If the trigger level is breached, the issuer’s decision to write down, write off, or convert a CoCo may result in the fund’s complete loss on an investment in CoCos with no chance of recovery, even if the issuer remains in existence.
Convertible Securities
Convertible securities are usually fixed-income securities that a fund has the right to exchange for equity securities at a specified conversion price. Convertible securities could also include corporate bonds, notes, or preferred stocks of U.S. or foreign issuers. Convertible securities allow a fund to realize additional returns if the market price of the equity securities exceeds the conversion price. For example, a fund may hold fixed-income securities that are convertible into shares of common stock at a conversion price of $10 per share. If the market value of the shares of common stock reached $12, the fund could realize an additional $2 per share by converting its fixed-income securities.
Convertible securities have lower yields than comparable fixed-income securities. In addition, at the time a convertible security is issued, the conversion price exceeds the market value of the underlying equity securities. Thus, convertible securities may provide lower returns than non-convertible fixed-income securities or equity securities depending upon changes in the price of the underlying equity securities. However, convertible securities permit a fund to realize some of the potential appreciation of the underlying equity securities with less risk of losing its initial investment.
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Depending on the features of the convertible security, a fund will treat a convertible security as a fixed-income security, equity security, or preferred security for purposes of investment policies and limitations because of the unique characteristics of convertible securities. Funds that invest in convertible securities may invest in convertible securities that are below investment grade (sometimes referred to as “junk”). Many convertible securities are relatively illiquid.
Counterparty Risk
Counterparty risk is the risk that the counterparty to a contract or other obligation will be unable or unwilling to honor its obligations. If a counterparty fails to meet its contractual obligations, goes bankrupt, or otherwise experiences a business interruption, a fund could miss investment opportunities or otherwise hold investments it would prefer to sell, resulting in losses for the fund. In addition, a fund may suffer losses if a counterparty fails to comply with applicable laws or other requirements. Counterparty risk is pronounced during unusually adverse market conditions and is particularly acute in environments in which financial services firms are exposed to systemic risks.
Derivatives
Generally, a derivative is a financial arrangement, the value of which is derived from, or based on, a traditional security, asset, or market index. A fund may invest in certain derivative strategies to earn income, manage or adjust the risk profile of the fund, replace more direct investments, or obtain exposure to certain markets. A fund may enter into forward commitment agreements, which call for the fund to purchase or sell a security on a future date at a fixed price. A fund may also enter into contracts to sell its investments either on demand or at a specific interval.
The risks associated with derivative investments include:
•
increased volatility of a fund and/or the failure of the investment to mitigate volatility as intended;
•
the inability of those managing investments of the fund to correctly predict the direction of securities prices, interest rates, currency exchange rates, asset values, and other economic factors;
•
losses caused by unanticipated market movements, which may be substantially greater than a fund’s initial investment and are potentially unlimited;
•
the possibility that there may be no liquid secondary market, which may make it difficult or impossible to close out a position when desired;
•
the possibility that the counterparty may fail to perform its obligations; and
•
the inability to close out certain hedged positions to avoid adverse tax consequences.
There are many different types of derivatives and many different ways to use them. The specific derivatives that are principal strategies of each Fund are listed in its Fund Summary.
•
Credit default swap agreements may be entered into by a fund as a “buyer” or “seller” of credit protection. Credit default swap agreements involve special risks because they may be difficult to value, are highly susceptible to liquidity and credit risk, and generally pay a return to the party that has paid the premium only in the event of an actual default by the issuer of the underlying obligation (as opposed to a credit downgrade or other indication of financial difficulty). Credit default swaps can increase credit risk because a fund has exposure to both the issuer of the referenced obligation and the counterparty to the credit default swap.
•
Foreign currency contracts (such as foreign currency options and foreign currency forward and swap agreements) may be used by funds to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another. A forward currency contract involves a privately negotiated obligation to purchase or sell a specific currency at a future date at a price set in the contract. For currency contracts, there is also a risk of government action through exchange controls that would restrict the ability of a fund to deliver or receive currency.
•
Forwards, futures contracts, and options thereon (including commodities futures); options (including put or call options); and swap agreements and over-the-counter swap agreements (e.g., interest rate swaps, total return swaps, and credit default swaps) may be used by funds for hedging purposes in order to try to mitigate or protect against potential losses due to changing interest rates, securities prices, asset values, currency exchange rates, and other market conditions; non-hedging purposes to seek to increase the fund’s income or otherwise enhance return; and as a low-cost method of gaining exposure to a particular market without investing directly in those securities or assets.
These derivative investments are subject to special risk considerations, particularly the imperfect correlation between the change in market value of the instruments held by a fund and the price of the derivative instrument. If a fund has insufficient cash, it may have to sell securities from its portfolio to meet daily variation margin requirements, even when it may be disadvantageous to do so. Options and swap agreements also involve counterparty risk. With respect to
85
options, there may be difference in trading hours for the options markets and the markets for the underlying securities (rate movements can take place in the underlying markets that cannot be reflected in the options markets) and an insufficient liquid secondary market for particular options.
•
Index/structured securities are derivative securities whose value or performance is linked to other equity securities (such as depositary receipts), currencies, interest rates, indices, or other financial indicators (reference indices).
Emerging Markets
The Funds consider a security to be tied economically to an emerging market if the issuer of the security has its principal place of business or principal office in an emerging market, has its principal securities trading market in an emerging market, or derives a majority of its revenue from emerging markets.
Usually, the term “emerging market” (also called a “developing market”) means any market that is considered to be an emerging market by the international financial community (such as markets tied to securities included in the MSCI Emerging Markets Index or Bloomberg Emerging Markets USD Aggregate Bond Index). Emerging markets generally exclude the U.S., Canada, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore, Australia, New Zealand, and most nations located in Western Europe.
Investments in companies in emerging markets are subject to higher risks than investments in companies in more developed markets. These risks include:
•
increased social, political, and economic instability;
•
a smaller market for these securities and low or nonexistent trading volume that results in a lack of liquidity and greater price volatility;
•
lack of publicly available information, including reports of payments of dividends or interest on outstanding securities;
•
foreign government policies that may restrict opportunities, including restrictions on investment in issuers or industries deemed sensitive to national interests;
•
relatively new capital market structure or market-oriented economy;
•
the possibility that recent favorable economic developments may be slowed or reversed by unanticipated political or social events in these countries;
•
restrictions that may make it difficult or impossible for a fund to vote proxies, exercise shareholder rights, pursue legal remedies, and obtain judgments in foreign courts; and
•
possible losses through the holding of securities in domestic and foreign custodial banks and depositories.
In addition, many developing markets have experienced substantial and, in some periods, extremely high rates of inflation for many years. Inflation and rapid fluctuations in inflation rates have had and may continue to have negative effects on the economies, currencies, interest rates, and securities markets of those markets.
Repatriation of investment income, capital, and proceeds of sales by foreign investors may require governmental registration and/or approval in some developing markets. A fund could be adversely affected by delays in or a refusal to grant any required governmental registration or approval for repatriation.
Further, the economies of developing markets generally are heavily dependent upon international trade and, accordingly, have been and may continue to be adversely affected by trade barriers, exchange controls, managed adjustments in relative currency values, and other protectionist measures imposed or negotiated by the countries with which they trade.
The SEC, the U.S. Department of Justice, and other U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to pursue bad actors, including instances of fraud in emerging markets. For example, in certain emerging markets, there are significant legal obstacles to obtaining information needed for investigations or litigation. Similar limitations apply to the pursuit of actions against individuals, including officers, who may have engaged in fraud or wrongdoing. In addition, local authorities often are constrained in their ability to assist U.S. authorities and overseas investors more generally. There are also legal or other obstacles to seeking access to funds in a foreign country.
Energy Sector
The performance of energy-related commodities is generally cyclical and highly dependent on energy prices. Energy prices may fluctuate significantly due to, among other things, national and international political changes, Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (“OPEC”) and non-OPEC energy exporters, such as the Russian Federation, policies and relationships, and the economies of key energy-consuming countries. The market value of energy-related commodities may decline for many reasons, including, among other things: changes in the levels and volatility of global energy prices, energy supply and demand, and capital expenditures on exploration and production of energy sources; exchange rates, interest rates, economic conditions, and tax treatment; terrorism, natural disasters, and other catastrophes; and energy conservation
86
efforts, increased competition, and technological advances. The energy sector may also be subject to substantial government regulation and contractual fixed pricing. In addition, renewable energy companies may be more volatile than companies operating in more established industries. Seasonal weather conditions, extreme weather, or other natural disasters could have a disproportionate effect on renewable energy companies versus other types of energy companies. These factors could impact the ability of renewable energy companies to pay dividends comparable to those paid by other types of energy companies.
Equity Securities
Equity securities include common stocks, convertible securities, depositary receipts, rights (an offering of common stock to investors who currently own shares, which entitle them to buy subsequent issues at a discount from the offering price), and warrants (the right to purchase securities from the issuer at a specified price, normally higher than the current market price). Common stocks, the most familiar type, represent an equity (ownership) interest in a corporation. The value of a company’s stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company’s products or services. A stock’s value may also fall because of factors affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of a company’s stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. In addition, a company’s stock generally pays dividends only after the company invests in its own business and makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of a company’s stock will usually react more strongly than its bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company’s financial condition or prospects.
Some funds focus their investments on certain market capitalization ranges. Market capitalization is defined as total current market value of a company’s outstanding equity securities. The market capitalization of companies in a fund’s portfolios and their related indexes will change over time, and, except to the extent consistent with its principal investment strategies (for example, for an index fund that uses a replication strategy), a fund will not automatically sell a security just because it falls outside of the market capitalization range of its index(es).
Growth Style
The prices of growth stocks may be based largely on expectations of future earnings, and their prices can decline rapidly and significantly in reaction to negative news about such factors as earnings, revenues, the economy, political developments, or other news. Growth stocks may underperform value stocks and stocks in other broad style categories (and the stock market as a whole) over any period of time and may shift in and out of favor with investors generally, sometimes rapidly, depending on changes in market, economic, and other factors. As a result, a fund that holds substantial investments in growth stocks may underperform other funds that invest more broadly or favor different investment styles. Because growth companies typically reinvest their earnings, growth stocks typically do not pay dividends at levels associated with other types of stocks, if at all.
Smaller Companies
Investments in companies with smaller market capitalizations may involve greater risks and price volatility (wide, rapid fluctuations) than investments in larger, more mature companies. Small company stocks may decline in price as large company stocks rise, or rise in price while larger company stocks decline. The net asset value of a fund that invests a substantial portion of its assets in small company stocks may be more volatile than the net asset value of a fund that invests solely in larger company stocks. Small companies may be less significant within their industries and may be at a competitive disadvantage relative to their larger competitors. Smaller companies may be less mature than larger companies. At this earlier stage of development, the companies may have limited product lines, reduced market liquidity for their shares, limited financial resources, or less depth in management than larger or more established companies. While smaller companies may be subject to these additional risks, they may also realize more substantial growth than larger or more established companies.
Unseasoned issuers are companies with a record of less than three years continuous operation, including the operation of predecessors and parents. Many unseasoned issuers also may be small companies and involve the risks and price volatility associated with smaller companies. Unseasoned issuers by their nature have only a limited operating history that can be used for evaluating the company’s growth prospects. As a result, these securities may place a greater emphasis on current or planned product lines and the reputation and experience of the company’s management and less emphasis on fundamental valuation factors than would be the case for more mature growth companies.
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Value Style
Value stocks present the risk that they may decline in price or never reach their expected full market value because the market fails to recognize the stock’s intrinsic worth. Value stocks may underperform growth stocks and stocks in other broad style categories (and the stock market as a whole) over any period of time and may shift in and out of favor with investors generally, sometimes rapidly, depending on changes in market, economic, and other factors. As a result, a fund that holds substantial investments in value stocks may underperform other funds that invest more broadly or favor different investment styles.
ESG Investing
The Fund incorporates ESG investment insights into its investment strategy and will forego certain investment opportunities because of this ESG investment strategy. The Fund’s incorporation of ESG investment insights will affect the Fund’s exposure to certain companies or industries. The Fund’s results may be lower than other funds that do not consider ESG characteristics or apply an ESG investment strategy, or that use different ESG criteria or a different methodology to identify and/or incorporate ESG characteristics. Further, investors may differ in their views of what constitutes positive or negative ESG characteristics of a security. As a result, the Fund may invest in securities that do not reflect the beliefs of a particular investor. In addition, the Fund may not be successful in its objectives related to ESG. There is no guarantee that these objectives will be achieved, and ESG-related assessments are at the sub-advisor’s discretion. The sub-advisor is dependent upon certain information and data from issuers and from third party providers of ESG research, which may be incomplete, inaccurate, or unavailable. As a result, there is a risk that the sub-advisor may incorrectly assess a security or issuer. There is also a risk that the sub-advisor may not apply the relevant ESG criteria correctly or that the Fund could have indirect exposure to issuers that do not meet the relevant ESG criteria used by the Fund. There may be limitations with respect to availability of ESG data in certain sectors, as well as limited availability of investments with positive ESG assessments in certain sectors. The advisor and/or sub-advisor’s evaluation of ESG criteria is subjective and may change over time.
Fixed-Income Securities
Fixed-income securities include bonds and other debt instruments that are used by issuers to borrow money from investors (examples include corporate bonds, convertible securities, asset-and mortgage-backed securities, and municipal, agency, and U.S. government securities). The issuer of a fixed-income security generally pays the investor a fixed, variable, or floating rate of interest. The amount borrowed must be repaid at maturity. Some debt securities, such as zero coupon bonds, do not pay current interest, but are sold at a discount from their face values.
Fixed-income securities are sensitive to changes in interest rates. Interest rate changes can be sudden and unpredictable, and are influenced by a number of factors, including governmental policy, monetary policy, inflation expectations, perceptions of risk, and supply and demand for fixed-income securities. In general, fixed-income security prices rise when interest rates fall and fall when interest rates rise. An increase in interest rates from a low interest rate environment may lead to heightened volatility, rapid sales of fixed-income securities, and redemptions alongside reduced liquidity and dealer market-making capacity in fixed-income markets.
If interest rates fall, issuers of callable bonds may call (repay) securities with high interest rates before their maturity dates; this is known as call risk. In this case, a fund would likely reinvest the proceeds from these securities at lower interest rates, resulting in a decline in the fund's income. Very low interest rates, including rates that fall below zero (where banks charge for depositing money), may detract from a Fund’s performance and its ability to maintain positive returns to the extent the Fund is exposed to such interest rates. To the extent a Fund holds an investment with a negative interest rate to maturity, the Fund would generate a negative return on that investment. Floating rate securities generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. Conversely, floating rate securities will not generally increase in value if interest rates decline.
As of December 31, 2021, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the London InterBank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”), no longer publishes non-U.S. dollar LIBOR, 1-week U.S. dollar LIBOR, or 2-month U.S. dollar LIBOR rates. The remaining, most widely used U.S. dollar LIBOR rates will no longer be published after June 30, 2023. The effect of LIBOR's discontinuation or replacement on new or existing financial instruments or operational processes will vary depending on a number of factors, including, for example, fallback provisions in contracts, replacement language in contracts, and legislative action. In addition, LIBOR’s discontinuation or replacement may affect the value, liquidity, or return on certain Fund investments and may result in costs in connection with closing out positions and entering into new trades. These impacts are likely to persist until new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new instruments and contracts are commercially accepted and market practices become settled.
The U.S. Federal Reserve, along with a steering committee comprised of large U.S. financial institutions known as the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, intends to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR with the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”), a new index calculated by short-term repurchase agreements, backed by Treasury securities. On March 15, 2022, the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act was signed into law. This law provides a statutory fallback mechanism to replace
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LIBOR with a benchmark rate that is selected by the U.S. Federal Reserve Board and based on SOFR for certain contracts that reference LIBOR without adequate fallback provisions. The U.S. Federal Reserve Board has proposed but not yet adopted regulations implementing this law. Bank working groups and regulators in other countries have suggested other alternatives for their markets.
Fixed-income securities are also affected by the credit quality of the issuer. Investment-grade debt securities are medium and high-quality securities. Some bonds, such as lower grade or “junk” bonds, may have speculative characteristics and may be particularly sensitive to economic conditions and the financial condition of the issuers. Credit risk refers to the possibility that the issuer of the security will not be able to make principal and interest payments when due.
Additionally, a Fund's investments in companies with smaller market capitalizations may involve greater risks, price volatility (wide, rapid fluctuations), and less liquidity than investments in larger, more mature companies.
Foreign Currency
Certain of a fund’s investments will be denominated in foreign currencies or traded in securities markets in which settlements are made in foreign currencies. Any income on such investments is generally paid to a fund in foreign currencies. In addition, funds may engage in foreign currency transactions for both hedging and investment purposes, as well as to increase exposure to a foreign currency or to shift exposure to foreign currency fluctuations from one country to another.
The value of foreign currencies relative to the U.S. dollar varies continually, causing changes in the dollar value of a fund’s portfolio investments (even if the local market price of the investments is unchanged) and changes in the dollar value of a fund’s income available for distribution to its shareholders. The effect of changes in the dollar value of a foreign currency on the dollar value of a fund’s assets and on the net investment income available for distribution may be favorable or unfavorable. Transactions in non-U.S. currencies are also subject to many of the risks of investing in foreign (non-U.S.) securities; for example, changes in foreign economies and political climates are more likely to affect a fund that has foreign currency exposure than a fund that invests exclusively in U.S. companies and currency. There also may be less government supervision of foreign markets, resulting in non-uniform accounting practices and less publicly available information. Transactions in foreign currencies, foreign currency denominated debt, and certain foreign currency options, futures contracts, and forward contracts (and similar instruments) may give rise to ordinary income or loss to the extent such income or loss results from fluctuations in the value of the foreign currency concerned.
A fund may incur costs in connection with conversions between various currencies. In addition, a fund may be required to liquidate portfolio assets, or may incur increased currency conversion costs, to compensate for a decline in the dollar value of a foreign currency occurring between the time when a fund declares and pays a dividend, or between the time when a fund accrues and pays an operating expense in U.S. dollars. To protect against a change in the foreign currency exchange rate between the date on which a fund contracts to purchase or sell a security and the settlement date for the purchase or sale, to gain exposure to one or more foreign currencies, or to “lock in” the equivalent of a dividend or interest payment in another currency, a fund might purchase or sell a foreign currency on a spot (i.e., cash) basis at the prevailing spot rate.
Currency hedging involves some of the same general risks and considerations as other transactions with similar instruments (i.e., derivative instruments) and hedging. Currency transactions are also subject to additional risks. Because currency control is of great importance to the issuing governments and influences economic planning and policy, purchases and sales of currency and related instruments can be adversely affected by government exchange controls, limitations or restrictions on repatriation of currency, and manipulations or exchange restrictions imposed by governments. These forms of governmental actions can result in losses to a fund if it is unable to deliver or receive currency or monies in settlement of obligations. They could also cause hedges the fund has entered into to be rendered useless, resulting in full currency exposure as well as incurring transaction costs. Settlement of a currency forward contract for the purchase of most currencies must occur at a bank based in the issuing nation. The ability to establish and close out positions on trading options on currency futures contracts is subject to the maintenance of a liquid market that may not always be available.
Foreign Securities
The Funds consider a security to be tied economically to countries outside the U.S. (a “foreign security”) if the issuer of the security has its principal place of business or principal office outside the U.S., has its principal securities trading market outside the U.S., or derives a majority of its revenue from outside the U.S.
There may be less publicly available information about foreign companies than U.S. companies, and information about foreign securities in which the Funds invest may be less reliable or complete. Foreign companies, including those listed on U.S. securities exchanges, may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting practices as are required of U.S. companies with respect to such matters as insider trading rules, tender offer regulation, accounting standards or auditor oversight, stockholder proxy requirements, and the requirements mandating timely and accurate disclosure of information. For example, the Chinese government has taken positions that prevent the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board from inspecting the audit work and practices of accounting firms in mainland China and Hong
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Kong for compliance with U.S. law and professional standards. In addition, securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Commissions on foreign securities exchanges may be generally higher than those on U.S. exchanges.
Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures than those in U.S. markets. In certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct these transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of fund assets is not invested and earning no return. If a fund is unable to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems, the fund may miss attractive investment opportunities. In addition, a fund may incur a loss as a result of a decline in the value of its portfolio if it is unable to sell a security.
With respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments that could affect a fund’s investments in those countries. In addition, a fund may also suffer losses due to differing accounting practices and treatments. Investments in foreign securities are subject to laws of the foreign country that may limit the amount and types of foreign investments. Changes of governments or of economic or monetary policies, in the U.S. or abroad, changes in dealings between nations, currency convertibility, or exchange rates could result in investment losses for a fund.
Foreign securities are often traded with less frequency and volume and, therefore, may have greater price volatility than is the case with many U.S. securities. Brokerage commissions, custodial services, and other costs relating to investment in foreign countries are generally more expensive than in the U.S. Though the fund intends to acquire the securities of foreign issuers where there are public trading markets, economic or political turmoil in a country in which a fund has a significant portion of its assets or deterioration of the relationship between the U.S. and a foreign country may reduce the liquidity of a fund’s portfolio. The fund may have difficulty meeting a large number of redemption requests. Furthermore, there may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign issuers.
A fund may invest in a foreign company by purchasing depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are certificates of ownership of shares in a foreign-based issuer held by a bank or other financial institution. They are alternatives to purchasing the underlying security but are subject to the foreign securities risks to which they relate.
A fund may file claims to recover foreign withholding taxes on dividend and interest income (if any) received from issuers in certain countries and capital gains on the disposition of stocks or securities where such withholding tax reclaim is possible. Whether or when a fund will receive a withholding tax refund is within the control of the tax authorities in such countries. Where a fund expects to recover withholding taxes, the net asset value of a fund generally includes accruals for such tax refunds. If the likelihood of recovery materially decreases, accruals in the fund’s net asset value for such refunds may be written down partially or in full, which will adversely affect the fund’s net asset value. Shareholders in the fund at the time an accrual is written down will bear the impact of the resulting reduction in net asset value regardless of whether they were shareholders during the accrual period. Conversely, if a fund receives a tax refund that has not been previously accrued, shareholders in the fund at the time of the successful recovery will benefit from the resulting increase in the fund’s net asset value. Shareholders who sold their shares prior to such time will not benefit from such increase in the fund’s net asset value.
If a fund’s portfolio invests significantly in a certain geographic region, any negative development affecting that region will have a greater impact on the fund than a fund that is not as heavily invested in that region. For example, with respect to funds that invest significantly in China or the EU:
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Investing in China involves certain heightened risks and considerations, including, among others: frequent trading suspensions and government interventions (including by nationalizing assets); currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockages; limits on using brokers and on foreign ownership; different financial reporting standards, as described above; higher dependence on exports and international trade; political and social instability; infectious disease outbreaks; regional and global conflicts; increased trade tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations; custody and other risks associated with programs used to access Chinese securities; and uncertainties in tax rules that could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Significant portions of the Chinese securities markets may become rapidly illiquid, as Chinese issuers have the ability to suspend the trading of their equity securities. Moreover, actions by the U.S. government, such as delisting of certain Chinese companies from U.S. securities exchanges or otherwise restricting their operations in the U.S., may negatively impact the value of such securities held by the funds.
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Funds that invest in the United Kingdom (the “UK”) face risks related to the UK's departure from the European Union (the “EU”), commonly known as “Brexit.” Brexit has resulted in significant uncertainties and instability in the financial markets, and considerable uncertainty remains related to the potential consequences associated with the exit, how new trade agreements will be conducted, and whether the UK's exit will increase the likelihood of other countries also departing the EU. Brexit may have significant political and financial consequences in the UK, as well as in European
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markets and the broader global economy, which may result in increased volatility and illiquidity, and potentially lower economic growth in markets in the UK, Europe, and globally.
Hedging
Hedging is a strategy that can be used to attempt to mitigate or protect against potential losses due to changing interest rates, securities prices, asset values, currency exchange rates, and other market conditions. The success of a fund’s hedging strategy will be subject to the ability of those managing the fund’s investments to correctly assess the degree of correlation between the performance of the instruments used in the hedging strategy and the performance of the investments in the portfolio being hedged. Since the characteristics of many securities change as markets change or time passes, the success of a fund’s hedging strategy will also be subject to the ability of those managing the fund’s investments to continually recalculate, readjust, and execute hedges in an efficient and timely manner. For a variety of reasons, those managing the fund’s investments may not seek to establish a perfect correlation between such hedging instruments and the portfolio holdings being hedged. Such imperfect correlation may prevent a fund from achieving the intended hedge or expose a fund to risk of loss. In addition, it is not possible to hedge fully or perfectly against any risk, and hedging entails its own costs.
High Portfolio Turnover
“Portfolio Turnover” is the term used in the industry for measuring the amount of trading that occurs in a fund’s portfolio during the year. For example, a 100% turnover rate means that on average every security in the portfolio has been replaced once during the year. Funds with high turnover rates (more than 100%) often have higher transaction costs (which are paid by the fund), may result in higher taxes when fund shares are held in a taxable account, and may lower the fund’s performance. High portfolio turnover can result in a lower capital gain distribution due to higher transaction costs added to the basis of the assets or can result in lower ordinary income distributions to shareholders when the transaction costs cannot be added to the basis of assets. Both events reduce fund performance.
Please consider all the factors when you compare the turnover rates of different funds. You should also be aware that the “total return” line in the Financial Highlights section reflects portfolio turnover costs.
High Yield Securities
Below investment grade securities are fixed income securities that are rated at the time of purchase Ba1 or lower by Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. (“Moody’s”) and BB+ or lower by S&P Global Ratings (“S&P Global”) (if the security has been rated by only one of those agencies, that rating will determine if the security is below investment grade; if the security has not been rated by either of those agencies, those managing investments of a Fund will determine whether the security is of a quality comparable to those rated below investment grade).
Below investment grade securities are sometimes referred to as high yield or “junk bonds” and are considered speculative, particularly with respect to the issuer’s continuing ability to meet principal and interest payments. Such securities could be in default at time of purchase.
Investing in high yield securities involves special risks in addition to those associated with investing in investment grade securities:
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High yield securities may be less liquid than investment grade securities.
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The secondary market on which high yield securities are traded may be less liquid, which may reduce the price of the security and adversely affect and cause large fluctuations in the daily price of the Fund’s shares.
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Analysis of the creditworthiness of issuers of high yield securities is more complex. To the extent a Fund invests in high yield securities, its ability to meet its objective may be more dependent on such credit analyses.
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High yield securities may be more susceptible to real or perceived adverse economic and competitive industry conditions. Although high yield securities prices tend to be less sensitive to interest rate changes than those of investment grade securities, they tend to be more sensitive to adverse economic downturns or individual corporate developments. Adverse publicity and investor perceptions, whether or not based on fundamental analysis, may decrease the value and liquidity of high yield securities, especially in a thinly traded market.
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If the issuer of high yield securities defaults, a Fund may incur additional expenses to seek recovery.
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If an issuer of high yield securities undergoes a corporate restructuring, such high yield securities may become exchanged for or converted into reorganized equity of the underlying issuer. Moreover, to the extent that a bond indenture or loan agreement does not contain sufficiently protective covenants or otherwise permits the issuer to take certain actions to the Fund’s detriment (such as distributing cash to equity holders, incurring additional indebtedness, and disposing of assets), the underlying value of the high yield security may decline.
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The use of credit ratings for evaluating high yield securities also involves certain risks. For example, credit ratings reflect the safety of principal and interest payments, not the market value risk of high yield securities. Also, credit rating agencies may fail to change credit ratings in a timely manner to reflect subsequent events. If a credit rating agency changes the rating of a portfolio security held by a Fund, the Fund may retain the security.
Industrial Revenue Bond
The Fund will be sensitive to, and its performance will depend to a greater extent on, the overall condition and performance of industrial revenue bonds. These revenue bonds are issued by or on behalf of public authorities to obtain funds to finance various public and/or privately operated facilities, including those for business and manufacturing, housing, sports, pollution control, airport, mass transit, port, and parking facilities. These bonds are normally secured only by the revenues from the project and not by state or local government tax payments. Consequently, the credit quality of these bonds is dependent upon the ability of the user of the facilities financed by the bonds and any guarantor to meet its financial obligations. Payment of interest on and repayment of principal on such bonds are the responsibility of the user and/or any guarantor. These bonds are subject to a wide variety of risks, many of which relate to the nature of the specific project. Generally, the value and credit quality of these bonds are sensitive to the risks related to an economic slowdown.
Industry Concentration
A fund that concentrates its investments (invests more than 25% of its net assets) in a particular industry (or group of industries) is more exposed to the overall condition of the particular industry than a fund that invests in a wider variety of industries. A particular industry could be affected by economic, business, supply-and-demand, political, or regulatory factors. Companies within the same industry could react similarly to such factors. As a result, a fund’s concentration in a particular industry would increase the possibility that the fund’s performance will be affected by such factors.
Inverse Floating Rate Investments
Inverse floating rate investments are variable rate debt instruments that pay interest at rates that move in the opposite direction of prevailing interest rates. Inverse floating rate investments tend to underperform the market for fixed rate bonds in a rising interest rate environment. Inverse floating rate investments have varying degrees of liquidity. Inverse floating rate investments in which the funds may invest may include derivative instruments, such as residual interest bonds or tender option bonds. Such instruments are typically created by a special purpose trust that holds long-term fixed rate bonds and sells two classes of beneficial interests: short-term floating rate interests, which are sold to third party investors, and the inverse floating residual interests, which are purchased by the funds. The funds generally invest in inverse floating rate investments that include embedded leverage, thus exposing the funds to greater risks and increased costs. The market value of a “leveraged” inverse floating rate investment generally will fluctuate in response to changes in market rates of interest to a greater extent than the value of an unleveraged investment.
Investment Company Securities
Securities of other investment companies, including shares of closed-end investment companies, unit investment trusts, various ETFs, and other open-end investment companies, represent interests in professionally managed portfolios that may invest in a variety of instruments. Certain types of investment companies, such as closed-end investment companies, issue a fixed number of shares that trade on a stock exchange or over-the-counter at a premium or a discount to their net asset value. Others are continuously offered at net asset value but may also be traded in the secondary market. ETFs are often structured to perform in a similar fashion to a broad-based securities index. Investing in ETFs involves generally the same risks as investing directly in the underlying instruments. Investing in ETFs involves the risk that they will not perform in exactly the same fashion, or in response to the same factors, as the index or underlying instruments. Shares of ETFs may trade at prices other than net asset value.
A fund that invests in another investment company is subject to the risks associated with direct ownership of the securities in which such investment company invests. Fund shareholders indirectly bear their proportionate share of the expenses of each such investment company, including its advisory and administrative fees. The Fund would also continue to pay its own advisory fees and other expenses. Consequently, the Fund and its shareholders would, in effect, absorb two levels of fees with respect to investments in other investment companies.
A fund may invest in affiliated underlying funds, and those who manage such fund’s investments and their affiliates may earn different fees from different underlying funds and may have an incentive to allocate more fund assets to underlying funds from which they receive higher fees.
Leverage
If a fund makes investments in futures contracts, forward contracts, swaps and other derivative instruments, these instruments provide the economic effect of financial leverage by creating additional investment exposure, as well as the potential for greater loss. If a fund uses leverage through activities such as borrowing, entering into short sales, purchasing securities on margin or on a “when-issued” basis or purchasing derivative instruments in an effort to increase its returns, the fund has the risk of magnified capital losses that occur when losses affect an asset base, enlarged by borrowings or the creation
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of liabilities, that exceeds the net assets of the fund. The net asset value of a fund employing leverage will be more volatile and sensitive to market movements. Leverage may involve the creation of a liability that requires the fund to pay interest. Leveraging may cause a fund to liquidate portfolio positions to satisfy its obligations when it may not be advantageous to do so. To the extent that a fund is not able to close out a leveraged position because of market illiquidity, a fund’s liquidity may be impaired.
Municipal Obligations and AMT-Subject Bonds
Municipal obligations are subject to the risk that litigation, legislation, or other political events, local business or economic conditions, credit rating downgrades, or the bankruptcy of the issuer could have a significant effect on an issuer’s ability to make payments of principal and/or interest or otherwise affect the value of such obligations. Certain municipalities may have difficulty meeting their obligations due to, among other reasons, changes in underlying demographics. Municipal obligations can be significantly affected by political changes as well as uncertainties in the municipal market related to government regulation, taxation, legislative changes, or the rights of municipal security holders. Because many municipal obligations are issued to finance similar projects, especially those relating to education, health care, transportation, utilities, and water and sewer, conditions in those sectors can affect the overall municipal market. Municipal obligations include general obligation bonds, which are backed by the “full faith and credit” of the issuer, which has the power to tax residents to pay bondholders. Timely payments depend on the issuer’s credit quality, ability to raise tax revenues, and ability to maintain an adequate tax base. General obligation bonds generally are not backed by revenues from a specific project or source. Municipal obligations also include revenue bonds, which are generally backed by revenue from a specific project or tax. The issuer of a revenue bond makes interest and principal payments from revenues generated from a particular source or facility, such as a tax on particular property or revenues generated from a municipal water or sewer utility or an airport. Revenue bonds generally are not backed by the full faith and credit and general taxing power of the issuer. The market for municipal obligations/bonds may be less liquid than for taxable bonds. There may be less information available on the financial condition of issuers of municipal obligations than for public corporations. Municipal obligations may be susceptible to periods of economic stress, which could affect the market values and marketability of many or all municipal obligations of issuers in a state, U.S. territory, or possession.
AMT-subject bonds are municipal obligations issued to finance certain “private activities,” such as bonds used to finance airports, housing projects, student loan programs, and water and sewer projects. Interest on AMT-subject bonds is an item of tax preference for purposes of the federal individual alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). See “Tax Considerations” for a discussion of the tax consequences of investing in the Fund.
Current federal income tax laws limit the types and volume of bonds qualifying for the federal income tax exemption of interest, which may affect the ability of the Fund to purchase sufficient amounts of tax-exempt bonds.
Portfolio Duration
Average duration is a mathematical calculation of the average life of a bond (or for a bond fund, the average life of the fund’s underlying bonds, weighted by the percentage of the fund’s assets that each represents) that serves as a useful measure of its price risk. Duration is an estimate of how much the value of the bonds held by a fund will fluctuate in response to a change in interest rates. For example, if a fund has an average duration of 4 years and interest rates rise by 1%, the value of the bonds held by the fund will decline by approximately 4%, and if the interest rates decline by 1%, the value of the bonds held by the fund will increase by approximately 4%. Longer term bonds and zero coupon bonds are generally more sensitive to interest rate changes. Duration, which measures price sensitivity to interest rate changes, is not necessarily equal to average maturity.
Preferred Securities
Preferred securities include preferred stock and various types of junior subordinated debt and trust preferred securities. Preferred securities may pay fixed rate or adjustable rate distributions and generally have a payment “preference” over common stock, but are junior to the issuer’s senior debt in a liquidation of the issuer’s assets. Preference would mean that a company must pay on its preferred securities before paying on its common stock, and that any claims of the preferred security holder would typically be ahead of common stockholders’ claims on assets in a corporate liquidation.
Holders of preferred securities usually have no right to vote for corporate directors or on other matters. The market value of preferred securities is sensitive to changes in interest rates as they are typically fixed income securities; the fixed-income payments are expected to be the primary source of long-term investment return. While some preferred securities are issued with a final maturity date, others are perpetual in nature. In certain instances, a final maturity date may be extended and/or the final payment of principal may be deferred at the issuer’s option for a specified time without triggering an event of default for the issuer. In addition, an issuer of preferred securities may have the right to redeem the securities before their stated maturity date. For instance, for certain types of preferred securities, a redemption may be triggered by a change in federal income tax or securities laws. As with call provisions, a redemption by the issuer may reduce the return of the
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security held by the fund. Preferred securities may be subject to provisions that allow an issuer, under certain circumstances to skip (indefinitely) or defer (possibly up to 10 years) distributions. If a fund owns a preferred security that is deferring its distribution, the fund may be required to report income for tax purposes while it is not receiving any income.
Preferred securities are typically issued by corporations, generally in the form of interest or dividend bearing instruments, or by an affiliated business trust of a corporation, generally in the form of beneficial interests in subordinated debentures or similarly structured securities. The preferred securities market is generally divided into the $25 par “retail” and the $1,000 par “institutional” segments. The $25 par segment includes securities that are listed on the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) (exchange traded), which trade and are quoted with accrued dividend or interest income, and which are often callable at par value five years after their original issuance date. The institutional segment includes $1,000 par value securities that are not exchange-listed (over the counter), which trade and are quoted on a “clean” price, i.e., without accrued dividend or interest income, and which often have a minimum of 10 years of call protection from the date of their original issuance. Preferred securities can also be issued by real estate investment trusts and involve risks similar to those associated with investing in real estate investment trust companies.
Real Estate Investment Trusts (“REITs”)
REITs involve certain unique risks in addition to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). REITs are characterized as: equity REITs, which primarily own property and generate revenue from rental income; mortgage REITs, which invest in real estate mortgages; and hybrid REITs, which combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. A fund that invests in a REIT is subject to the REIT’s expenses, including management fees, and will remain subject to the fund’s advisory fees with respect to the assets so invested. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded REITs under the Code, and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.
Regular REIT dividends received by a Fund from a REIT will not qualify for the corporate dividends-received deduction and generally will not constitute qualified dividend income for U.S. income tax purposes. Any distribution of income attributable to regular REIT dividends from a Fund’s investment in a REIT will not qualify for the deduction that would be available to a non-corporate shareholder were the shareholder to own such REIT directly.
Investment in REITs also involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small market capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities.
Real Estate Securities
Investing in securities of companies in the real estate industry subjects a fund to the special risks associated with the real estate market and the real estate industry in general. Generally, companies in the real estate industry are considered to be those that have principal activity involving the development, ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate; have significant real estate holdings, such as hospitality companies, healthcare facilities, supermarkets, mining, lumber and/or paper companies; and/or provide products or services related to the real estate industry, such as financial institutions that make and/or service mortgage loans and manufacturers or distributors of building supplies. Securities of companies in the real estate industry are sensitive to factors such as loss to casualty or condemnation, changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk
Ownership of a fund’s shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause a fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
As an example, as of August 31, 2022, a series of the Registrant, Principal Variable Contracts, Funds, Inc. (“PVC”), and Principal Global Trust Company (an affiliate of PGI) owned the following percentages, in the aggregate, of the outstanding shares of the underlying funds listed below. PGI is the advisor to the PFI and PVC funds of funds and is committed to
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minimizing the potential impact of redemption and large transaction risk on underlying funds to the extent consistent with pursuing the investment objectives of the funds of funds that it manages. However, PGI and its affiliates may face conflicts of interest in fulfilling responsibilities to all such funds. 
Fund
Total Percentage
of Outstanding
Shares Owned
Blue Chip
38.04%
Bond Market Index
90.43%
Diversified Real Asset
14.65%
International Equity Index
56.44%
International Small Company
91.25%
Origin Emerging Markets
45.99%
Small-MidCap Dividend Income
8.29%
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
9.78%
Securitized Products
Securitized products are fixed income instruments that represent interests in underlying pools of collateral or assets. The value of the securitized product is derived from the performance, value, and cash flows of the underlying asset(s).
A fund’s investments in securitized products are subject to risks similar to traditional fixed income securities, such as credit, interest rate, liquidity, prepayment, extension, and default risk, as well as additional risks associated with the nature of the assets and the servicing of those assets. Prepayment risk may make it difficult to calculate the average life of a fund’s investment in securitized products. Securitized products are generally issued as pass-through certificates, which represent the right to receive principal and interest payments collected on the underlying pool of assets, which are passed through to the security holder. Therefore, repayment depends on the cash flows generated by the underlying pool of assets. The securities may be rated as investment-grade or below-investment-grade.
The specific securitized products that are principal strategies of each Fund are listed in its Fund Summary.
•
Mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) represent an interest in a pool of underlying mortgage loans secured by real property. MBS are sensitive to changes in interest rates, but may respond to these changes differently from other fixed income securities due to the possibility of prepayment of the underlying mortgage loans. If interest rates fall and the underlying loans are prepaid faster than expected, the fund may have to reinvest the prepaid principal in lower yielding securities, thus reducing the fund’s income. Conversely, rising interest rates tend to discourage refinancings and the underlying loans may be prepaid more slowly than expected, reducing a fund’s potential to reinvest the principal in higher yielding securities and extending the duration of the underlying loans. In addition, when market conditions result in an increase in default rates on the underlying loans and the foreclosure values of the underlying real estate is less than the outstanding amount due on the underlying loan, collection of the full amount of accrued interest and principal on these investments may be doubtful. The risk of such defaults is generally higher in the case of underlying mortgage pools that include sub-prime mortgages (mortgages granted to borrowers whose credit histories would not support conventional mortgages).
•
Commercial mortgage-backed securities (“CMBS”) represent an interest in a pool of underlying commercial mortgage loans secured by real property such as retail, office, hotel, multi-family, and industrial properties. CMBS are issued in several classes with different levels of yield and credit protection, and the CMBS class in which a fund invests influences the interest rate, credit and prepayment risks. Many of the loans related to CMBS do not allow voluntary prepayment, which can help mitigate or eliminate prepayment risk.
•
Asset-backed securities (“ABS”) are backed by non-mortgage assets such as company receivables, company loans, truck and auto loans, student loans, leases and credit card receivables. ABS entail credit risk. They also may present a risk that, in the event of default, the liquidation value of the underlying assets may be inadequate to pay any unpaid interest or principal.
Short Sales
A fund enters into a short sale by selling a security it has borrowed (typically from a broker or other institution) with the hope of purchasing the same security at a later date at a lower price. A fund may also take a short position in a derivative instrument, such as a future, forward or swap. If the market price of the security or derivatives increases, the fund will suffer a (potentially unlimited) loss when it replaces the security or derivative at the higher price. In certain cases, purchasing a security to cover a short position can itself cause the price of the security to rise further, thereby exacerbating the loss. In addition, a fund may not always be able to borrow the security at a particular time or at an acceptable price. Before a fund replaces a borrowed security, it is required to post collateral to cover the fund’s short position, marking the collateral
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to market daily. This obligation limits a fund’s investment flexibility, as well as its ability to meet redemption requests or other current obligations. A short position in a derivative instrument involves the risk of a theoretically unlimited increase in the value of the underlying instrument. Short sales also involve transaction and other costs that will reduce potential fund gains and increase potential fund losses.
Certain funds may also invest the proceeds received from short selling securities, which creates additional leverage. Using such leverage allows the fund to use the proceeds to purchase additional securities, thereby increasing its exposure to assets, such that its total assets may be greater than its capital. Leverage also magnifies the volatility of changes in the value of the fund’s portfolio. The effect of the use of leverage by the fund in a market that moves adversely to its investments could result in substantial losses to the fund, which would be greater than if the fund were not leveraged. Because a short position loses value as the security’s price increases, the loss on a short sale is theoretically unlimited.
The short sale proceeds utilized by a fund to leverage investments are collateralized by all or a portion of such fund’s portfolio. Accordingly, a fund may pledge securities in order to effect short sales, utilize short sale proceeds or otherwise obtain leverage for investment or other purposes. Should the securities pledged to brokers to secure the fund’s margin accounts decline in value, the fund could be subject to a “margin call”, pursuant to which the fund must either deposit additional funds or securities with the broker or suffer mandatory liquidation of all or a portion of the pledged securities to compensate for the decline in value. The banks and dealers that provide leverage to the fund have discretion to change the fund’s margin requirements at any time. Changes by counterparties in the foregoing may result in large margin calls, loss of leverage and forced liquidations of positions at disadvantageous prices. The utilization of short sale proceeds for leverage will cause the fund to be subject to higher transaction fees and other costs.
Telecommunication Services
The telecommunications industry is subject to governmental regulation and a greater price volatility than the overall market, and the products and services of telecommunications companies may be subject to rapid obsolescence resulting from changing consumer tastes, intense competition, and strong market reactions to technological developments throughout the industry. Companies in the telecommunications sector may encounter distressed cash flows due to the need to commit substantial capital to meet increasing competition, particularly in formulating new products and services using new technology.
Transportation
Companies in the transportation industry may be adversely affected by economic changes, increases in fuel and operating costs, labor relations, and insurance costs. Transportation companies may also be subject to significant government regulation and oversight, which may adversely affect their businesses.
U.S. Government and U.S. Government-Sponsored Securities
U.S. Government securities, such as Treasury bills, notes and bonds and mortgage-backed securities guaranteed by the Government National Mortgage Association (Ginnie Mae), are supported by the full faith and credit of the United States; others are supported by the right of the issuer to borrow from the U.S. Treasury; others are supported by the discretionary authority of the U.S. Government to purchase the agency’s obligations; and still others are supported only by the credit of the issuing agency, instrumentality, or enterprise.
Although U.S. Government-sponsored enterprises such as the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac) and the Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae) may be chartered or sponsored by Congress, they are not funded by Congressional appropriations, and their securities are not issued by the U.S. Treasury nor supported by the full faith and credit of the U.S. Government.
There is no assurance that the U.S. Government would provide financial support to its agencies and instrumentalities if not required to do so. In addition, certain governmental entities have been subject to regulatory scrutiny regarding their accounting policies and practices and other concerns that may result in legislation, changes in regulatory oversight and/or other consequences that could adversely affect the credit quality, availability, or investment character of securities issued by these entities. The value and liquidity of U.S. Government securities may be affected adversely by changes in the ratings of those securities.
Utilities Sector
When interest rates go up, the value of securities issued by utilities companies historically has gone down. In most countries and localities, the utilities industry is regulated by governmental entities, which can increase costs and delays for new projects and make it difficult to pass increased costs on to consumers. In certain areas, deregulation of utilities has resulted in increased competition and reduced profitability for certain companies and increased the risk that a particular company will become bankrupt or fail completely. Reduced profitability, as well as new uses for or additional need of funds (such
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as for expansion, operations, or stock buybacks), could result in reduced dividend payout rates for utilities companies. In addition, utilities companies face the risk of increases in the cost and reduced availability of fuel (such as oil, coal, natural gas, or nuclear energy) and potentially high interest costs for borrowing to finance new projects.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
A description of the Registrant’s policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of the Funds' portfolio securities is available in the Funds' SAI.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
The Manager and Advisor
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), an indirect subsidiary of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (“Principal®”), serves as the manager and advisor for the Funds. Through the Management Agreement with the Registrant, PGI provides investment advisory services and certain corporate administrative services for the Funds. 
Advisor:
Principal Global Investors, LLC (doing business as Principal Asset Management), 711 High Street, Des
Moines, IA 50392, is part of a diversified global asset management organization that utilizes specialized
investment teams and affiliates to provide institutional investors and individuals with diverse investment
capabilities, including fixed income, equities, real estate, currency, asset allocation, and stable value. In
addition to its asset management offices in the U.S., PGI has asset management offices of affiliate advisors
located in Europe, Asia, Latin America, and Australia. PGI has been a registered investment advisor since
1998.
Funds:
In fulfilling its investment advisory responsibilities, PGI provides day-to-day discretionary investment services
(directly making decisions to purchase or sell securities) for all or a portion of the following Funds:
 
•Blue Chip (services provided by Principal Aligned, an investment team within PGI)
 
•Bond Market Index
 
•Diversified Real Asset (allocating assets among the strategies)
 
•Edge MidCap (services provided by Principal Edge, an investment team within PGI)
 
•Global-Multi Strategy (including a portion of the relative value strategy, which is managed by Principal
Finisterre, an investment team within PGI)
 
•International Equity Index
 
•International Small Company
 
•Opportunistic Municipal
 
•Small-MidCap Dividend Income (services provided by Principal Edge, an investment team within PGI)
 
•Small-MidCap Growth (services provided by Principal Dynamic Growth, an investment team within PGI)
Several of the Funds have multiple sub-advisors. A team within Principal® Asset Allocation, an investment team within PGI and whose members are identified in each Fund Summary and listed below, determines the portion of those Funds’ assets that PGI and each sub-advisor will manage and may reallocate Fund assets among PGI and the sub-advisors from time-to-time. This team agrees on allocation decisions and shares authority and responsibility for day-to-day portfolio management, with no limitation on the authority of one portfolio manager in relation to another.
The decision to reallocate Fund assets between PGI acting in a discretionary advisory capacity and the sub-advisors may be based on a variety of factors, including, but not limited to: the investment capacity of PGI and each sub-advisor, portfolio diversification, volume of net cash flows, fund liquidity, investment performance, investment strategies, changes in PGI or each sub-advisor’s firm or investment professionals, or changes in the number of sub-advisors. Ordinarily, reallocations of Fund assets among sub-advisors occur as a sub-advisor liquidates assets in the normal course of portfolio management or with net new cash flows; however, at times, existing Fund assets may be reallocated among PGI and/or the sub-advisors.
The Fund Summaries identified the portfolio managers and the Funds they manage. Additional information about the portfolio managers follows. With respect to the biographies of PGI portfolio managers, references to Principal® encompass various entities and groups within the Principal organization, such as its majority- and wholly-owned subsidiaries, as well as investment teams within PGI.
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As reflected in the Fund Summaries, the day-to-day portfolio management, for some Funds, is shared by multiple portfolio managers. In each such case, the portfolio managers operate as a team, sharing authority and responsibility for research and the day-to-day management of the portfolio. However:
•
For the Blue Chip Fund, Mr. Nolin has ultimate decision making authority. Mr. Rozycki may make investment decisions in Mr. Nolin’s absence.
Jessica S. Bush  has been with Principal® since 2006. Ms. Bush is responsible for the asset allocation and manager selection for Principal® Asset Allocation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Michigan. She has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Jeff Callahan  has been with Principal® since 2006. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with an emphasis in Finance from Wartburg College and an M.B.A. from the University of Iowa. Mr. Callahan has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Lauren Choi  has been with Principal® since 2013 and has held various investment management roles on the equity team. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering from Johns Hopkins University.
Daniel R. Coleman  has been with Principal® since 2001 and has held various investment management roles on the equity team, including Portfolio Manager and some senior management roles. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Washington and an M.B.A. from New York University.
Christopher T. Corbett  has been with Principal® since 2006. He earned a B.B.A. in Accounting and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Notre Dame. Mr. Corbett has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Theodore Jayne  has been with Principal® since 2015. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology from Harvard University. Mr. Jayne has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Tiffany N. Lavastida  has been with Principal® since 1997. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance and an M.B.A. from the University of Iowa. Ms. Lavastida has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
James Noble  has been with Principal® since 2010. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance and an M.B.A. from Hofstra University. Mr. Noble has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
K. William Nolin  has been with Principal® since 1993. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Iowa and an M.B.A. from the Yale School of Management. Mr. Nolin has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Brian W. Pattinson  has been with Principal® since 1994. He earned a bachelor’s degree and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Iowa. Mr. Pattinson has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Sarah E. Radecki  has been with Principal® since 1999. She earned bachelor’s degrees in Political Science and Economics from Saint Mary’s College of California and a master’s degree in Economics from the University of California at Santa Barbara. Ms. Radecki has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Benjamin E. Rotenberg  has been with Principal® since 2014. Mr. Rotenberg is responsible for the asset allocation and manager selection for Principal® Asset Allocation. He earned a bachelor’s degree in International Relations and Russian from Pomona College. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst and the Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst designations.
Tom Rozycki  has been with Principal® since 2001. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from Drake University. Mr. Rozycki has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Jeffrey A. Schwarte  has been with Principal® since 1993. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. Mr. Schwarte has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Marc R. Shapiro  has been with Principal® since 2004. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance and Marketing from Emery University.
Aaron J. Siebel  has been with Principal® since 2005. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Finance from the University of Iowa. Mr. Siebel has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
May Tong  has been with Principal® since 2021. Prior to that, Ms. Tong was a Senior Vice President, Portfolio Manager for Franklin Templeton Multi-Asset Solutions since 2018. Prior to that, Ms. Tong was a Portfolio Manager and Head of Portfolio Implementation and Management for Voya Investment Management’s Multi-Asset Strategies and Solutions Team
98
since 2011. Ms. Tong is responsible for the asset allocation and manager selection for Principal® Asset Allocation. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance from Boston College and an M.B.A. from Columbia University. She has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Darryl Trunnel  has been with Principal® since 2008. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from Iowa State University. Mr. Trunnel has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
James Welch  has been with Principal® since 2014. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from the Pennsylvania State University.
The Sub-Advisors
PGI has signed contracts with various sub-advisors. Under the sub-advisory agreements, the sub-advisor agrees to assume the obligations of PGI to provide investment advisory services to the portion of the assets of a specific Fund allocated to it by PGI. For these services, PGI pays the sub-advisor a fee.
PGI or the sub-advisor provides the Board with a recommended investment program. The program must be consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and policies. Within the scope of the approved investment program, the sub-advisor advises the Fund on its investment policy and determines which securities are bought or sold, and in what amounts.
The Fund Summaries identified the sub-advisors, portfolio managers, and the Funds they manage. Additional information follows. 
Sub-Advisor:
BlackRock Financial Management, Inc. (“BlackRock”), 55 East 52nd Street, New York, New York
10055, is a registered investment advisor organized in 1994. BlackRock and its affiliates manage
investment company and other portfolio assets.
 
Sub-Sub-Advisor: BlackRock International Limited (“BIL”), Exchange Place One, 1 Semple Street,
Edinburgh EH3 8BL, Scotland, is a registered investment advisor that was founded in 1995.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (inflation-indexed bonds strategy)
 
BlackRock and BIL, with PGI’s consent, have entered into a sub-sub-advisory agreement for the
Diversified Real Asset Fund. Under the agreement, BIL has agreed to carry out certain investment
advisory obligations of BlackRock to manage the Diversified Real Asset Fund’s assets. BlackRock will
allocate to BIL a portion of the Diversified Real Asset Fund assets it manages.
Sub-Advisor:
ClearBridge Investments (North America) Pty Limited (“ClearBridge”), Level 13, 35 Clarence
Street, Sydney, Australia 2000, is a registered investment advisor founded in 2009 and specializes solely
in global infrastructure.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (infrastructure strategy)
Sub-Advisor:
CoreCommodity Management, LLC (“CoreCommodity”), 680 Washington Boulevard, 11th Floor,
Stamford, CT 06901, founded in 2003, is an investment advisor registered with the SEC that provides
advisory and fiduciary commodity management services to investors globally.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (commodities sleeve and, indirectly through the Fund’s Cayman
Subsidiary, commodity derivatives)
Sub-Advisor:
Delaware Investments Fund Advisers (“DIFA”), 610 Market Street, Philadelphia, PA 19106, is a
series of a registered investment advisor that is dedicated to the management of equity and
fixed-income securities accounts.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (infrastructure strategy)
Sub-Advisor:
Gotham Asset Management, LLC (“Gotham”), 535 Madison Avenue, 30th Floor, New York, NY
10022, is a registered investment advisor that manages long/short and long-only investment strategies.
Fund(s):
a portion of Global Multi-Strategy (equity long/short strategy)
Sub-Advisor:
Graham Capital Management, L.P. (“Graham”), 40 Highland Avenue, Rowayton, Connecticut, 06853,
founded in 1994, is an investment management firm that focuses on global macro-oriented strategies.
Fund(s):
a portion of Global Multi-Strategy. Graham will primarily use the global macro strategy; however, it may
use any of the Fund’s investment strategies, including investments through the Fund’s Cayman
Subsidiary.
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Sub-Advisor:
Impax Asset Management Limited (“Impax”), 30 Panton Street, 7th Floor, London SW1Y 4AJ, is a
registered investment advisor that was founded in 1998. Impax is a London, England-based specialist
asset manager focused on investing in the transition to a more sustainable global economy.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (a portion of the natural resources strategy)
Sub-Advisor:
Loomis, Sayles & Company, L.P. (“Loomis Sayles”), One Financial Center, Boston, Massachusetts
02111, is an investment advisory firm that was founded in 1926.
Fund(s):
a portion of Global Multi-Strategy (relative value strategy)
Sub-Advisor:
Los Angeles Capital Management LLC (“Los Angeles Capital”), 11150 Santa Monica Boulevard,
Suite 200, Los Angeles, CA 90025, founded in 2002, is a registered investment advisor offering
risk-controlled, active equity management services to a broad range of institutional investors.
Fund(s):
a portion of Global Multi-Strategy. Los Angeles Capital will primarily use the equity long/short strategy;
however, it may use any of the Fund’s investment strategies.
Sub-Advisor:
Newton Investment Management North America LLC (“NIMNA, LLC”), BNY Mellon Center, One
Boston Place, 201 Washington Street, Boston, MA 02108, is an SEC-registered investment advisor
providing clients with a wide range of investment solutions.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (a portion of the natural resources strategy)
Sub-Advisor:
Nuveen Asset Management, LLC (“Nuveen Asset Management”), 333 West Wacker Drive, Chicago,
IL 60606, is an investment advisor registered with the SEC providing investment management services
in a variety of investment strategies across multiple asset classes.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (floating rate debt strategy)
Sub-Advisor:
Origin Asset Management LLP (doing business as Principal Origin) (“Origin”), One Carey Lane,
London, EC2V 8AE, UK, manages global equity securities for institutional clients.
Fund(s):
Origin Emerging Markets
The portfolio managers operate as a team, sharing authority and responsibility for research and the day-to-day management of the portfolio with no limitation on the authority of one portfolio manager in relation to another.
Chris Carter  has been with Origin since 2005. Mr. Carter is a graduate of Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, with an M.A. Honours Degree in Economics and Philosophy.
Nigel Dutson  has been with Origin since 2005. Mr. Dutson is a graduate of Surrey University with a B.Sc. Joint Honours Degree in Mathematics & Economics.
Tarlock Randhawa  has been with Origin since 2005. Mr. Randhawa is a graduate of Brunel University with a B.Sc. Joint Honours Degree in Mathematics & Management.
Nerys Weir  was with Origin from 2008 to 2016 and rejoined Origin in 2019. Ms. Weir is a graduate of Leicester University with a B.A. Honours Degree in Ancient History and Archaeology. 
Sub-Advisor:
Pictet Asset Management SA (“Pictet”), 60 Route Des Acacias, Geneva, Switzerland 1211-73, is
authorized and regulated by the FINMA in Switzerland and the SEC in the U.S. and has been an
investment advisor since 2006. Pictet provides asset management services for institutional investors
and investment funds.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (natural resources strategy)
Sub-Advisor:
Principal Real Estate Investors, LLC (doing business as Principal Real Estate) (“Principal - REI”),
711 High Street, Des Moines, IA 50392, was founded in 2000 and manages commercial real estate
across the spectrum of public and private equity and debt investments, primarily for institutional
investors.
Fund(s):
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure and a portion of Diversified Real Asset (real estate strategy)
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Emily Foshag  has been with Principal - REI since 2019. Prior to that, Ms. Foshag was a Portfolio Manager and Research Analyst at Franklin Templeton since 2012. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from New York University and an M.S. degree with distinction from New York University with a concentration in global energy and environmental policy. Ms. Foshag has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation. 
Sub-Advisor:
Sound Point Capital Management, LP (“Sound Point”), 375 Park Avenue, 33rd Floor, New York, NY
10152, founded in 2009, is a registered investment advisor that provides investment advice and portfolio
management services.
Fund(s):
a portion of Global Multi-Strategy. Sound Point will primarily use the relative value strategy; however, it
may use any of the Fund’s investment strategies.*
 
*Allocation has been decreased and is expected to further decrease over time, with no future allocations
expected.
Sub-Advisor:
Spectrum Asset Management, Inc. (“Spectrum”), 2 High Ridge Park, Stamford, CT 06905, founded
in 1987, manages portfolios of preferred securities for corporate, pension fund, insurance, and
endowment clients; open-end and closed-end mutual funds; and separately managed account
programs for high net worth individual investors, as well as provides volatility mitigation solutions for
some client portfolios.
Fund(s):
Capital Securities and Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
The day-to-day portfolio management is shared by a team of portfolio managers (Messrs. Diaz, Giangregorio, Jacoby, Krishnan, and Lieb and Ms. Yarnell), under the leadership of the Chief Investment Officer (who also chairs the Investment Committee) in conjunction with the Credit and Research Team. This group has the authority and responsibility for research, credit selection, ongoing portfolio management, and trading. For the Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income Fund, the volatility mitigation strategies are managed by a team consisting of Mr. Jacoby, Mr. Krishnan, and Mr. Nugent; however, Mr. Nugent is primarily responsible for day-to-day portfolio management for the volatility mitigation strategies.
Fernando (“Fred”) Diaz  joined Spectrum in 2000.
Roberto Giangregorio  joined Spectrum in 2003. Mr. Giangregorio earned a B.S. and M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from S.U.N.Y. at Stony Brook and the University of Wisconsin-Madison, respectively. He also earned an M.B.A. in Finance from Cornell University.
L. Phillip Jacoby, IV  joined Spectrum in 1995. Mr. Jacoby earned a B.S. in Finance from the Boston University School of Management.
Manu Krishnan  joined Spectrum in 2004. Mr. Krishnan earned a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the College of Engineering, Osmania University, India, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from the University of Delaware, and an M.B.A. in Finance from Cornell University. Mr. Krishnan has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Mark A. Lieb  founded Spectrum in 1987. Mr. Lieb earned a B.A. in Economics from Central Connecticut State College and an M.B.A. in Finance from the University of Hartford.
Kevin Nugent  joined Spectrum in 2012. Mr. Nugent earned a B.A. from Ohio Wesleyan University.
Satomi Yarnell  joined Spectrum in 2015. Ms. Yarnell earned a M.A. in Economics from Waseda University. Ms. Yarnell has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation and is a Chartered Member of Security Analyst Association of Japan (CMA). 
Sub-Advisor:
Wellington Management Company LLP (“Wellington”) has its principal offices at 280 Congress
Street, Boston, Massachusetts 02210. Wellington is a professional investment counseling firm that
provides investment services to investment companies, employee benefit plans, endowments,
foundations, and other institutions.
Fund(s):
a portion of Diversified Real Asset (commodities sleeve and, indirectly through the Fund’s Cayman
Subsidiary, commodity derivatives) and a portion of Global Multi-Strategy. Wellington will primarily use
the equity long/short strategy for Global Multi-Strategy; however, it may use any of the Fund’s investment
strategies.
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Sub-Advisor:
Westchester Capital Management, LLC (“Westchester”), 100 Summit Lake Drive, Valhalla, NY
10595, a registered investment advisor, was founded in 1980 and manages assets across merger
arbitrage, event-driven, and credit event strategies.
Fund(s):
a portion of Global Multi-Strategy. Westchester will primarily use the event-driven strategy; however, it
may use any of the Fund’s investment strategies.
The SAI provides additional information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts managed by the portfolio manager, and the portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in the Funds.
Participating Affiliate Agreement
In rendering investment advisory services to a Fund, the advisor and each sub-advisor may use the resources of one or more of its respective foreign (non-U.S.) affiliates that are not registered under the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended, to provide portfolio management, research, and trading services to the Fund. Under a Participating Affiliate Agreement, and pursuant to applicable guidance from the Staff of the SEC, U.S. registered advisors are allowed to use investment advisory and trading resources of such unregistered advisory affiliates subject to the regulatory supervision of the registered advisor. For example, some Principal Fund Complex assets are managed by employees of Principal Global Investors (Europe) Limited pursuant to such an arrangement. Each such affiliate and any of their respective employees who provide services to a Fund are considered under the Participating Affiliate Agreement to be “supervised persons” of the advisor or sub-advisor (as applicable) as that term is defined in the Investment Advisers Act of 1940, as amended.
Fees Paid to PGI
Each Fund, with the exception of the Capital Securities Fund, pays PGI a fee for its services, which includes the fee PGI pays to sub-advisors, as applicable.
The Capital Securities Fund will not pay PGI a fee for its services, and PGI will not pay Spectrum a fee for Spectrum's sub-advisory services to the Fund. This arrangement recognizes that the Wrap Fee Advisor will receive a fee through the wrap-fee program that takes into account the value of any shares of the Fund held by Eligible Wrap Accounts. 
 
Management Fee Schedule
(as a percentage of the average daily net assets)
Fund
All Assets
Capital Securities
0.00%(1)
(1)
The table reflects that Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), the investment advisor, is absorbing all expenses of the Capital Securities Fund. You should be aware, however, that the Capital Securities Fund is an integral part of “wrap-fee” programs, including those sponsored by registered investment advisors and broker-dealers unaffiliated with the Capital Securities Fund. Participants in these programs pay a “wrap” fee to the wrap-fee program’s sponsor (“Sponsor”). You should carefully read the wrap-fee brochure provided to you by your Sponsor or your registered investment advisor. The brochure is required to include information about the fees charged to you by the Sponsor and the fees the Sponsor pays to your registered investment advisor.
The fee each Fund paid (as a percentage of the Fund’s average daily net assets) for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022 was: 
Fund
Percentage of the Fund’s
Average Daily
Net Assets
Blue Chip
0.59%
Bond Market Index
0.14%
Capital Securities
0.00%
Diversified Real Asset
0.80%
Edge MidCap
0.70%
Global Multi-Strategy
1.60%
International Equity Index
0.25%
International Small Company
1.04%
Opportunistic Municipal
0.50%
Origin Emerging Markets
1.01%
Small-MidCap Dividend Income
0.78%
Small-MidCap Growth
0.70%
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities
Income
0.69%
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The management fee schedule for each Fund that has not completed a full fiscal year is as follows: 
Fund
First
$500 million
Next
$500 million
Next
$500 million
Over
$1.5 billion
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure
0.75%
0.73%
0.71%
0.70%
Availability of the discussions regarding the basis for the Board’s approval of various management and sub-advisory agreements is as follows: 
 
Semi-Annual Report to Shareholders for the period ending February 28, 2023
Fund
Management Agreement
Sub-Advisory Agreement
All Funds
X
X
Manager of Managers
The Registrant operates as a Manager of Managers. Under an order received from the SEC (the “Order”), the Registrant and PGI may enter into and materially amend agreements with unaffiliated and wholly-owned affiliated sub-advisors (affiliated sub-advisors that are at least 95% owned, directly or indirectly, by PGI or an affiliated person of PGI) without obtaining shareholder approval, including to:
•
hire one or more sub-advisors;
•
change sub-advisors; and
•
reallocate management fees between PGI and sub-advisors.
Although there is no present intent to do so, the Funds may, in the future, rely on current SEC Staff guidance that expands relief under the Order to allow PGI to enter into and materially amend agreements with majority-owned affiliated sub-advisors (affiliated sub-advisors that are at least 50% owned, directly or indirectly, by PGI or an affiliated person of PGI), and, further, to all sub-advisors regardless of the degree of affiliation with PGI.
In order to rely on the varying degrees of relief granted by the Order and/or the SEC Staff guidance, a Fund must receive approval from its shareholders (or, in the case of a new Fund, the Fund’s sole initial shareholder before the Fund is available to the other purchasers).
The shareholders of each Fund have approved such Fund’s reliance on the Order, as supplemented by the SEC Staff guidance, as follows: 
Fund
Unaffiliated
Sub-Advisors
Wholly-Owned
Affiliated Sub-Advisors
Majority-Owned
Affiliated Sub-Advisors
Any Other Sub-Advisors
Regardless of Degree
of Affiliation
Global Sustainable Listed
Infrastructure
X
X
X
X
Opportunistic Municipal
X
 
 
 
All Other Funds
X
X
X
 
PGI has ultimate responsibility for the investment performance of each Fund that utilizes a sub-advisor due to its responsibility to oversee sub-advisors and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement.
In accordance with a separate exemptive order that the Registrant and PGI have obtained from the SEC, the Board may approve a new sub-advisory agreement or a material amendment to an existing sub-advisory agreement at a meeting that is not in person, provided that the Board Members are able to participate in the meeting using a means of communication that allows them to hear each other simultaneously during the meeting and the other conditions in the exemptive order are met.
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
Each Fund’s shares are bought and sold at the current share price. The share price of each class of each Fund is calculated each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open (share prices are not calculated on the days on which the NYSE is closed for trading, generally New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday/ Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Juneteenth, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas). The share price is determined as of the close of business of the NYSE (normally 3:00 p.m. Central Time). When an order to buy or sell shares is received, the share price used to fill the order is the next price we calculate after we receive the order (in proper form) at our transaction processing center in Kansas City, Missouri. To process your transaction (purchase, redemption, or exchange) on the day we receive it, we must receive the order (with complete information):
•
on a day that the NYSE is open and
•
before the close of trading on the NYSE (normally 3:00 p.m. Central Time).
103
Orders received after the close of the NYSE or on days that the NYSE is not open will be processed on the next day that the NYSE is open for normal trading. The Funds will not treat an intraday unscheduled disruption in NYSE trading as a closure of the NYSE and will price shares as of 3:00 p.m. Central Time, if the particular disruption directly affects only the NYSE.
For all classes except Class S, if we receive an application or purchase request for a new mutual fund account or subsequent purchase into an existing account that is accompanied by a check and the application or purchase request does not contain complete information, we may hold the application (and check) for up to two business days while we attempt to obtain the necessary information. If we receive the necessary information within two business days, we will process the order using the next share price calculated. If we do not receive the information within two business days, we will return the application and check to you.
For all Funds, the share price is calculated by:
•
taking the current market value of the total assets of the Fund
•
subtracting liabilities of the Fund
•
dividing the remainder proportionately into the classes of the Fund
•
subtracting the liability of each class
•
dividing the remainder by the total number of shares outstanding for that class.
With respect to any portion of a Fund’s assets invested in other registered investment companies, that portion of the Fund’s NAV is calculated based on the price (NAV or market, as applicable) of such other registered investment companies.
Notes:
•
If market quotations are not readily available for a security owned by a Fund, its fair value is determined using a policy adopted by the Board. Fair valuation pricing is subjective and creates the possibility that the fair value determined for a security may differ materially from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.
•
A Fund’s securities may be traded on foreign securities markets that generally complete trading at various times during the day before the close of the NYSE. Foreign securities and currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate in effect at the close of the NYSE. Securities traded outside of the Western Hemisphere are valued using a fair value policy adopted by the Fund. These fair valuation procedures are intended to discourage shareholders from investing in the Fund for the purpose of engaging in market timing or arbitrage transactions.
•
The trading of foreign securities generally or in a particular country or countries may not take place on all days the NYSE is open or may trade on days the NYSE is closed. Thus, the value of the foreign securities held by the Fund may change on days when shareholders are unable to purchase or redeem shares.
•
Certain securities issued by companies in emerging markets may have more than one quoted valuation at any point in time. These may be referred to as local price and premium price. The premium price is often a negotiated price that may not consistently represent a price at which a specific transaction can be effected. The Fund has a policy to value such securities at a price at which PGI expects the securities may be sold.
CONTACT PRINCIPAL FUNDS, INC.
Contact information for Principal Funds, Inc. (“Principal Funds”) is as follows: 
Mailing Addresses:
 
Regular Mail
Overnight Mail
Principal Funds
P.O. Box 219971
Kansas City, MO 64121-9971
Principal Funds
430 W. 7th Street, Ste. 219971
Kansas City, MO 64105-1407
You may speak with a Client Relations Specialist by calling 1-800-222-5852, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Central Time on any day that the NYSE is open.
To obtain Automated Clearing House (“ACH”) or wire instructions, please contact a Client Relations Specialist.
For additional information about Principal Funds, Inc., go to www.PrincipalAM.com.
PURCHASE OF FUND SHARES
Principal Funds, Inc. offers funds in multiple share classes: A, C, J, Institutional, R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and S. Funds available in multiple share classes have the same investments, but differing expenses. Institutional Class and Classes A, C, J, R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6, and S shares are available in this Prospectus.
104
The Funds reserve the right to refuse or cancel any purchase orders, including those by exchange, for any reason. For example, the Funds do not intend to permit market timing because short-term or other excessive trading into and out of the Funds may harm performance by disrupting portfolio management strategies and by increasing expenses. Accordingly, the Funds may reject any purchase orders from market timers or investors that, in PGI’s opinion, may be disruptive to the Funds. For these purposes, PGI may consider an investor’s trading history in the Funds or other funds sponsored by Principal Life and accounts under common ownership or control.
PGI may recommend to the Board, and the Board may elect, to close certain Funds or share classes to new investors or to close certain Funds or share classes to new and existing investors.
The Registrant will not issue certificates for shares.
No salesperson, broker-dealer or other person is authorized to give information or make representations about a Fund other than those contained in this Prospectus. Information or representations not contained in this Prospectus may not be relied upon as having been provided or made by the Registrant, a Fund, PGI, any sub-advisor, or Principal Funds Distributor, Inc.
Procedures for Opening an Account
Classes A and C Shares
Shares of the Funds are generally purchased through Financial Professionals. Financial Professionals may establish shareholder accounts according to their procedures or they may establish shareholder accounts directly with the Funds by visiting our website to obtain the appropriate forms.
Your Financial Professional can help you buy shares of the Funds by mail, through bank wire, direct deposit, or Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”). No wires are accepted on days when the NYSE is closed or when the Federal Reserve is closed (because the bank that would receive your wire is closed). An investment in a Fund may be held in various types of accounts, including individual, joint ownership, trust, and business accounts. The Funds also offer a range of custodial accounts for those who wish to invest for retirement and/or education expenses. Prospective shareholders should consult with their Financial Professional before making decisions about the account and type of investment that are appropriate for them.
Class J Shares
Class J shares are currently available through registered representatives of:
•
Principal Securities, Inc. (“PSI”) who are also employees of Principal Life distribution channels used to directly market certain products and services of subsidiaries of Principal Financial Group, Inc. as well as provide retirement plan services and education on topics such as investing and retirement. These PSI registered representatives are with Principal Connection (part of Principal Bank), and
•
Selected broker-dealers that have entered into a selling agreement to offer Class J shares.
Class J shares are also available through an online IRA rollover tool on www.principal.com.
For more information about Class J shares of the Funds, please call Principal Connection at 1-800-247-8000.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and S Shares
Shares of the Funds are generally purchased through Financial Professionals. Class S shares are available only through certain wrap-fee programs, as discussed below. There are no sales charges on Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and S shares of the Funds.
Shareholder accounts in these share classes are generally maintained under an open account system. Under this system, an account is opened and maintained for each investor (generally within an omnibus account, plan level account, or institutional investor). Each investment is confirmed by sending the investor a statement of account showing the current purchase or sale and the total number of shares owned. The statement of account is treated by the Funds as evidence of ownership of Fund shares. Contact your Financial Professional for additional information on how to buy shares.
Verification of Identity
To help the government fight the funding of terrorism and money laundering activities, Federal law requires financial institutions to obtain, verify, and record information that identifies each person who opens an account. When you open an account, we (or your Financial Professional) may ask for your name, address, date of birth, and other information that will allow us (or your Financial Professional) to verify your identity. We (or your Financial Professional) may also ask to see your driver’s license or other identifying documents.
If concerns arise with verification of your identity, no transactions, other than redemptions, will be permitted while we attempt to reconcile the concerns. If we are unable to verify your identity on a timely basis, we may close your account or take such other action as we deem appropriate.
105
The Funds will not establish accounts with foreign addresses. If an existing shareholder with a U.S. address moves to a foreign location and updates the address on the shareholder’s account, we are unable to process any purchases or exchanges on that account. The Funds will not establish accounts that are for the benefit of a business/organization that is illegal under Federal and/or state law (such as a marijuana clinic) or a person who owns or receives income from such an entity or whose source of funds is illegal.
Eligible Purchasers
You must be an eligible purchaser for a particular share class to buy shares of a Fund available in that share class. At the sole discretion of the Distributor, the Fund may broaden or limit the designation of eligible purchasers, permit certain types of investors to open new accounts, impose further restrictions on purchases, or reject any purchase orders, all without prior notice. The Funds' shares may not be offered in every state. Please check with your Financial Professional or our home office for state availability.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 Shares
Some eligible purchasers (as listed below) purchase shares through plans or other intermediaries; such plans or intermediaries may impose fees in addition to those charged by the Funds. The services or share classes available to you may vary depending upon how you wish to purchase shares of the Fund. Each investor’s financial considerations are different. You should speak with your Financial Professional to help you decide which share class is best for you. 
Eligible purchasers currently include, but are not limited to:
Inst.
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
retirement and pension plans to which Principal Life Insurance Company (“Principal Life”) provides
recordkeeping services
X
X
X
X
X
X
separate accounts of Principal Life
X
X
X
X
X
X
Principal Life or any of its subsidiaries or affiliates
X
X
X
X
X
X
any fund distributed by PFD if the fund seeks to achieve its investment objective by investing primarily
in shares of mutual funds
X
X
X
X
X
X
clients of Principal Global Investors, LLC
X
X
X
X
X
X
certain employer sponsored retirement plans with plan level omnibus accounts
X
X
X
X
X
X
certain pension plans and employee benefit plans
X
X
X
X
X
X
certain retirement account investment vehicles administered by foreign or domestic pension plans
X
X
X
X
X
X
an investor who buys shares through an omnibus account with certain intermediaries, such as a
broker-dealer, bank, or other financial institution, pursuant to a written agreement between the
intermediary and PFD or its affiliate
X
X
X
X
X
X
certain retirement plan clients that have an organization, approved by Principal Life, for purposes of
providing plan recordkeeping services
X
X
X
X
X
X
investors investing at least $1,000,000 per fund
X
 
 
 
 
X
sponsors, recordkeepers, or administrators of wrap account, mutual fund asset allocation, or fee-based
programs or participants in those programs
X
 
 
 
 
X
certain institutional investors that provide recordkeeping for retirement plans or other employee benefit
plans
X
 
 
 
 
X
institutional clients that Principal Life has approved for purposes of providing plan recordkeeping
X
 
 
 
 
X
institutional investors investing for their own account, including banks, trust companies, financial
intermediaries, corporations, endowments and foundations
X
 
 
 
 
X
collective trust funds, fund of funds or other pooled investment vehicles, and entities acting for the
account of a public entity
X
 
 
 
 
X
certain clients of a private banking division pursuant to a written agreement between the bank and PFD
or its affiliate
X
 
 
 
 
X
the portfolio manager of any advisor to the fund
X
 
 
 
 
 
certain institutional investors with special arrangements (for example, insurance companies, employee
benefit plans, retirement plans, and Section 529 Plans, among others)
X
 
 
 
 
X
retirement plans and IRAs investing through a retirement marketplace enabled by state legislation
X
 
 
 
 
 
Class R-1 Shares
For retirement plan investors, effective as of the close of the New York Stock Exchange on January 31, 2017, Class R-1 shares are no longer available for purchase from new retirement plans except in limited circumstances. However, if a retirement plan currently offers Class R-1, such plans will be allowed to continue to invest in these share classes through Funds they currently offer in their plans or Funds they add to their plans.
Class S Shares
Eligibility to invest in the Capital Securities Fund is limited to certain wrap-fee program accounts. Only wrap-fee program accounts as to which Spectrum and/or Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”) have an agreement with the wrap-fee program’s sponsor (“Sponsor”) or the wrap account owner to provide investment advisory or sub-advisory services (either directly
106
or by providing a model investment portfolio created and maintained by Spectrum and/or PGI to the Sponsor or one or more Sponsor-designated investment managers) (“Eligible Wrap Accounts”) are eligible to purchase shares of the Fund. References to Wrap Fee Advisor shall mean Spectrum and/or PGI in their role providing such services to Eligible Wrap Accounts.
A client agreement with the Sponsor to open an account in the Sponsor’s wrap-fee program typically may be obtained by contacting the Sponsor or your financial advisor. Purchase and sale decisions regarding Fund shares for your wrap account ordinarily will be made by the Wrap Fee Advisor, the Sponsor, or a Sponsor-designated investment manager, depending on the particular wrap-fee program in which your wrap account participates. If your wrap-fee account’s use of the Wrap Fee Advisor’s investment style is terminated by you, the Sponsor, or the Wrap Fee Advisor, your wrap account will cease to be an Eligible Wrap Account, and you will be required to redeem all your shares of the Capital Securities Fund. Each Eligible Wrap Account, by purchasing shares, agrees to any such redemption.
Investment Company Purchasers
Each Fund is an investment company registered with the SEC under the 1940 Act. If a purchaser of Fund shares is also a registered investment company or a private fund relying on Section 3(c)(1) or Section 3(c)(7) of the 1940 Act, it may be limited by the 1940 Act in the amount of Fund shares it can purchase (i.e., Section 12(d)(1)(A)). Such purchaser must comply with such limitations or avail itself, if possible, of any applicable exemptions from such limitations (e.g., a registered investment company may rely on Rule 12d1-4 of the 1940 Act).
Minimum Investments
Classes A, C, and J Shares
Principal Funds has a minimum initial investment amount of $1,000 and a minimum subsequent investment amount of $100. Initial and subsequent investment minimums apply on a per-Fund basis for each Fund in which a shareholder invests.
Shareholders must meet the minimum initial investment amount of $1,000 unless an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”) is established. With an AIP, the minimum initial investment is $100. Accounts or automatic payroll deduction plans established with an AIP that do not meet the minimum initial investment must maintain subsequent automatic investments that total at least $1,200 annually.
Minimum initial and subsequent investments may be waived on accounts set up for: certain employee benefit plans; retirement plans qualified under Internal Revenue Code Section 401(a); payroll deduction plans submitting contributions in an electronic format devised and/or approved by the Fund; and purchases through an omnibus account with a broker-dealer, investment advisor, or other financial institution.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and S Shares
There are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for an investor who otherwise qualifies as an eligible purchaser.
Payment
Classes A, C, and J Shares
Payments are to be made via personal or financial institution check (for example, a bank or cashier’s check), bank wire, direct deposit, or Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”). No wires are accepted on days when the NYSE is closed or when the Federal Reserve is closed (because the bank that would receive your wire is closed). We consider your purchase of Fund shares by check to be your authorization to make an automated clearing house (“ACH”) debit entry to your account. We reserve the right to refuse any payment that we feel presents a fraud or money laundering risk. Examples of the types of payments we will not accept are cash, starter checks, money orders, travelers’ checks, credit card checks, and foreign checks.
The Funds may, in their discretion and under certain limited circumstances, accept securities as payment for Fund shares at the applicable net asset value (“‘NAV”). For federal income tax purposes, a purchase of shares with securities will be treated as a sale or exchange of such securities on which the investor will generally realize a taxable gain or loss. Each Fund will value securities used to purchase its shares using the same method the Registrant uses to value its portfolio securities as described in this Prospectus.
You may reinvest your redemption proceeds, dividend payment, or capital gain distribution without an initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, in the same share class of any other Fund of Principal Funds within 90 days of the date of the redemption. To purchase the shares without a sales charge (initial or contingent deferred) as described in this section, the shareholder must notify Principal Funds at the time of reinvestment that the shareholder is reinvesting proceeds within 90 days of the date of redemption. The original redemption will be considered a sale for federal (and state) income tax purposes even if the proceeds are reinvested within 90 days. If a loss is realized on the sale, the reinvestment may be subject to the “wash sale” rules resulting in the postponement of the recognition of the loss for tax purposes.
107
Your Financial Professional can help you make a direct deposit from your paycheck (if your employer approves) or from a government allotment. Direct deposit allows you to deposit automatically all or part of your paycheck (or government allotment) to your Principal Funds account(s). You can request a Direct Deposit Authorization Form to give to your employer or the governmental agency (either of which may charge a fee for this service). Shares will be purchased on the day the ACH notification is received by the transfer agent’s bank. On days when the NYSE is closed, but the bank receiving the ACH notification is open, your purchase will be priced at the next calculated share price.
Your Financial Professional can help you establish an Automatic Investment Plan (“AIP”). You may make regular monthly investments with automatic deductions from your bank or other financial institution account. You select the day of the month the deduction is to be made (if none is selected, the investment will be made on the 15th of the month). If that date is a non-trading day, we will process the deduction on the next trading day. If the next trading day falls in the next month or year, we will process the deduction on the day before your selected day.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and S Shares
Payments are generally to be made through your plan or intermediary. We reserve the right to refuse any payment that we feel presents a fraud or money laundering risk. Examples of the types of payments we will not accept are cash, starter checks, money orders, travelers’ checks, credit card checks, and foreign checks.
For Institutional Class shareholders investing through a retirement marketplace enabled by state legislation, please contact Principal Funds by calling 1-800-222-5852, between 7:00 a.m. and 7:00 p.m. Central Time on any day that the NYSE is open.
Automatic Conversion of Class C Shares
Effective April 19, 2021, Class C shares held for eight years after purchase will automatically convert to Class A shares of the same Fund. The automatic conversion will generally occur on the 22nd day of each month or, if the 22nd day is not a business day, on the next business day (each, a “Conversion Date”). If the eighth anniversary of a purchase of Class C shares falls on a Conversion Date, a shareholder’s Class C shares will be automatically converted on that date. If the eighth anniversary occurs between Conversion Dates, a shareholder’s Class C shares will be automatically converted on the next Conversion Date after such anniversary. Automatic conversions will be on the basis of the NAV per share, without the imposition of any sales charge (including a CDSC), fee, or other charge. Automatic conversions of Class C shares will constitute tax-free exchanges for federal income tax purposes.
Class C shares of a Fund acquired through a reinvestment of dividends and distributions will convert to Class A shares of the Fund on the Conversion Date pro rata with the converting Class C shares of that Fund that were not acquired through reinvestment of dividends and distributions.
Class C shares held through a financial intermediary in certain omnibus accounts may be converted by the financial intermediary once it is determined that the Class C shares have been held for the required period. It is the financial intermediary’s (and not the Fund’s) responsibility to maintain appropriate supporting records and to ensure that the shareholder is credited with the proper holding period, and it is the responsibility of the shareholder or their financial intermediary to determine that the shareholder is eligible for the conversion. Additionally, some intermediaries may have adopted different policies and procedures related to the conversion of Class C shares, including shorter schedules for conversion. Please consult with your financial intermediary if you have any questions.
Redemption of Fund Shares
Under normal circumstances, you may redeem shares of any class of the Funds at any time. There is no fee for any redemption. The Board has determined that it is not necessary to impose a fee upon the redemption of Fund shares because the Fund has adopted transfer restrictions as described in EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES.
The shares you redeem will have the NAV per share that is next computed after the Fund receives and accepts your redemption order in proper and complete form. The amount you receive will be reduced by any applicable CDSC except as noted below; see CHOOSING A SHARE CLASS AND THE COSTS OF INVESTING—One-Time Fee—Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”)—CDSC Waiver. Your redemption proceeds will generally be sent on the next business day (a day when the NYSE is open for normal business) following the date on which your request is received and accepted in proper and complete form. Although you can redeem your shares at any time, if you purchased shares by check or ACH and subsequently request a redemption of those shares, your redemption proceeds will generally be delayed for seven calendar days after the purchase to allow a sufficient period of time to ensure your recent payment has been cleared by the relevant bank. To redeem shares purchased by check or ACH within the previous seven days, the Funds require redemption requests with respect to those shares to be submitted in writing or by telephone, unless you contact the Fund and make an alternate arrangement.
108
Under unusual circumstances, a Fund may suspend redemptions, or postpone payments for more than seven days, as permitted by federal securities law.
Under normal circumstances, the Funds expect to meet redemption requests through holdings of cash, the sale of investments held in cash equivalents, and/or by selling liquid index futures or other instruments used for cash management purposes. In situations in which such holdings are not sufficient to meet redemption requests, a Fund will typically borrow money through the Fund’s interfund lending facility or through a bank line-of-credit. No Fund can borrow under the bank line-of-credit while also a lender under the interfund lending facility. Funds may also choose to sell portfolio assets for the purpose of meeting such requests. Each Fund further reserves the right to distribute “in kind” securities from the Fund’s portfolio in lieu (in whole or in part) of cash under certain circumstances, including under stressed market conditions.
The agreement for the above-mentioned line of credit is with The Bank of New York Mellon.
Classes A, C, and J Shares
You will be charged a $10 wire fee if you have the sale proceeds wired to your bank. It may take additional business days for your financial institution to post this payment to your account at that financial institution. At your request, the check will be sent overnight (a $15 overnight fee will be deducted from your account unless other arrangements are made).
Distributions from IRA, SEP, SIMPLE, 403(b), and SAR-SEP accounts may be taken as:
•
lump sum of the entire interest in the account,
•
partial interest in the account, or
•
periodic payments of either a fixed amount or an amount based on certain life expectancy calculations.
Tax penalties may apply to distributions before the participant reaches age 59½.
Selling shares may create a gain or a loss for federal (and state) income tax purposes. You should maintain accurate records for use in preparing your income tax returns.
Generally, sales proceeds are:
•
payable to all owners on the account (as shown in the account registration) and
•
mailed to the address on the account (if not changed within the last 15 days) or sent by wire or ACH to previously authorized U.S. bank account (if not added or changed within the last 15 days).
For other payment arrangements, please call Principal Funds. You should also call Principal Funds for special instructions that may apply to sales from accounts:
•
when an owner has died;
•
for certain employee benefit plans; or
•
owned by corporations, partnerships, agents, or fiduciaries.
Except as described above, you may redeem shares of the Funds in any of the following ways:
By Mail
To sell shares by mail, you must:
•
Send a letter or our distribution form, which is signed by an owner of the account,
•
Specify the account number, and
•
Specify the number of shares or the dollar amount to be sold.
If you send a letter rather than our distribution form, the letter must be in a form acceptable to the Fund.
By Telephone or Website, in amounts of $100,000 or less
To sell shares by telephone:
•
The request may be made by a shareholder or by the shareholder’s Financial Professional.
•
The combined amount requested from all funds to which the redemption request relates is $100,000 or less.
•
The address on the account must not have been changed within the last 15 days and telephone privileges must apply to the account from which the shares are being sold.
•
Wire or ACH to a previously authorized U.S. bank account that must not have been added or changed within the last 15 days.
•
If our phone lines are busy or our website is unavailable, you may need to send in a written sell order.
Telephone and/or Website redemption privileges are NOT available for all account types.
Classes A, C, J, and Institutional Shares - Systematic Withdrawal Plans
You may set up a systematic withdrawal plan on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual basis to sell enough shares to provide a fixed amount of money ($100 minimum amount; the required minimum is waived to the extent necessary to meet the required minimum distribution as defined by the Internal Revenue Code).
109
You can set up a systematic withdrawal plan by:
•
completing the applicable section of the application,
•
sending us your written instructions,
•
completing a Systematic Withdrawal Plan Request form, or
•
calling us if you have telephone privileges on the account (telephone privileges may not be available for all types of accounts).
Your systematic withdrawal plan continues until:
•
you instruct us to stop or
•
your Fund account balance is zero.
When you set up the withdrawal plan, you select which day you want the sale made (if none is selected, the sale will be made on the 15th of the month). If the selected date is not a trading day, the sale will take place on the preceding trading day (if that day falls in the month or year before your selected date, the transaction will take place on the next trading day after your selected date). If telephone privileges apply to the account, you may change the date or amount by telephoning us. Sales made under your systematic withdrawal plan will reduce and may eventually exhaust your account. The Fund from which the systematic withdrawal is made makes no recommendation as to either the number of shares or the fixed amount that you withdraw.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 Shares
You may redeem shares of the Funds in any of the following ways:
Through an Employer Sponsored Retirement Plan Administrator or Record-Keeper
If you own Fund shares in an eligible retirement or employee benefit plan, you must sell your shares through the plan’s administrator or record-keeper.
Through your Financial Professional
If your Fund shares are held for you in nominee form, you must sell those shares through your intermediary or dealer.
By Mail
To sell shares by mail, you must:
•
Send a letter or our distribution form, which is signed by an owner of the account,
•
Specify the account number, and
•
Specify the number of shares or the dollar amount to be sold.
If you send a letter rather than our distribution form, the letter must be in a form acceptable to the Fund.
By Telephone
To sell shares by telephone:
•
Telephone privileges must apply to the account from which the shares are sold.
•
A shareholder or the shareholder’s Financial Professional may request to sell shares by telephone.
•
A maximum amount (listed below) of redemption requests will be permitted per day per account, as the combined amount from all funds, provided the proceeds are to be sent to a previously authorized U.S. bank account that must not have been added or changed within the last 15 days:
•
$10,000,000 for Institutional Class.
•
$500,000 for Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6.
•
A maximum of $500,000 of redemption requests will be permitted per day, as the combined amount from all funds, provided the proceeds are to be sent by check through the mail to the address on the account and such address must not have changed within the last 15 days.
•
If our telephone lines are busy, you may need to send in a written sell order.
Class S Shares
The Eligible Wrap Account may redeem shares of the Fund upon request. If you cease to be an Eligible Purchaser, you will be required to redeem all your shares of the Capital Securities Fund. Each Eligible Wrap Account, by purchasing shares, agrees to any such redemption. An Eligible Wrap Account may redeem shares through its intermediary.
Distributions in Kind
Payment for shares of the Funds tendered for redemption is ordinarily made by check. However, the Funds may determine that it would be detrimental to the remaining shareholders of a Fund to make payment of a redemption order wholly or partly in cash. Under certain circumstances, therefore, each of the Funds may pay the redemption proceeds in whole or in part by a distribution of “in kind” of securities from the Fund’s portfolio in lieu of cash. If a Fund pays the redemption proceeds in kind, the redeeming shareholder might incur brokerage or other costs in selling the securities for cash. In
110
addition, the securities received will be subject to market risk until sold. Typically, such in kind redemptions would be distributed pro rata. Each Fund will value securities used to pay redemptions in kind using the same method the Registrant uses to value its portfolio securities as described in this Prospectus.
EXCHANGE OF FUND SHARES
An exchange between Funds is a redemption of shares of one Fund and a concurrent purchase of shares in another Fund with the redemption proceeds. All exchanges completed on the same day are considered a single exchange for purposes of the exchange limitations described below. To prevent excessive exchanges, and under other circumstances where the Board or PGI believes it is in the best interests of the Fund, the Fund reserves the right to revise or terminate this exchange privilege, limit the amount or further limit the number of exchanges, reject any exchange, or close an account.
Classes A, C, and J Shares
Your shares in the Funds (except Money Market) may be exchanged without a sales charge or CDSC for the same class of any other Principal Funds. However, the original purchase date of the shares from which an exchange is made is used to determine if newly acquired shares are subject to a CDSC when they are sold. The Fund reserves the right to revise or terminate the exchange privilege at any time.
You may exchange shares by:
•
sending a written request to Principal Funds,
•
using our website, or
•
calling us, if you have telephone privileges on the account.
Exchanges from Money Market Fund
Class A shares of Money Market Fund may be exchanged into:
•
Class A shares of other Funds.
•
If Money Market Fund shares were acquired by direct purchase, a sales charge will be imposed on the exchange into other Class A shares.
•
If Money Market Fund shares were acquired by (1) exchange from other Funds, (2) conversion of Class B shares, or (3) reinvestment of dividends earned on Class A shares that were acquired through exchange, no sales charge will be imposed on the exchange into other Class A shares.
•
Class C shares of other Funds - subject to the applicable CDSC.
Automatic Exchange Election
This election authorizes an exchange from one Fund of Principal Funds to another Fund of Principal Funds on a monthly, quarterly, semiannual, or annual basis. You can set up an automatic exchange by:
•
completing the Automatic Exchange Election section of the application,
•
calling us if telephone privileges apply to the account from which the exchange is to be made,
•
sending us your written instructions, or
•
completing an Automatic Exchange Election form.
Your automatic exchange continues until:
•
you instruct us to stop (by calling us if telephone privileges apply to the account or sending us your written instructions) or
•
your Fund account balance of the account from which shares are redeemed is zero.
You may specify the day of the exchange (if none is selected, the exchange will be made on the 15th of the month). If the selected day is not a trading day, the sale will take place on the preceding trading day (if that day falls in the month or year before your selected date, the transaction will take place on the next trading day after your selected date). If telephone privileges apply to the account, you may change the date or amount by telephoning us.
General
•
An exchange by any joint owner is binding on all joint owners.
•
If you do not have an existing account in the Fund to which the exchange is being made, a new account is established. The new account has the same owner(s), dividend and capital gain options and dealer of record as the account from which the shares are being exchanged.
•
All exchanges are subject to the minimum investment and eligibility requirements of the Fund being acquired.
•
You may acquire shares of a Fund only if its shares are legally offered in your state of residence.
111
When money is exchanged or transferred from one account registration or tax identification number to another, the account holder is relinquishing his or her rights to the money. Therefore, exchanges and transfers can only be accepted by telephone if the exchange (transfer) is between:
•
accounts with identical ownership,
•
an account with a single owner to one with joint ownership if the owner of the single owner account is also an owner of the account with joint ownership,
•
a single owner to a Uniform Transfers to Minors Act (“UTMA”) account if the owner of the single owner account is also the custodian on the UTMA account, or
•
a single or jointly owned account to an IRA account to fund the yearly IRA contribution of the owner (or one of the owners in the case of a jointly owned account).
The exchange is treated as a sale of shares for federal (and state) income tax purposes and may result in a capital gain or loss.
Fund shares used to fund an employee benefit plan may be exchanged only for shares of other Funds available to the employee benefit plan. Such an exchange must be made by following the procedures provided in the employee benefit plan and the written service agreement.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 Shares
A shareholder, which may include a beneficial owner of shares held in nominee name or a participant in a participant-directed employee benefit plan, may exchange Fund shares under certain circumstances. In addition to any restrictions an intermediary (which may include, without limitation, an employee retirement plan or other employee benefit plan, plan administrator, plan record keeper, or managed account provider) imposes, Fund shares may be exchanged, without charge, for shares of the same share class of any other Fund of the Principal Funds, provided that:
•
the shareholder has not exchanged shares of the Fund within 30 days preceding the exchange, unless the shareholder is exchanging into the Money Market Fund,
•
the share class of such other Fund is available through the intermediary,
•
the share class of such other Fund is available in the shareholder’s state of residence, and
•
with respect to shares purchased through an intermediary that is willing and able to impose the 30-day exchange or repurchase restriction described below, the shareholder has not exchanged shares of the Fund within 30 days preceding the exchange, unless the shareholder is exchanging into the Money Market Fund.
With respect to shares purchased through an intermediary that is willing and able to impose a 30-day exchange or repurchase restriction, an order to purchase shares of any Fund, except shares of the Money Market Fund, will be rejected if the shareholder redeemed shares from that Fund within the preceding 30-day period. The 30-day exchange or purchase restriction does not apply to exchanges or purchases made on a scheduled basis such as scheduled periodic portfolio rebalancing transactions or to transactions by managers of funds of funds in shares of the underlying Funds.
If Fund shares are purchased through an intermediary that is unable or unwilling to impose the 30-day exchange or repurchase restriction described above, Fund management may waive this restriction based on:
•
exchange and repurchase limitations that the intermediary is able to impose if, in management’s judgment, such limitations are reasonably likely to prevent excessive trading in Fund shares; or
•
the implementation of other transaction monitoring management believes is reasonably likely to identify and prevent excessive trading in Fund shares.
The Funds' transfer agent employs transaction monitoring that management believes is reasonably likely to identify and prevent excessive trading in Fund shares. The 30-day exchange or repurchase restriction described above is not imposed with respect to shares held directly with the Funds' transfer agent. However, such shares may be purchased through an intermediary that imposes such an exchange or repurchase restriction.
Class S Shares
Class S shares of the Capital Securities Fund are not subject to exchange.
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DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Dividends are based on estimates of income, expenses, and shareholder activity for the Fund. Actual income, expenses, and shareholder activity may differ from estimates; consequently, differences, if any, will be included in the calculation of subsequent dividends. Each Fund pays its net investment income to record date shareholders. The payment schedule is as follows: 
Fund
Daily
Monthly
Quarterly
(March, June,
September,
and December)
Yearly
(in December)
Blue Chip
 
 
 
X
Bond Market Index
 
 
 
X
Capital Securities
 
X
 
 
Diversified Real Asset
 
 
X
 
Edge Midcap
 
 
 
X
Global Multi-Strategy
 
 
 
X
Global Sustainable Listed Infrastructure
 
 
 
X
International Equity Index
 
 
 
X
International Small Company
 
 
 
X
Opportunistic Municipal(1)
X
 
 
 
Origin Emerging Markets
 
 
 
X
Small-MidCap Dividend Income
 
 
X
 
Small-MidCap Growth
 
 
 
X
Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income
 
X
 
 
(1)
Declares dividends of daily net investment income each day its shares are priced and pays out accumulated declared dividends monthly.
For more details on the payment schedule, go to: principal.com/tax-center.
Net realized capital gains, if any, are distributed annually in December. Payments are made to shareholders of record on the business day before the payable date. Capital gains may be taxable at different rates, depending on the length of time that the Fund holds its assets.
For all Classes (except Class S), dividend and capital gains distributions will be reinvested, without a sales charge, in shares of the Fund from which the distribution is paid; however, you may authorize (on your application or at a later time) the distribution to be:
•
invested in shares of another of the Principal Funds without a sales charge (distributions of a Fund may be directed only to one receiving Fund); or
•
paid in cash, if the amount is $10 or more.
All income dividend and capital gains distributions, if any, on a Fund's Class S shares are paid out in cash.
Generally, for federal income tax purposes, Fund distributions are taxable as ordinary income, except that any distributions of long-term capital gains will be taxed as such, regardless of how long Fund shares have been held. Special tax rules apply to Fund distributions to Individual Retirement Accounts and other retirement plans. A tax advisor should be consulted to determine the suitability of the Fund as an investment by such a plan and the tax treatment of distributions by the Fund. A tax advisor can also provide information on the potential impact of possible foreign, state, and local taxes. A Fund’s investments in foreign securities may be subject to foreign withholding taxes. In that case, the Fund’s yield on those securities would be decreased.
To the extent that distributions the Fund pays are derived from a source other than net income (such as a return of capital), you will receive a notice disclosing the source of such distributions. Furthermore, such notice will be posted monthly on our website at www.principal.com/individuals/dividends-capital-gains-distributions. You may request a copy of all such notices, free of charge, by telephoning 1-800-222-5852. The amounts and sources of distributions included in such notices are estimates only and you should not rely upon them for purposes of reporting income taxes. The Fund will send shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will tell shareholders how to report these distributions for federal income tax purposes.
A Fund’s payment of income dividends and capital gains has the effect of reducing the share price by the amount of the payment. Distributions from a Fund, whether received in cash or reinvested in additional shares, may be subject to federal (and state) income tax. For these reasons, buying shares of a Fund shortly before it makes a distribution may be disadvantageous to you.
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FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS
The Funds are not designed for, and do not knowingly accommodate, frequent purchases and redemptions of Fund shares. If you intend to trade frequently and/or use market timing investment strategies, you should not purchase these Funds.
Frequent purchases and redemptions pose a risk to the Funds because they may:
•
Disrupt the management of the Funds by:
•
forcing the Funds to hold short-term (liquid) assets rather than investing for long-term growth, which results in lost investment opportunities for the Funds; and
•
causing unplanned portfolio turnover;
•
Hurt the portfolio performance of the Funds; and
•
Increase expenses of the Funds due to:
•
increased broker-dealer commissions and
•
increased recordkeeping and related costs.
Certain Funds may be at greater risk of harm due to frequent purchases and redemptions. For example, those Funds that invest in foreign securities may appeal to investors attempting to take advantage of time-zone arbitrage. The Funds have adopted procedures to “fair value” foreign securities owned by the Funds each day to discourage these market timing transactions in shares of the Funds.
For all Classes (except Class S), the Board has also adopted policies and procedures with respect to frequent purchases and redemptions of shares of the Funds. The Funds monitor shareholder trading activity to identify and take action against abuses. When we do identify abusive trading, we will apply our policies and procedures in a fair and uniform manner. While our policies and procedures are designed to identify and protect against abusive trading practices, there can be no certainty that we will identify and prevent abusive trading in all instances. If we are not able to identify such excessive trading practices, the Funds and their shareholders may be harmed. The harm of undetected excessive trading in shares of the underlying funds in which the funds of funds invest could flow through to the funds of funds as they would for any fund shareholder. If we, or a Fund, deem abusive trading practices to be occurring, we will take action that may include, but is not limited to:
•
Rejecting exchange instructions from the shareholder or other person authorized by the shareholder to direct exchanges;
•
Restricting submission of exchange requests by, for example, allowing exchange requests to be submitted by 1st class U.S. mail only and disallowing requests made by facsimile, overnight courier, telephone, or via the internet;
•
Limiting the number of exchanges during a year; and
•
Taking such other action as directed by the Fund.
The Funds have reserved the right to accept or reject, without prior written notice, any exchange requests. In some instances, an exchange may be completed before a determination of abusive trading. In those instances, we will reverse the exchange and return the account holdings to the positions held before the exchange. We will give the shareholder written notice in this instance.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 Shares
In addition to taking any of the foregoing actions, if we, or a Fund, deem abusive trading practices to be occurring, we may require a holding period of a minimum of 30 days before permitting exchanges among the Funds where there is evidence of at least one round-trip exchange (exchange or redemption of shares that were purchased within 30 days of the exchange/redemption).
The Funds have adopted an exchange frequency restriction for these classes, described above in “Exchange of Fund Shares” to limit excessive trading in fund shares.
Class S Shares
After considering various factors, including the intended use of the Capital Securities Fund as an investment vehicle for a specific purpose, the limited availability of Fund shares to investors, and the anticipated manner in which purchase and redemption decisions will be made and implemented, the Fund’s Board has determined that it is not necessary to impose a redemption fee or excessive trading restrictions to implement the Fund’s policy of not knowingly accommodating excessive trading in Fund shares.
TAX CONSIDERATIONS
It is a policy of each Fund to make distributions of substantially all of its respective investment income and any net realized capital gains. Shareholders are responsible for federal income tax (and any other taxes, including state and local income taxes, if applicable) on dividends and capital gains distributions whether such dividends or distributions are paid in cash
114
or (except for Class S shares) are reinvested in additional shares. Special tax rules apply to distributions from IRAs and other retirement accounts. You should consult a tax advisor to determine the suitability of the Fund as an investment by such a plan and the tax treatment of Fund distributions.
Generally, dividends paid by the Funds from interest, dividends, or net short-term capital gains will be taxed as ordinary income. Distributions properly designated by the Fund as deriving from net gains on securities held for more than one year are taxable as such (generally at a 15% tax rate for individuals and taxable trusts, some individuals and taxable trusts will be subject to a 20% tax rate), regardless of how long you have held your shares. Distributions of investment income properly designated by the Fund as derived from “qualified dividend income” will be taxed at the rates applicable to long-term capital gains. Some high-income individuals and taxable trusts will be subject to a Medicare 3.8% tax on unearned net investment income.
A return of capital is a non-dividend distribution that is not paid out of the earnings and profits of the Fund. A return of capital distribution is generally not taxed until your investment in the Fund has been recovered. A return of capital reduces your cost basis in the Fund, which may increase your tax liability upon the sale of your Fund shares or upon subsequent distributions in respect of your investment in the Fund.
Because of tax law requirements, you must provide the Fund with an accurate and certified taxpayer identification number (for individuals, generally a Social Security number) to avoid “back-up” withholding, which is imposed at a rate of 24%. The Fund is required, in certain cases, to withhold and remit to the U.S. Treasury 24% of ordinary income dividends and capital gain dividends, and the proceeds of redemption of shares, paid to any shareholder who has provided either an incorrect tax identification number or no number at all, who is subject to backup withholding by the Internal Revenue Service for failure to report the receipt of interest or dividend income properly, or who has failed to certify to the Fund that it is not subject to backup withholding or that it is a corporation or other “exempt recipient.”
A shareholder recognizes gain or loss on the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund in an amount equal to the difference between the proceeds of the sales or redemption and the shareholder’s adjusted tax basis in the shares. All or a portion of any loss so recognized may be disallowed if the shareholder purchases other shares of the Fund within 30 days before or after the sale or redemption. In general, any gain or loss arising from (or treated as arising from) the sale or redemption of shares of the Fund is considered capital gain or loss (long-term capital gain or loss if the shares were held for longer than one year). However, any capital loss arising from the sales or redemption of shares held for six months or less is disallowed to the extent of the amount of exempt-interest dividends received on such shares and (to the extent not disallowed) is treated as a long-term capital loss to the extent of the amount of capital gain dividends received on such shares. Capital losses in any year are deductible only to the extent of capital gains plus, in the case of a noncorporate taxpayer, $3,000 of ordinary income under current rules.
If a shareholder incurs a sales charge in acquiring shares of the Fund, disposes of such shares less than 91 days after they are acquired, and subsequently acquires shares of the Fund or another fund at a reduced sales charge pursuant to a right to reinvest at such reduced sales charge acquired in connection with the acquisition of the shares disposed of, then the sales charge on the shares disposed of (to the extent of the reduction in the sales charge on the shares subsequently acquired) shall not be taken into account in determining gain or loss on the shares disposed of but shall be treated as incurred on the acquisition of the shares subsequently acquired.
Any gain resulting from the redemption or exchange (except for Class S shares, which are not subject to exchange) of your shares will generally also be subject to tax. For shares acquired after January 1, 2012, you will need to select a cost basis method to be used to calculate your reported gains and losses prior to or at the time of any redemption or exchange (except for Class S shares, which are not subject to exchange). If you do not select a method, the Funds' default method of average cost will be applied to the transactions. The cost basis method used on your account could significantly affect your taxes due and should be carefully considered. You should consult your tax advisor for more information on your own tax situation, including possible foreign, state, and local taxes.
Investments by a Fund in certain debt instruments or derivatives may cause the Fund to recognize taxable income in excess of the cash generated by such instruments. As a result, the Fund could be required at times to liquidate other investments to satisfy its distribution requirements under the Internal Revenue Code. The Fund’s use of derivatives will also affect the amount, timing, and character of the Fund’s distributions.
Under U.S. Treasury Regulations, non-corporate Fund shareholders meeting certain holding period requirements may be able to deduct up to 20% of qualified REIT dividends passed through and reported to them by the Fund. The 20% deduction applies to qualified REIT dividends distributed during 2018-2025 tax years.
Early in each calendar year, each Fund will notify you of the amount and tax status of distributions paid to you for the preceding year.
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A dividend or distribution made shortly after the purchase of shares of a Fund by a shareholder, although in effect a return of capital to that shareholder, would be taxable to that shareholder as described above, subject to a holding period requirement for dividends designated as qualified dividend income.
The information contained in this Prospectus is not a complete description of the federal, state, local, or foreign tax consequences of investing in the Funds. You should consult your tax advisor before investing in the Funds.
Funds Investing in Securities Generating Tax-Exempt Income
Distributions designated as “exempt-interest dividends” by a Fund investing in securities generating tax-exempt income are generally not subject to federal income tax. However, if you receive Social Security or railroad retirement benefits, you should consult your tax advisor to determine what effect, if any, an investment in such Funds may have on the federal taxation of your benefits. Some Funds may invest in “AMT-subject bonds,” which are municipal obligations issued to finance certain “private activities,” such as bonds used to finance airports, housing projects, student loan programs, and water and sewer projects. Interest on AMT-subject bonds is an item of tax preference for purposes of the federal individual alternative minimum tax (“AMT”). A portion of such Funds' distributions may, therefore, be subject to federal income taxes or to the federal individual alternative minimum tax. Some Funds may invest a portion of their assets in securities that generate income that is not exempt from federal (or state and local) income tax. Income exempt from federal tax may be subject to state and local income tax. In addition, any capital gains distributed by such Funds will be taxable as described in this section. A portion of the dividends paid by such Funds may be exempt from California State personal income tax, but not from California State franchise tax or California State corporate income tax. Corporate taxpayers should consult their tax advisor concerning the California state tax treatment of investments in such Funds.
116
Choosing a Share Class and the Costs of Investing
Before you invest, you should understand the characteristics of each share class so you can be sure to choose the class that is right for you. Fund and share class selections must be made at the time of purchase.
Classes differ regarding the costs associated with buying, redeeming, and holding shares. Which class is best for you depends upon:
•
the dollar amount you are investing,
•
the amount of time you plan to hold the investment,
•
any plans to make additional investments in the Principal Funds, and
•
eligibility to purchase the class.
The following sections describe the fees and expenses you may pay if you invest in a Fund. You may pay both one-time fees and ongoing fees. Fees and expenses are important because they lower your earnings. Before investing, you should be sure you understand the nature of different costs. Your Financial Professional can help you with this process and can help you choose the share class and Fund or Funds that are appropriate for you based upon your investment objective, risk tolerance, and other factors. Financial Professionals may receive different compensation depending upon which class of shares you purchase.
Fees and Expenses of the Funds
Classes A, C, and J Shares
These share classes may include a front-end sales charge and/or contingent deferred sales charge. There is no sales charge on shares of the Funds purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions. You may obtain more information about sales charge reductions and waivers from your Financial Professional.
In some cases, the initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge may be waived or reduced. Appendix B to this Prospectus, titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions,” contains information about intermediary-specific sales charge waivers and reductions that will be available if you purchase Fund shares through those intermediaries. The Prospectus discusses the initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge waivers or reductions that will be available if you purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through another intermediary not listed on Appendix B.
In all instances, to receive a waiver or reduction in the initial sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, you or your Financial Professional must let the Fund know at the time you purchase or redeem shares that you qualify for such a waiver or reduction. It may be necessary for you to provide information and records, such as account statements, to determine your eligibility. If you or your Financial Professional do not let the Fund know that you are eligible for a waiver or reduction, you may not receive a sales charge discount to which you are otherwise entitled.
Class C Shares
Class C shares may not be suitable for large investments. Due to the higher expenses associated with Class C shares, it may be more advantageous for investors currently purchasing, intending to purchase, or with existing assets in amounts that may qualify for a reduced sales charge on Class A shares, including through Rights of Accumulation and/or Statement of Intent, to purchase Class A shares. Class C shares have higher annual expenses than Class A shares because they are subject to higher distribution fees.
The Fund seeks to prevent investments in Class C shares by shareholders with at least $1 million of investments in Principal Funds eligible for inclusion pursuant to Rights of Accumulation. If you are making an initial purchase of Principal Funds of $1,000,000 or more and have selected Class C shares, the purchase will be of Class A shares of the Fund(s) you have selected. If you are making subsequent purchases into your existing Principal Funds Class C share accounts and the combined value of the subsequent investment and your existing Classes A, C, and J share accounts combined for Rights of Accumulation purposes exceeds $1,000,000, the subsequent investment will be applied to purchase Class A shares of the Fund(s) you have selected.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and S Shares
Fund shares are sold without a front-end sales charge and do not have a contingent deferred sales charge. There is no sales charge on Fund shares purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions. For S Class shares, Fund shares are not purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions.
However, if you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary. Shares of each Fund are usually available in other share classes that have different fees and expenses.
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One-Time Fee - Initial Sales Charge
Class A Shares
The offering price for Class A shares is the NAV next calculated after receipt of an investor’s order in proper form by the Fund or its servicing agent, plus any applicable initial sales charge as shown in the table below. The right-hand column in the table indicates what portion of the sales charge is paid to Financial Professionals and their brokerage firms (“dealers”) for selling Class A shares.
Note:
Because of rounding in the calculation of the offering price, the actual maximum front-end sales charge paid by an investor may be higher or lower than the percentages noted.
For more information regarding compensation paid to dealers, see “Distribution Plans and Intermediary Compensation.”
Fund(s):
Opportunistic Municipal 
 
Class A Sales Charge as % of:
Dealer Allowance
as % of Offering Price
Amount of Purchase
Offering Price
Amount Invested
Less than $100,000
3.75%
3.90%
3.00%
$100,000 but less than $250,000
2.75%
2.83%
2.25%
$250,000 or more
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%*
*
The Distributor may pay authorized dealers commissions on purchases of Class A shares over $250,000 calculated as follows: 1.00% on
purchases between $250,000 and $4,999,999, 0.75% on purchases between $5 million and $9,999,999, 0.50% on purchases between $10 million
and 49,999,999, and 0.25% on purchases of $50 million or more. The commission rate is determined based on the cumulative investments over
the life of the account combined with the investments in existing Classes A, C, and J shares.
Fund(s):
Diversified Real Asset, Global Multi-Strategy, Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income 
 
Class A Sales Charge as % of:
Dealer Allowance
as % of Offering Price
Amount of Purchase
Offering Price
Amount Invested
Less than $100,000
3.75%
3.90%
3.00%
$100,000 but less than $250,000
2.75%
2.83%
2.25%
$250,000 but less than $500,000
1.50%
1.52%
1.00%
$500,000 or more
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%*
*
The Distributor may pay authorized dealers commissions on purchases of Class A shares over $500,000 calculated as follows: 1.00% on
purchases between $500,000 and $4,999,999, 0.50% on purchases between $5 million and $49,999,999, and 0.25% on purchases of $50 million
or more. The commission rate is determined based on the cumulative investments over the life of the account combined with the investments in
existing Classes A, C, and J shares.
Fund(s):
Blue Chip, Edge MidCap, Origin Emerging Markets,
Small-MidCap Dividend Income 
 
Class A Sales Charge as % of:
Dealer Allowance
as % of Offering Price
Amount of Purchase
Offering Price
Amount Invested
Less than $50,000
5.50%
5.82%
4.75%
$50,000 but less than $100,000
4.75%
4.99%
4.00%
$100,000 but less than $250,000
3.75%
3.90%
3.00%
$250,000 but less than $500,000
3.00%
3.09%
2.50%
$500,000 but less than $1,000,000
2.00%
2.04%
1.75%
$1,000,000 or more
0.00%
0.00%
0.00%*
*
The Distributor may pay authorized dealers commissions on purchases of Class A shares over $1 million calculated as follows: 1.00% on
purchases between $1,000,000 and $4,999,999, 0.50% on purchases between $5 million and $49,999,999, and 0.25% on purchases of $50
million or more. The commission rate is determined based on the cumulative investments over the life of the account combined with the
investments in existing Classes A, C, and J shares.
Initial Sales Charge Waiver or Reduction
Class A shares of the Funds may be purchased without a sales charge or at a reduced sales charge. The availability of certain sales charge waivers and reductions will depend on whether you purchase your shares directly from the Fund or through a financial intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of initial (front-end) sales charge waivers or reductions. Such intermediary-specific sales charge variations are described in Appendix B to this prospectus, titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions.” If you purchase Fund shares through an intermediary listed on Appendix B, you will be eligible to the receive only the intermediary’s applicable waivers and reductions described on Appendix B. If you purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through an intermediary not listed on Appendix B, you will be eligible to receive only the following initial sales charge waivers and reductions. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or reductions.
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Initial Sales Charge Waiver - For Purchases of Fund Shares From the Fund or Through Intermediaries Not Listed on Appendix B
•
No initial sales charge will apply to purchases of Fund shares if the purchase is of sufficient size as disclosed in the preceding “Class A Sales Charges” table.
•
You may reinvest the Funds' Class A share redemption proceeds without a sales charge within 90 days of the redemption, if you previously paid a sales charge. Shares invested directly within the Class A Money Market Fund are not eligible for this waiver; however, shares in the Money Market Fund that were obtained by exchange of another Fund that imposed an initial sales charge are eligible.
•
A Fund’s Class A shares may be purchased without an initial sales charge by the following individuals, groups, and/or entities:
•
current and former Directors of Principal Funds, member companies of Principal®, and their active or retired employees, officers, directors, brokers, or agents (for the life of the account). This also includes their immediate family members (spouse, domestic partner, children (regardless of age and including in-laws), and parents, including in-laws) and trusts created by or primarily for the benefit of these individuals;
•
any employee or registered representative (and their immediate family members and employees) of an authorized broker-dealer or company that makes available shares of a Fund;
•
clients investing in Class A shares through a “wrap account” or investment product offered through broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, and other financial institutions under which clients may pay a fee to the broker-dealer, registered investment advisor, or financial institution;
•
any investor who buys Class A shares through an omnibus account held by financial intermediaries, such as a bank, broker-dealer, or other financial institution, and that does not accept or charge the initial sales charge;
•
financial intermediaries who offer shares to self-directed investment brokerage accounts;
•
retirement plans or benefit plans, or participants in such plans, where the plan’s investments in the Fund are part of an omnibus account. For clarification, such plans do not include individual retirement arrangements under IRC Section 408, such as Simplified Employee Pensions (SEP), SIMPLE IRAs or other IRAs.
•
The following two bullet points are only applicable to intermediaries that are affiliated with Principal Financial Group, Inc. A Fund’s Class A shares may be purchased without an initial sales charge by the following individuals, groups, and/or entities:
•
Premier Credit Union when the shares are owned directly with Principal Funds; and
•
non-ERISA clients of Principal Global Investors LLC.
Initial Sales Charge Reduction - For Purchases of Fund Shares From the Fund or Through Intermediaries Not Listed on Appendix B
(1)
Rights of Accumulation. The sales charge varies with the size of your purchase. Purchases made by (i) you, your spouse or domestic partner, your children (including children of your spouse or domestic partner) age 25 or under, and/or a trust created by or primarily for the benefit of such persons (together “a Qualified Purchaser”) will be combined along with the value of existing Classes A, C, and J shares of Principal Funds owned by such persons, plus (ii) the value of holdings by you or an immediate family member which includes your spouse, domestic partner, parent, legal guardian, child, sibling, stepchild, and father- or mother-in law of Classes A, C, and R Units of the Scholar’s Edge 529 Plan, to determine the applicable sales charge. Class A shares of the Money Market Fund are not included in the calculation unless they were acquired in exchange from other Principal Fund shares. If the total amount being invested in the Principal Funds is near a sales charge breakpoint, you should consider increasing the amount invested to take advantage of a lower sales charge.
(2)
Statement of Intent (SOI). Qualified Purchasers may obtain reduced sales charges by signing an SOI. The SOI is a nonbinding obligation on the Qualified Purchaser to purchase the full amount indicated in the SOI. Purchases made by you, your spouse or domestic partner, or the children of you, your spouse or domestic partner up to and including the age of 25 and/or a trust created by or primarily for the benefit of such persons (together “a Qualified Purchaser”) will be combined along with the value of existing Classes A, C, and J shares of Principal Funds owned by such persons. Purchases of Class A shares of Money Market Fund are not included. The sales charge is based on the total amount to be invested in a 13-month period. If the intended investment is not made (or shares are sold during the 13-month
119
period), sufficient shares will be sold to pay the additional sales charge due. If a shareholder who signs an SOI dies within the 13-month period, no additional front-end sales charge will be required and the SOI will be considered met. An SOI is not available for 401(a) plan purchases.
(3)
The maximum sales charge that applies to purchases of Class A shares by qualified plans administered by Expertplan, Inc. that were previously converted from B share plans is the sales charge that applies to purchases of at least $250,000 but less than $500,000 as described in the sales charge tables; the regular sales charge applies to purchases of $500,000 or more in such accounts and to all purchases of the Diversified Real Asset Fund, Global Multi-Strategy Fund, and Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income Fund shares.
(4)
The maximum sales charge for all purchases made in an account that is included in a SIMPLE IRA, SEP, SAR-SEP, non-qualified deferred compensation, or payroll deduction plan established before March 1, 2002 with Principal Management Corporation as the Funds' transfer agent, is the sales charge that applies to purchases of at least $100,000 but less than $250,000 as described in the sales charge tables; the regular sales charge applies to purchases of $250,000 or more in such accounts and to all purchases of the Diversified Real Asset Fund, Global Multi-Strategy Fund, and Spectrum Preferred and Capital Securities Income Fund shares. The reduced sales charge applies to purchases made by or on behalf of participants to such plans who became participants on or before July 28, 2007.
Class C Shares
Purchases of Class C shares are not subject to a front-end sales load. The offering price for Class C shares is the NAV next calculated after receipt of an investor’s order in proper form by the Fund or its servicing agent, with no initial sales charge. The Distributor currently pays authorized dealers commissions of up to 1.00% of the amount invested in Class C shares.
Institutional Class and Classes J, R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and S Shares
Purchases of these classes of shares are not subject to a front-end sales load. The offering price for such shares is the NAV next calculated after receipt of an investor’s order in proper form by the Fund or its servicing agent, with no initial sales charge.
One-Time Fee - Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”)
If you sell (redeem) shares and the CDSC is imposed, it will reduce the amount of sales proceeds.
The CDSC is based on the lesser of the market value at the time of redemption or the initial purchase price of the shares sold. The CDSC does not apply to shares purchased with reinvested dividends or other distributions. The CDSC is not charged on exchanges. However, the original purchase date of the shares from which an exchange is made determines if the newly acquired shares are subject to the CDSC when they are sold.
If you sell some but not all of the shares in your account, the shares not subject to a CDSC will be sold first. Other shares will be sold in the order purchased (first in, first out). The CDSC does not apply to shares redeemed according to a systematic withdrawal plan limited to no more than 1.00% per month (measured cumulatively for non-monthly plans) of the value of the Fund account at the time, and beginning on the date, the systematic withdrawal plan is established.
Class A Shares
Class A shares purchased in amounts that are of sufficient size to qualify for a 0.00% sales charge, as disclosed in the “Class A Sales Charges” table, are generally subject to a CDSC of 1.00% if the shares are redeemed during the first 18 months after purchase (12 months after purchase for Opportunistic Municipal Fund), unless the dealer, at its discretion, has waived the commission. The Distributor may pay authorized dealers commissions up to 1.00% of the price of such purchases.
There is no CDSC on Class A shares of the Money Market Fund that are directly purchased by the shareholder. However, for Class A Money Market Fund shares that are obtained through an exchange of shares from another Fund, the CDSC originally applicable to the purchase of such Fund’s shares will continue to apply.
The CDSC generally will not be imposed on redemptions of shares purchased through an omnibus account with certain financial intermediaries, such as a bank or other financial institution, where no sales charge payments were advanced for purchases made through these entities.
Class C Shares
Each initial and subsequent purchase of Class C shares is subject to a CDSC of 1.00% for a period of 12 months from the date of purchase. Shares will be redeemed first from shares purchased through reinvested dividends and capital gain distributions, which are not subject to the CDSC, and then in order of purchase. Within 90 days after the sale of Class C shares, you may reinvest any amount of the sale proceeds in Class C shares and those shares purchased will not be subject to the 12-month CDSC.
120
Class J Shares
If you sell your Class J shares within 18 months of purchase, a CDSC may be imposed on the shares sold. The CDSC, if any, is determined by multiplying by 1.00% the lesser of the market value at the time of redemption or the initial purchase price of the shares sold. Within 90 days after the sale of Class J shares, you may reinvest the amount of the sale proceeds into any Principal Funds Class J shares Fund; shares purchased by redemption proceeds are not subject to the eighteen-month CDSC.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, R-6 and S Shares
These share classes are not subject to a CDSC.
CDSC Waiver
The CDSC may be waived on Classes A, C, and J shares of the Funds; waivers vary depending on how shares are purchased. Certain waivers and reductions apply when shares are purchased directly from the Fund; others apply when shares are purchased through an intermediary. Intermediaries may have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of waivers or reductions of the CDSC. Such intermediary-specific sales charge variations are described in Appendix B to this Prospectus, titled “Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions.” If you purchase Fund shares through an intermediary listed on Appendix B, you will be eligible to the receive only the intermediary’s applicable waivers and reductions described on Appendix B. If you purchase Fund shares directly from the Fund or through an intermediary not listed on Appendix B, you will be eligible to receive only the following CDSC waivers and reductions. In all instances, it is your responsibility to notify the Fund or your financial intermediary at the time of redemption of any facts qualifying you for sales charge waivers or reductions.
CDSC Waiver - For Purchases of Fund Shares From the Fund or Through Intermediaries Not Listed on Appendix B
For Classes A, C, and J shares, the CDSC is waived on shares:
•
redeemed within 90 days after an account is re-registered due to a shareholder’s death;
•
redeemed to pay surrender fees;
•
redeemed to pay retirement plan fees;
•
redeemed involuntarily from accounts with small balances;
•
redeemed due to the shareholder’s disability (as defined by the Internal Revenue Code) provided the shares were purchased before the disability;
•
redeemed from retirement plans to satisfy minimum distribution rules under the Internal Revenue Code;
•
redeemed from a retirement plan to assure the plan complies with the Internal Revenue Code;
•
redeemed from retirement plans qualified under Section 401(a) of the Internal Revenue Code due to the plan participant’s death, disability, retirement, or separation from service after attaining age 55;
•
redeemed from retirement plans to satisfy excess contribution rules under the Internal Revenue Code; or
•
redeemed using a systematic withdrawal plan (up to 1% per month (measured cumulatively with respect to non-monthly plans) of the value of the fund account at the time, and beginning on the date, the systematic withdrawal plan begins). (The free withdrawal privilege not used in a calendar year is not added to the free withdrawal privileges for any following year.)
For Class J shares, the CDSC also is waived on shares:
•
redeemed that were purchased pursuant to the Small Amount Force Out program (SAFO); or
•
of the Money Market Fund redeemed within 30 days of the initial purchase if the redemption proceeds are transferred to another Principal IRA, defined as either a fixed or variable annuity issued by Principal Life Insurance Company to fund an IRA, a Principal Bank IRA product, or a WRAP account IRA sponsored by Principal Securities, Inc.
Ongoing Fees
The ongoing fees are the operating expenses of a Fund, which are described in the “Annual Fund Operating Expenses” table included in the Summary for each Fund. These expenses reduce the value of each share you own. Because they are ongoing, they increase the cost of investing in the Funds.
With the exception of Class S of the Capital Securities Fund, each Fund pays ongoing fees to PGI and others who provide services to the Fund. These fees include:
•
Management Fee (all Classes except Class S) — Through the Management Agreement with the Registrant, PGI has agreed to provide investment advisory services and corporate administrative services to the Funds.
•
Distribution Fee (Classes A, C, J, R-1, R-3, and R-4) — Each Fund has adopted a distribution plan under Rule 12b-1 of the 1940 Act for the foregoing classes. Under the plan, these classes of each Fund pay a distribution fee based on the average daily NAV of the Fund. These fees pay distribution and other expenses for the sale of Fund shares and for services provided to shareholders. Because they are ongoing fees, over time, these fees may exceed other types of sales charges.
121
•
Other Expenses (all Classes except Class S) — A portion of expenses that are allocated to all classes of the Funds. Other expenses include interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, and index licensing fees. Additional examples of other expenses include:
•
Transfer Agent Fee (all Classes except Class S) — Principal Shareholder Services, Inc. (“PSS”) has entered into a Transfer Agency Agreement with the Registrant under which PSS provides transfer agent services to these classes. For Class J shares, these services are currently provided at a rate that includes a profit; for Classes A, C, and Institutional Class shares, these services are currently provided at cost. The Fund does not pay for these services for Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 shares.
•
Certain Operating Expenses (Institutional Class and Classes A, C, J, and R-6) — Expenses of registering and qualifying shares for sale, the cost of producing and distributing reports and prospectuses to shareholders of these classes, the cost of shareholder meetings held solely for shareholders of these classes, and other operating expenses of the Fund.
•
Service Fee (Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5) — PGI has entered into a Service Agreement with the Registrant under which PGI is required to provide certain personal services to shareholders (plan sponsors) and beneficial owners (plan members), such as responding to plan sponsor and plan member inquiries.
•
Administrative Services Fee (Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5) — PGI has entered into an Administrative Services Agreement with the Registrant under which PGI is required to provide shareholder and administrative services for retirement plans and other beneficial owners of Fund shares.
•
Acquired Fund Fees and Expenses (all Classes except Class S) — Fees and expenses charged by other investment companies in which a Fund invests a portion of its assets.
Class S Shares
The Capital Securities Fund does not pay any direct advisory, administrative, or other fees. PGI, the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to absorb all expenses of the Capital Securities Fund. PGI also pays or absorbs expenses attributable to Class S shares by paying expenses normally payable by the Capital Securities Fund, excluding interest expense.
DISTRIBUTION PLANS AND INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
Principal Funds Distributor, Inc. (“PFD” or the “Distributor”) is the distributor for the shares of Principal Funds, Inc. PFD is an affiliate of Principal Life Insurance Company, a subsidiary of Principal Financial Group, Inc., and a member of Principal®.
The Funds have adopted a distribution plan pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the 1940 Act (the “12b-1 Plan”) for each of the Classes A, C, J, R-1, R-3, and R-4 shares of the Funds. Under the 12b-1 Plan, except as noted below, each Fund makes payments from its assets attributable to the particular share class to the Funds’ Distributor for distribution-related expenses and for providing services to shareholders of that share class. Payments under the 12b-1 Plan are made by the Funds to the Distributor pursuant to the 12b-1 Plan regardless of the expenses incurred by the Distributor. When the Distributor receives Rule 12b-1 fees, it may pay some or all of them to financial intermediaries whose customers are shareholders of the Funds for sales support services and for providing services to shareholders of that share class. Financial intermediaries may include, among others, broker-dealers, registered investment advisors, banks, trust companies, pension plan consultants, retirement plan administrators, and insurance companies. These financial intermediaries include Principal Securities, Inc., a broker-dealer affiliated with PGI. Because Rule 12b-1 fees are paid out of Fund assets and are ongoing fees, over time they will increase the cost of your investment in the Funds and may cost you more than other types of sales charges.
The maximum annual Rule 12b-1 fee for distribution-related expenses and/or for providing services to shareholders under each 12b-1 Plan (as a percentage of average daily net assets) is: 
Share Class
Maximum Annualized
Rate 12b-1 Fee
A
0.25%
C
1.00%
J
0.15%
R-1
0.35%
R-3
0.25%
R-4
0.10%
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The Distributor generally uses Rule 12b-1 fees to finance any activity that is primarily intended to result in the sale of shares and for providing services to shareholders of the share class, and the activities vary depending on the share class. In addition to shareholder services, examples of such sales or distribution-related expenses include, but are not limited to:
•
Compensation to salespeople and selected dealers, including ongoing commission payments.
•
Printing of prospectuses and statements of additional information and reports for other-than-existing shareholders, and preparing and conducting sales seminars.
Examples of services to shareholders include furnishing information as to the status of shareholder accounts, responding to telephone and written inquiries of shareholders, and assisting shareholders with tax information.
Payments under the 12b-1 Plans will not automatically terminate for Funds that are closed to new investors or to additional purchases by existing shareholders. The Board will determine whether to terminate, modify, or leave unchanged the 12b-1 Plans when the Board directs the implementation of the closure of a Fund.
Classes A and C Shares
Generally, to receive 12b-1 fees from the Distributor, dealers or other intermediaries must be the dealer of record for shares with average daily net assets of at least $100,000. Generally, Class A shares must be held for three months before these fees are paid. In the case of Class C shares, generally these fees are not paid until such shares have been held for twelve months.
Class J Shares
Effective January 1, 2021, the Distributor has voluntarily agreed to limit the distribution fees attributable to Class J, reducing the Funds’ distribution fees for Class J shares by 0.020%.* This voluntary waiver may be revised or terminated at any time without notice to shareholders.
*
For the period from December 31, 2016 to December 31, 2020, the voluntary waiver was 0.030%.
Commissions, Finder’s Fees, and Ongoing Payments
See “Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing” for more details.
Class A Shares
All or a portion of the initial sales charge that you pay may be paid by the Distributor to intermediaries selling Class A shares. The Distributor may pay these intermediaries a commission of up to 1.00% on purchases of $1,000,000 or more (or $250,000 or $500,000 or more depending on the Fund purchased), which are not subject to initial sales charges.
Classes A, J, R-1, R-3, and R-4 Shares
Additionally, the Distributor generally makes ongoing 12b-1 fee payments to your intermediary at a rate that varies by class, as noted above under “Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees.”
Class C Shares
The Distributor will pay, at the time of your purchase, a commission to your intermediary equal to 1.00% of your investment. Additionally, the Distributor generally makes ongoing 12b-1 fee payments to your intermediary as noted above under “Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees.”
Additional Payments to Intermediaries
Shares of the Funds are sold primarily through intermediaries, such as brokers, dealers, investment advisors, banks, trust companies, pension plan consultants, retirement plan administrators, and insurance companies.
Classes A, C, and J Shares
In addition to payments pursuant to 12b-1 plans, sales charges, commissions, and finder’s fees, including compensation for referrals, PGI or its affiliates enter into agreements with some intermediaries pursuant to which the intermediaries receive payments for providing services relating to Fund shares. Examples of such services are administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency, and shareholder services. In some situations, the Fund will reimburse PGI or its affiliates for making such payments; in others, the Fund may make such additional payments directly to intermediaries.
PGI or its affiliates also pay, without reimbursement from the Fund, compensation from their own resources to certain intermediaries that support the distribution of shares of the Fund or provide services to Fund shareholders.
Such additional payments vary, but generally do not exceed: (a) 0.25% of the current year’s sales of Fund shares by that intermediary and/or (b) 0.25% of average net asset value of Fund shares held by clients of such intermediary.
123
The Distributor and its affiliates pay a bonus or other consideration or incentive to certain intermediaries if an employee covered under an employer sponsored benefit program purchases a product from an affiliate of Distributor with the assistance of a registered representative of an affiliate of Distributor, if the intermediary sold the funding vehicle the employer sponsored benefit program utilizes, or if the intermediary subsequently became the broker of record with regard to the employer sponsored benefit program.
Institutional Class and Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 Shares
In addition to payments pursuant to applicable 12b-1 plans, PGI or its affiliates enter into agreements with some intermediaries pursuant to which the intermediaries receive payments for providing services relating to Fund shares. Examples of such services are administrative, networking, recordkeeping, sub-transfer agency, and/or shareholder services. For Classes R-1, R-3, R-4, and R-5 shares, such compensation is generally paid out of the Service Fees and Administrative Services Fees that are disclosed in this Prospectus as Other Expenses. For Institutional Class shares, in some situations the Fund will reimburse PGI or its affiliates for making such payments; in others, the Fund may make such payments directly to the intermediaries.
PGI or its affiliates also pay, without reimbursement from the Fund, compensation from their own resources to certain intermediaries that support the distribution of shares of the Fund or provide services to Fund shareholders.
For Institutional Class shares, such payments vary, but generally do not exceed: (a) 0.10% of the current year’s sales of Fund shares by that intermediary or (b) 0.10% of the average net asset value of Fund shares held by clients of such intermediary.
Principal Life Insurance Company is one such intermediary that provides services relating to Fund shares held in employee benefit plans, and it is typically paid all of the Service Fees and Administrative Services Fees pertaining to such plans, and it also is paid other compensation described in this section as payable to intermediaries.
The Distributor and its affiliates do not pay compensation to intermediaries (other than to affiliates of the Distributor) for distribution services or other services to Fund shareholders for Class R-6 shares. For more information, see the SAI.
Institutional Class and Classes A, C, J, R-1, R-3, R-4, R-5, and R-6 Shares
The intermediary may pay to its Financial Professionals some or all of the amounts the Distributor and its affiliates pay to the intermediary. The amounts paid to intermediaries vary by share class and by Fund.
In some cases, the Distributor and its affiliates will provide payments or reimbursements in connection with the costs of conferences, educational seminars, training, and marketing efforts related to the Funds. Such activities may be sponsored by intermediaries or the Distributor. The costs associated with such activities may include travel, lodging, entertainment, and meals. In some cases, the Distributor will also provide payment or reimbursement for expenses associated with transactions (“ticket”) charges and general marketing expenses.
For more information, see the SAI.
The payments described in this Prospectus may create a conflict of interest by influencing your Financial Professional or your intermediary to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your Financial Professional or visit your intermediary’s website for more information about the total amounts paid to them by PGI and its affiliates, and by sponsors of other investment companies your Financial Professional may recommend to you.
Your intermediary may charge you additional fees other than those disclosed in this Prospectus. Ask your Financial Professional about any fees and commissions they charge.
FUND ACCOUNT INFORMATION
Statements
You will receive quarterly statements for the Funds you own, or if you purchase through a third-party intermediary, on a periodic basis established by such intermediary. Such statements provide the number and value of shares you own, transactions during the period, dividends declared or paid, and other information. The year-end statement includes information for all transactions that took place during the year. Please review your statement as soon as you receive it. Keep your statements, as you may need them for tax reporting purposes.
Generally, each time you buy, sell, or exchange shares in Principal Funds, you will receive a confirmation shortly thereafter. It summarizes all the key information - what you bought or sold, the amount of the transaction, and other important information.
124
Certain purchases and sales are only included on your quarterly statement. These include accounts:
•
when the only activity during the quarter are:
•
purchases of shares from reinvested dividends and/or capital gains,
•
purchases under an Automatic Investment Plan,
•
sales under a Systematic Withdrawal Plan,
•
purchases or sales under an Automatic Exchange Election, or
•
conversion of Class C shares into Class A shares
•
used to fund certain individual retirement or individual pension plans, or
•
established under a payroll deduction plan.
If you need information about your account(s) at other times, you may call us or access your account on the internet.
Orders Placed by Intermediaries
Principal Funds may have an agreement with your intermediary, such as a broker-dealer, third party administrator, or trust company, that permits the intermediary to receive orders on behalf of the Fund until 3:00 p.m. Central Time. The agreement may include authorization for your intermediary to designate other intermediaries (“sub-designees”) to receive orders on behalf of the Fund on the same terms that apply to the intermediary. In such cases, if your intermediary or a sub-designee receives your order in correct form by 3:00 p.m. Central Time, transmits it to the Fund, and pays for it in accordance with the agreement, the Fund will price the order at the next NAV per share it computes after your intermediary or sub-designee received your order.
The time at which the Fund prices orders and the time until which the Fund or your intermediary or sub-designee will accept orders may change in the case of an emergency or if the NYSE closes at a time other than 3:00 p.m. Central Time.
Transactions through Financial Institutions/Professionals
Financial institutions and dealers may charge their customers a processing or service fee in connection with the purchase or redemption of Fund shares. The amount and applicability of such a fee is determined and disclosed to its customers by each individual financial institution or dealer. Processing or service fees typically are fixed, nominal dollar amounts and are in addition to the sales and other charges described in this Prospectus and the SAI.
Your financial institution or dealer will provide you with specific information about any processing or service fees you will be charged.
Telephone and Internet Instructions
The Funds reserve the right to refuse telephone and/or internet instructions. You are liable for a loss resulting from a fraudulent telephone or internet instruction that we reasonably believe is genuine. We use reasonable procedures to assure instructions are genuine. If the procedures are not followed, we may be liable for loss due to unauthorized or fraudulent transactions. The procedures include: recording all telephone instructions, requiring the use of a password (Personal Identification Number) for internet instructions, requesting personal identification information, and sending written confirmation to the shareholder’s address of record.
If you elect telephone privileges, instructions regarding your account(s) may be given to us via the telephone or internet. Your instructions:
•
may be given by calling us;
•
may be given via our website for certain transactions (for security purposes you need a username and password to use any of the internet services, including viewing your account information online. If you don’t have a username or password, you may obtain one at our website); or
•
may be given to your Financial Professional (a person employed by or affiliated with broker/dealer firms) who will in turn contact us with your instructions.
Instructions received from one owner are binding on all owners. In the case of an account owned by a corporation or trust, instructions received from an authorized person are binding on the corporation/trust unless we have a written notification requiring that more than one authorized person execute written instructions.
125
Signature Guarantees
For all classes (except Class S), certain transactions require that your signature be guaranteed. A signature guarantee may help protect your account against fraud. If required, the signature(s) must be guaranteed by a commercial bank, trust company, credit union, savings and loan, national securities exchange member, or brokerage firm that participates in a Medallion program recognized by the Securities Transfer Association. A signature guaranteed by a notary public or savings bank is not acceptable. We reserve the right to require a signature guarantee on any transaction. 
Signature guarantees are required in any of the following circumstances:
A
C
J
Inst.
R-1
R-3
R-4
R-5
R-6
if you sell more than $100,000 (in the aggregate) from the Funds
X
X
X
 
 
 
 
 
 
if you sell more than $500,000 (in the aggregate) from the Funds
 
 
 
X
X
X
X
X
X
if you sell more than $10,000,000 if you have the proceeds sent electronically to a
previously authorized U.S. bank account
 
 
 
X
 
 
 
 
 
if a sales proceeds check is payable to a party other than the account shareholder(s)
 
 
 
X
X
X
X
X
X
if a sales proceeds check is payable to a party other than the account shareholder(s) or
Principal Life, Principal Bank, a retirement plan trustee or custodian that has agreed in
writing to accept a transfer of assets from the Fund or Principal Securities, Inc. payable
through Pershing
X
X
X
 
 
 
 
 
 
to change ownership of an account
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
to add telephone transaction services and/or wire or ACH redemption privileges to an
existing account if there is not a common owner between the bank account and mutual
fund account
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
to change bank account information designated under an existing telephone withdrawal
plan if there is not a common owner between the bank account and mutual fund account
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
to wire or ACH to a shareholder’s U.S. bank account not previously authorized or when
the request does not include a voided check or deposit slip indicating a common owner
between the bank account and mutual fund account
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
to exchange or transfer among accounts with different ownership
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
to have a sales proceeds check mailed to an address other than the address on the
account or to the address on the account if it has been changed within the preceding 15
days
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
X
Reservation of Rights
Principal Funds reserves the right to amend or terminate the special plans described in this Prospectus. Shareholders will be notified of any such action to the extent required by law.
Such plans include, for example, automatic investment, systematic withdrawal, waiver of Fund minimums for certain accounts, and waiver or reduction of the sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge for certain purchasers.
Classes A, C, and J Shares - Minimum Account Balance
Each Fund has a minimum required account balance of $1,000. The Fund reserves the right to redeem all shares in your account if the value of your account falls below $1,000. The Fund will mail the redemption proceeds to you. An involuntary redemption of a small account will not be triggered by market conditions alone. The Fund will notify you before involuntarily redeeming your account. You will have 30 days to make an additional investment of an amount that brings your account up to the required minimum. Each Fund reserves the right to increase the required minimum.
Householding
To avoid sending duplicate copies of materials to households, mailings for accounts held by members of your household may be combined so that only one copy of each Prospectus and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports will be mailed. In addition, your account information may be included with other householded accounts on the same quarterly and annual statements. The consolidation of these mailings, called householding, benefits Principal Funds and its shareholders by reduced printing and mailing expenses. If you prefer to receive multiple copies of these materials, you may write or call Principal Funds. Householding will be stopped within 30 days after we receive your request.
Multiple Translations
This Prospectus may be translated into other languages. In the event of any inconsistencies or ambiguity as to the meaning of any word or phrase in a translation, the English text will prevail.
Financial Statements
Shareholders will receive annual financial statements for the Funds, audited by the Funds' independent registered public accounting firm. Shareholders will also receive semi-annual financial statements that are unaudited.
126
APPENDIX A—DESCRIPTION OF BOND RATINGS
Moody’s Investors Service, Inc. Rating Definitions:
Long-Term Obligation Ratings
Ratings assigned on Moody’s global long-term obligation rating scales are forward-looking opinions of the relative credit risk of financial obligations issued by non-financial corporates, financial institutions, structured finance vehicles, project finance vehicles, and public sector entities. Long-term ratings are assigned to issuers or obligations with an original maturity of one year or more and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default or impairment.1
1
For certain structured finance, preferred stock and hybrid securities in which payment default events are either not defined or do not match investor’s expectations for timely payment, the ratings reflect the likelihood of impairment and the expected financial loss in the event of impairment. 
Aaa:
Obligations rated Aaa are judged to be of the highest quality, subject to the lowest level of credit risk.
Aa:
Obligations rated Aa are judged to be of high quality and are subject to very low credit risk.
A:
Obligations rated A are considered upper-medium grade and are subject to low credit risk.
Baa:
Obligations rated Baa are subject to moderate credit risk. They are considered medium-grade and as such may
possess certain speculative characteristics.
Ba:
Obligations rated Ba are judged to be speculative and are subject to substantial credit risk.
B:
Obligations rated B are considered speculative and are subject to high credit risk.
Caa:
Obligations rated Caa are judged to be speculative of poor standing and are subject to very high credit risk.
Ca:
Obligations rated Ca are highly speculative and are likely in, or very near, default, with some prospect of
recovery of principal and interest.
C:
Obligations rated C are the lowest rated class of bonds and are typically in default, with little prospect for
recovery of principal or interest.
NOTE:
Moody’s appends numerical modifiers, 1, 2, and 3 to each generic rating classification from Aa through Caa.
The modifier 1 indicates that the obligation ranks in the higher end of its generic rating category, the modifier 2
indicates a mid-range ranking, and the modifier 3 indicates a ranking in the lower end of that generic rating
category. Additionally, a “(hyb)” indicator is appended to all ratings of hybrid securities issued by banks, issuers,
financial companies, and securities firms.*
*
By their terms, hybrid securities allow for the omission of scheduled dividends, interest, or principal payments, which can potentially result in impairment if such an omission occurs. Hybrid securities may also be subject to contractually allowable write-downs of principal that could result in impairment. Together the hybrid indicator, the long-term obligation rating assigned to a hybrid security is an expression of the relative credit risk associated with that security.
SHORT-TERM NOTES: Short-term ratings are assigned to obligations with an original maturity of thirteen months or less and reflect both on the likelihood of a default or impairment on contractual financial obligations and the expected financial loss suffered in the event of default. Moody’s employs the following three designations, all judged to be investment grade, to indicate the relative repayment ability of rated issuers:
Issuers rated Prime-1 (or related supporting institutions) have a superior ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
Issuers rated Prime-2 (or related supporting institutions) have a strong ability to repay short-term debt obligations.
Issuers rated Prime-3 (or related supporting institutions) have an acceptable ability to repay short-term obligations.
Issuers rated Not Prime do not fall within any of the Prime rating categories.
US MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM DEBT: The Municipal Investment Grade (MIG) scale is used to rate US municipal bonds of up to five years maturity. MIG ratings are divided into three levels - MIG 1 through MIG 3 - while speculative grade short-term obligations are designated SG.
MIG 1 denotes superior credit quality, afforded excellent protection from highly reliable liquidity support, or demonstrated broad-based access to the market for refinancing.
MIG 2 denotes strong credit quality with ample margins of protection, although not as large as in the preceding group.
A-1
MIG 3 notes are of acceptable credit quality. Liquidity and cash-flow protection may be narrow and market access for refinancing is likely to be less well-established.
SG denotes speculative-grade credit quality and may lack sufficient margins of protection.
Description of S&P Global Ratings’ Credit Rating Definitions:
S&P Global’s credit rating, both long-term and short-term, is a forward-looking opinion of the creditworthiness of an obligor with respect to a specific obligation. This assessment takes into consideration the creditworthiness of guarantors, insurers, or other forms of credit enhancement on the obligation.
The credit rating is not a recommendation to purchase, sell or hold a security, inasmuch as it does not comment as to market price or suitability for a particular investor.
The ratings are statements of opinion as of the date they are expressed furnished by the issuer or obtained by S&P Global Ratings from other sources S&P Global Ratings considers reliable. S&P Global Ratings does not perform an audit in connection with any rating and may, on occasion, rely on unaudited financial information. The ratings may be changed, suspended, or withdrawn as a result of changes in, or unavailability of, such information, or for other circumstances.
The ratings are based, in varying degrees, on the following considerations:
•
Likelihood of payment - capacity and willingness of the obligor to meet its financial commitment on an obligation in accordance with the terms of the obligation;
•
Nature of and provisions of the financial obligation;
•
Protection afforded by, and relative position of, the financial obligation in the event of bankruptcy, reorganization, or other arrangement under the laws of bankruptcy and other laws affecting creditor’s rights.
LONG-TERM CREDIT RATINGS: 
AAA:
Obligations rated ‘AAA’ have the highest rating assigned by S&P Global Ratings. The obligor’s capacity to
meet its financial commitment on the obligation is extremely strong.
AA:
Obligations rated ‘AA’ differ from the highest-rated issues only in small degree. The obligor’s capacity to
meet its financial commitment on the obligation is very strong.
A:
Obligations rated ‘A’ have a strong capacity to meet financial commitment on the obligation although they
are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of changes in circumstances and economic
conditions than obligations in higher-rated categories.
BBB:
Obligations rated ‘BBB’ exhibit adequate protection parameters; however, adverse economic conditions or
changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity to meet financial commitment on
the obligation.
BB, B, CCC,
CC and C:
Obligations rated ‘BB’, ‘B’, ‘CCC’, ‘CC’, and ‘C’ are regarded, on balance, as having significant speculative
characteristics. ‘BB’ indicates the lowest degree of speculation and ‘C’ the highest degree of speculation.
While such obligations will likely have some quality and protective characteristics, these may be
outweighed by large uncertainties or major risk exposures to adverse conditions.
BB:
Obligations rated ‘BB’ are less vulnerable to nonpayment than other speculative issues. However it faces
major ongoing uncertainties or exposure to adverse business, financial, or economic conditions which
could lead to the obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
B:
Obligations rated ‘B’ are more vulnerable to nonpayment than ‘BB’ but the obligor currently has the
capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation. Adverse business, financial, or economic
conditions will likely impair this capacity.
CCC:
Obligations rated ‘CCC’ are currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is dependent upon favorable
business, financial, and economic conditions for the obligor to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation. If adverse business, financial, or economic conditions occur, the obligor is not likely to have the
capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation.
CC:
Obligations rated ‘CC’ are currently highly vulnerable to nonpayment. The ‘CC’ rating is used when a
default has not yet occurred but S&P Global Ratings expects default to be a virtual certainty, regardless of
anticipated time to default.
C:
The rating ‘C’ is highly vulnerable to nonpayment, the obligation is expected to have lower relative seniority
or lower ultimate recovery compared to higher rated obligations.
A-2
D:
Obligations rated ‘D’ are in default, or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital instruments,
the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due, unless S&P
Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence of a
stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The rating will also
be used upon filing for bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default is a virtual
certainty. If an obligation is subject to a distressed exchange offer the rating is lowered to ‘D’.
Plus (+) or Minus (-): The ratings from ‘AA’ to ‘CCC’ may be modified by the addition of a plus or minus sign to show relative standing within the major rating categories. 
NR:
Indicates that no rating has been requested, that there is insufficient information on which to base a rating or
that S&P Global Ratings does not rate a particular type of obligation as a matter of policy.
SHORT-TERM CREDIT RATINGS: Ratings are graded into four categories, ranging from ‘A-1’ for the highest quality obligations to ‘D’ for the lowest. 
A-1:
This is the highest category. The obligor’s capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is strong.
Within this category, certain obligations are designated with a plus sign (+). This indicates that the obligor’s
capacity to meet its financial commitment on these obligations is extremely strong.
A-2:
Issues carrying this designation are somewhat more susceptible to the adverse effects of the changes in
circumstances and economic conditions than obligations in higher rating categories. However, the obligor’s
capacity to meet its financial commitment on the obligation is satisfactory.
A-3:
Issues carrying this designation exhibit adequate capacity to meet their financial obligations. However, adverse
economic conditions or changing circumstances are more likely to lead to a weakened capacity of the obligor to
meet it financial commitment on the obligation.
B:
Issues rated ‘B’ are regarded as vulnerable and have significant speculative characteristics. The obligor has
capacity to meet financial commitments; however, it faces major ongoing uncertainties which could lead to
obligor’s inadequate capacity to meet its financial obligations.
C:
This rating is assigned to short-term debt obligations that are currently vulnerable to nonpayment and is
dependent upon favorable business, financial, and economic conditions to meet its financial commitment on the
obligation.
D:
This rating indicates that the issue is either in default or in breach of an imputed promise. For non-hybrid capital
instruments, the ‘D’ rating category is used when payments on an obligation are not made on the date due,
unless S&P Global Ratings believes that such payments will be made within five business days in the absence
of a stated grace period or within the earlier of the stated grace period or 30 calendar days. The rating will also
be used upon filing for bankruptcy petition or the taking of similar action and where default is a virtual certainty.
If an obligation is subject to a distressed exchange offer the rating is lowered to ‘D’.
MUNICIPAL SHORT-TERM NOTE RATINGS: S&P Global Ratings rates U.S. municipal notes with a maturity of less than three years as follows: 
SP-1:
A strong capacity to pay principal and interest. Issues that possess a very strong capacity to pay debt service is
given a “+” designation.
SP-2:
A satisfactory capacity to pay principal and interest, with some vulnerability to adverse financial and economic
changes over the terms of the notes.
SP-3:
A speculative capacity to pay principal and interest.
A-3
APPENDIX B—INTERMEDIARY-SPECIFIC SALES CHARGE WAIVERS AND REDUCTIONS
Certain intermediaries have different policies and procedures regarding the availability of sales charge waivers and reductions, which are discussed below. In all instances, it is the purchaser’s responsibility to notify the Fund or the purchaser’s financial intermediary at the time of purchase of any relationship or other facts qualifying the purchaser for sales charge waivers or reductions. In order to receive a waiver or reduction offered by one intermediary or the Fund, the purchaser must purchase Fund shares from the Fund or intermediary offering the waiver or reduction. Please see the section of the prospectus entitled “CHOOSING A SHARE CLASS AND THE COSTS OF INVESTING” for more information on sales charges and waivers available for different classes.
Currently, the following intermediaries have implemented a schedule of sales charge waivers and reductions described below:
Ameriprise Financial
Class A Shares Front-End/Initial Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Ameriprise Financial
The following information applies to Class A purchases if you have an account with or otherwise purchase fund shares through Ameriprise Financial.
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Ameriprise Financial brokerage account are eligible for the following front-end sales change waivers (also referred to as initial sales charge waivers), which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI:
•
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.
•
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same Fund (but not any other fund within the same fund family).
•
Shares exchanged from Class C shares of the same fund in the month of or following the 7-year anniversary of the purchase date. To the extent that this prospectus elsewhere provides for a waiver with respect to exchanges of Class C shares or conversion of Class C shares following a shorter holding period, that waiver will apply.
•
Employees and registered representatives of Ameriprise Financial or its affiliates and their immediate family members.
•
Shares purchased by or through qualified accounts (including IRAs, Coverdell Education Savings Accounts, 401(k)s, 403(b) TSCAs subject to ERISA and defined benefit plans) that are held by a covered family member, defined as an Ameriprise financial advisor and/or the advisor’s spouse, advisor’s lineal ascendant (mother, father, grandmother, grandfather, great grandmother, great grandfather), advisor’s lineal descendant (son, step-son, daughter, step-daughter, grandson, granddaughter, great grandson, great granddaughter, including through adoption) or any spouse of a covered family member who is a lineal descendant.
•
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., Rights of Reinstatement).
Edward D. Jones & Co., L.P.
Effective on or after March 1, 2021, the following information supersedes prior information with respect to transactions and positions held in fund shares through an Edward Jones system. If you purchase fund shares on the Edward Jones commission and fee-based platforms, you are eligible only for the following sales charge discounts (also referred to as “breakpoints”) and waivers, which can differ from discounts and waivers described elsewhere in the mutual fund prospectus or statement of additional information (“SAI”) or through another broker-dealer. In all instances, it is your responsibility to inform Edward Jones at the time of purchase of any relationship, holdings of Principal Funds, Inc., or other facts qualifying the purchaser for discounts or waivers. Edward Jones can ask for documentation of such circumstance. You should contact Edward Jones if you have questions regarding your eligibility for these discounts and waivers.
Breakpoints at Edward Jones
•
Breakpoint pricing, otherwise known as volume pricing, at dollar thresholds as described in the prospectus.
B-1
Rights of Accumulation (“ROA”) at Edward Jones
•
The applicable sales charge on a purchase of Class A shares is determined by taking into account all share classes (except certain money market funds and any assets held in group retirement plans) of Principal Funds, Inc. held by the shareholder or in an account grouped by Edward Jones with other accounts for the purpose of providing certain pricing considerations (“pricing groups”). If grouping assets as a shareholder, this includes all share classes held on the Edward Jones platform and/or held on another platform. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the ROA calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Money market funds are included only if such shares were sold with a sales charge at the time of purchase or acquired in exchange for shares purchased with a sales charge.
•
The employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan may elect to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping as opposed to including all share classes at a shareholder or pricing group level.
•
ROA is determined by calculating the higher of cost minus redemptions or market value (current shares x NAV).
Letter of Intent (“LOI”) at Edward Jones
•
Through an LOI, shareholders can receive the sales charge and breakpoint discounts for purchases shareholders intend to make over a 13-month period from the date Edward Jones receives the LOI. The LOI combines the current market value of any existing qualifying holdings and account types with the value that the shareholder intends to buy over a 13-month period to calculate the front-end sales charge and any breakpoint discounts. Each purchase the shareholder makes during that 13-month period will receive the sales charge and breakpoint discount that applies to the total amount. The inclusion of eligible fund family assets in the LOI calculation is dependent on the shareholder notifying Edward Jones of such assets at the time of calculation. Purchases made before the LOI is received by Edward Jones are not adjusted under the LOI and will not reduce the sales charge previously paid. Sales charges will be adjusted if the LOI is not met.
•
If the employer maintaining a SEP IRA plan and/or SIMPLE IRA plan has elected to establish or change ROA for the IRA accounts associated with the plan to a plan-level grouping, LOIs will also be at the plan-level and may only be established by the employer.
Sales Charge Waivers at Edward Jones
Sales charges are waived for the following shareholders and in the following situations:
•
Associates of Edward Jones and its affiliates and their family members who are in the same pricing group (as determined by Edward Jones under its policies and procedures) as the associate. This waiver will continue for the remainder of the associate’s life if the associate retires from Edward Jones in good-standing and remains in good standing pursuant to Edward Jones’ policies and procedures.
•
Shares purchased in an Edward Jones fee-based program.
•
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment.
•
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redeemed shares of the same fund family so long as the following conditions are met: 1) the proceeds are from the sale of shares within 60 days of the purchase, and 2) the sale and purchase are made in the same share class and the same account or the purchase is made in an individual retirement account with proceeds from liquidations in a non-retirement account.
•
Shares exchanged into Class A shares from another share class so long as the exchange is into the same fund and was initiated at the discretion of Edward Jones. Edward Jones is responsible for any remaining CDSC due to the fund company, if applicable. Any future purchases are subject to the applicable sales charge as disclosed in the prospectus.
•
Exchanges from Class C shares to Class A shares of the same fund, generally, in the 84th month following the anniversary of the purchase date or earlier at the discretion of Edward Jones.
Contingent Deferred Sales Charge (“CDSC”) Waivers at Edward Jones
If the shareholder purchases shares that are subject to a CDSC and those shares are redeemed before the CDSC is expired, the shareholder is responsible to pay the CDSC, except in the following conditions:
•
Death or disability of the shareholder.
•
Systematic withdrawals with up to 10% per year of the account value.
B-2
•
Return of excess contributions from an Individual Retirement Account (IRA).
•
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches qualified age based on applicable IRA regulations.
•
Shares sold to pay Edward Jones fees or costs in such cases where the transaction is initiated by Edward Jones.
•
Shares exchanged in an Edward Jones fee-based program.
•
Shares acquired through NAV reinstatement.
•
Shares redeemed at the discretion of Edward Jones for Minimum Balances, as described below.
Other Important Information Regarding Transactions Through Edward Jones
Minimum Purchase Amounts (Per Fund & Account)
•
Initial purchase minimum: $250
•
Subsequent purchase minimum: none
Minimum Balances
Edward Jones has the right to redeem at its discretion fund holdings with a balance of $250 or less. The following are examples of accounts that are not included in this policy:
•
A fee-based account held on an Edward Jones platform
•
A 529 account held on an Edward Jones platform
•
An account with an active systematic investment plan or LOI Exchanging Share Classes
•
At any time it deems necessary, Edward Jones has the authority to change a share class to Class A shares of the same fund at NAV.
Janney Montgomery Scott
Effective May 1, 2020, if you purchase fund shares through a Janney Montgomery Scott LLC (“Janney”) brokerage account, you will be eligible for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred sales charge (“CDSC”), or back-end sales charge, waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s Prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Charge* Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Janney
•
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).
•
Shares purchased by employees and registered representatives of Janney or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Janney.
•
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within ninety (90) days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (i.e., right of reinstatement).
•
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.
•
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
•
Class C shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Janney’s policies and procedures.
CDSC Waivers on Class A and C Shares Available at Janney
•
Shares sold upon the death or disability of the shareholder.
•
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s Prospectus.
•
Shares sold in connection with a return of excess contributions from an IRA account.
B-3
•
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts if the redemption is taken in or after the year the shareholder reaches their qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations.
•
Shares sold to pay Janney fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Janney.
•
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
•
Shares exchanged into the same share class of a different fund.
Front-end Sales Charge* Discounts Available at Janney: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation, and/or Letters of Intent
•
Breakpoints as described in the fund’s Prospectus.
•
Rights of accumulation (“ROA”), which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts, will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Janney. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
•
Letters of intent (“LOI”) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Janney Montgomery Scott may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
*Also referred to as an “initial sales charge.”
Merrill Lynch
Shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Merrill Lynch platform or account will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Merrill Lynch
•
Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan.
•
Shares purchased by a 529 Plan (does not include 529 Plan units or 529-specific share classes or equivalents).
•
Shares purchased through a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program.
•
Shares exchanged due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers.
•
Shares purchased by third party investment advisors on behalf of their advisory clients through Merrill Lynch’s platform.
•
Shares of funds purchased through the Merrill Edge Self-Directed platform.
•
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).
•
Shares exchanged from Class C (i.e. level-load) shares of the same fund pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers.
•
Employees and registered representatives of Merrill Lynch or its affiliates and their family members.
•
Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus.
•
Eligible shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement). Automated transactions (i.e. systematic purchases and withdrawals) and purchases made after shares are automatically sold to pay Merrill Lynch’s account maintenance fees are not eligible for reinstatement.
CDSC Waivers on Class A, B and C Shares Available at Merrill Lynch
•
Death or disability of the shareholder.
•
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.
B-4
•
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.
•
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts pursuant to the Internal Revenue Code.
•
Shares sold to pay Merrill Lynch fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Merrill Lynch.
•
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
•
Shares held in retirement brokerage accounts, that are exchanged for a lower cost share class due to transfer to certain fee based accounts or platforms (applicable to A and C shares only).
•
Shares received through an exchange due to the holdings moving from a Merrill Lynch affiliated investment advisory program to a Merrill Lynch brokerage (non-advisory) account pursuant to Merrill Lynch’s policies relating to sales load discounts and waivers.
Front-end load Discounts Available at Merrill Lynch: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
•
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.
•
Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts as described in the Fund’s prospectus will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts (including 529 program holdings, where applicable) within the purchaser’s household at Merrill Lynch. Eligible fund family assets not held at Merrill Lynch may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
•
Letters of Intent (LOI) which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, through Merrill Lynch, over a 13-month period of time.
Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Initial Sales Charge Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Morgan Stanley Wealth Management
Effective July 1, 2018, if you purchase Class A Fund shares through a Morgan Stanley Wealth Management transactional brokerage account you will be eligible only for the following initial sales charge waivers, which differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI.
•
Employer-sponsored retirement plans (e.g., 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans). For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs, SAR-SEPs or Keogh plans.
•
Morgan Stanley employee and employee-related accounts according to Morgan Stanley’s account linking rules.
•
Shares purchased through reinvestment of dividends and capital gains distributions when purchasing shares of the same fund.
•
Shares purchased through a Morgan Stanley self-directed brokerage account.
•
Class C (i.e., level-load) shares that are no longer subject to a contingent deferred sales charge and are converted to Class A shares of the same fund pursuant to Morgan Stanley Wealth Management’s share class conversion program.
•
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (i) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (ii) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (iii) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge.
Oppenheimer & Co. Inc.
Effective June 12, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through an Oppenheimer & Co. Inc. (“OPCO”) platform or account are eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this Fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at OPCO
•
Employer-sponsored retirement, deferred compensation and employee benefit plans (including health savings accounts) and trusts used to fund those plans, provided that the shares are not held in a commission-based brokerage account and shares are held for the benefit of the plan.
•
Shares purchased by or through a 529 Plan.
B-5
•
Shares purchased through a OPCO affiliated investment advisory program.
•
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing shares of the same fund (but not any other fund within the fund family).
•
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Restatement).
•
A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of OPCO.
•
Employees and registered representatives of OPCO or its affiliates and their family members.
•
Directors or Trustees of the Fund, and employees of the Fund’s investment adviser or any of its affiliates, as described in this prospectus.
CDSC Waivers on A, B and C Shares Available at OPCO
•
Death or disability of the shareholder.
•
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s prospectus.
•
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.
•
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the prospectus.
•
Shares sold to pay OPCO fees but only if the transaction is initiated by OPCO.
•
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
Front-end Load Discounts Available at OPCO: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation & Letters of Intent
•
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.
•
Rights of Accumulation (ROA) which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at OPCO. Eligible fund family assets not held at OPCO may be included in the ROA calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
Raymond James
Effective March 1, 2019, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Raymond James Financial Services, Inc. or each entity’s affiliates (“Raymond James”) platform or account, or through an introducing broker-dealer or independent registered investment adviser for which Raymond James provides trade execution, clearance, and/or custody services, will be eligible only for the following load waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and contingent deferred, or back-end, sales charge waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this fund’s prospectus or SAI.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Raymond James
•
Shares purchased in an investment advisory program.
•
Shares purchased within the same fund family through a systematic reinvestment of capital gains and dividend distributions.
•
Employees and registered representatives of Raymond James or its affiliates and their family members as designated by Raymond James.
•
Shares purchased from the proceeds of redemptions within the same fund family, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same account, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales load (known as Rights of Reinstatement).
•
A shareholder in the Fund’s Class C shares will have their shares converted at net asset value to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the Fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Raymond James.
B-6
CDSC Waivers on Classes A and C Shares Available at Raymond James
•
Death or disability of the shareholder.
•
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the fund’s prospectus.
•
Return of excess contributions from an IRA Account.
•
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching their qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the fund’s prospectus.
•
Shares sold to pay Raymond James fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Raymond James.
•
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
Front-end Load Discounts Available at Raymond James: Breakpoints, Rights of Accumulation, and/or Letters of Intent
•
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.
•
Rights of accumulation which entitle shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of fund family assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Raymond James. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of rights of accumulation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
•
Letters of intent which allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases within a fund family, over a 13-month time period. Eligible fund family assets not held at Raymond James may be included in the calculation of letters of intent only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated
Effective June 15, 2020, shareholders purchasing fund shares through a Robert W. Baird & Co. Incorporated (“Baird”) platform or account will only be eligible for the following sales charge waivers (front-end sales charge waivers and CDSC waivers) and discounts, which may differ from those disclosed elsewhere in this prospectus or the SAI
Front-end Sales Charge Waivers on Investors A-shares Available at Baird
•
Shares purchased through reinvestment of capital gains distributions and dividend reinvestment when purchasing share of the same fund.
•
Share purchase by employees and registers representatives of Baird or its affiliate and their family members as designated by Baird.
•
Shares purchase from the proceeds of redemptions from another Principal Funds, Inc. Fund, provided (1) the repurchase occurs within 90 days following the redemption, (2) the redemption and purchase occur in the same accounts, and (3) redeemed shares were subject to a front-end or deferred sales charge (known as rights of reinstatement).
•
A shareholder in the Funds Investor C Shares will have their share converted at net asset value to Investor A shares of the fund if the shares are no longer subject to CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of Baird.
•
Employer-sponsored retirement plans or charitable accounts in a transactional brokerage account at Baird, including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans and defined benefit plans. For purposes of this provision, employer-sponsored retirement plans do not include SEP IRAs, Simple IRAs or SAR-SEPs.
CDSC Waivers on Investor A and C shares Available at Baird
•
Shares sold due to death or disability of the shareholder.
•
Shares sold as part of a systematic withdrawal plan as described in the Fund’s Prospectus.
•
Shares bought due to returns of excess contributions from an IRA Account.
•
Shares sold as part of a required minimum distribution for IRA and retirement accounts due to the shareholder reaching the qualified age based on applicable IRS regulations as described in the fund’s prospectus.
•
Shares sold to pay Baird fees but only if the transaction is initiated by Baird.
•
Shares acquired through a right of reinstatement.
B-7
Front-end Sales Charge Discounts Available at Baird: Breakpoints and/or Rights of Accumulations
•
Breakpoints as described in this prospectus.
•
Rights of accumulations which entitles shareholders to breakpoint discounts will be automatically calculated based on the aggregated holding of Principal Funds, Inc.’s assets held by accounts within the purchaser’s household at Baird. Eligible Principal Funds, Inc.’s assets not held at Baird may be included in the rights of accumulations calculation only if the shareholder notifies his or her financial advisor about such assets.
•
Letters of Intent (LOI) allow for breakpoint discounts based on anticipated purchases of Principal Funds, Inc.’s funds through Baird, over a 13-month period of time.
Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated
Effective July 1, 2020, shareholders purchasing Fund shares through a Stifel, Nicolaus & Company, Incorporated (“Stifel”) platform or account or who own shares for which Stifel or an affiliate is the broker-dealer of record are eligible for the following additional sales charge waiver.
Front-end Sales Load Waivers on Class A Shares Available at Stifel
•
Class C shares that have been held for more than seven (7) years will be converted to Class A shares of the same Fund pursuant to Stifel’s policies and procedures.
•
All other sales charge waivers and reductions described elsewhere in the Fund’ Prospectus or SAI still apply.
US Bancorp Investments, Inc. (“USBI”)
Effective February 2021, Shareholders who purchase fund shares through a USBI platform or account or who own shares for which USBI or an affiliate is the broker-dealer of record, where the shares are held in an omnibus account at the fund, and who are invested in Class C shares will have their shares converted at NAV to Class A shares (or the appropriate share class) of the fund if the shares are no longer subject to a CDSC and the conversion is in line with the policies and procedures of USBI.
(updated March 1, 2021)
B-8
APPENDIX C—ADDITIONAL FUND-SPECIFIC INFORMATION
International Equity Index Fund
THIS FUND IS NOT SPONSORED, ENDORSED, SOLD OR PROMOTED BY MSCI INC. (“MSCI”), ANY OF ITS AFFILIATES, ANY OF ITS INFORMATION PROVIDERS OR ANY OTHER THIRD PARTY INVOLVED IN, OR RELATED TO, COMPILING, COMPUTING OR CREATING ANY MSCI INDEX (COLLECTIVELY, THE “MSCI PARTIES”). THE MSCI INDEXES ARE THE EXCLUSIVE PROPERTY OF MSCI. MSCI AND THE MSCI INDEX NAMES ARE SERVICE MARK(S) OF MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES AND HAVE BEEN LICENSED FOR USE FOR CERTAIN PURPOSES BY PGI. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY REPRESENTATION OR WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY REGARDING THE ADVISABILITY OF INVESTING IN FUNDS GENERALLY OR IN THIS FUND PARTICULARLY OR THE ABILITY OF ANY MSCI INDEX TO TRACK CORRESPONDING STOCK MARKET PERFORMANCE. MSCI OR ITS AFFILIATES ARE THE LICENSORS OF CERTAIN TRADEMARKS, SERVICE MARKS AND TRADE NAMES AND OF THE MSCI INDEXES WHICH ARE DETERMINED, COMPOSED AND CALCULATED BY MSCI WITHOUT REGARD TO THIS FUND OR THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION TO TAKE THE NEEDS OF THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY INTO CONSIDERATION IN DETERMINING, COMPOSING OR CALCULATING THE MSCI INDEXES. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES IS RESPONSIBLE FOR OR HAS PARTICIPATED IN THE DETERMINATION OF THE TIMING OF, PRICES AT, OR QUANTITIES OF THIS FUND TO BE ISSUED OR IN THE DETERMINATION OR CALCULATION OF THE EQUATION BY OR THE CONSIDERATION INTO WHICH THIS FUND IS REDEEMABLE. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAS ANY OBLIGATION OR LIABILITY TO THE ISSUER OR OWNERS OF THIS FUND OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMINISTRATION, MARKETING OR OFFERING OF THIS FUND.
ALTHOUGH MSCI SHALL OBTAIN INFORMATION FOR INCLUSION IN OR FOR USE IN THE CALCULATION OF THE MSCI INDEXES FROM SOURCES THAT MSCI CONSIDERS RELIABLE, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES WARRANTS OR GUARANTEES THE ORIGINALITY, ACCURACY AND/OR THE COMPLETENESS OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY WARRANTY, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, AS TO RESULTS TO BE OBTAINED BY THE ISSUER OF THE FUND, OWNERS OF THE FUND, OR ANY OTHER PERSON OR ENTITY, FROM THE USE OF ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES SHALL HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY ERRORS, OMISSIONS OR INTERRUPTIONS OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH ANY MSCI INDEX OR ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. FURTHER, NONE OF THE MSCI PARTIES MAKES ANY EXPRESS OR IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, AND THE MSCI PARTIES HEREBY EXPRESSLY DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY AND FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, WITH RESPECT TO EACH MSCI INDEX AND ANY DATA INCLUDED THEREIN. WITHOUT LIMITING ANY OF THE FOREGOING, IN NO EVENT SHALL ANY OF THE MSCI PARTIES HAVE ANY LIABILITY FOR ANY DIRECT, INDIRECT, SPECIAL, PUNITIVE, CONSEQUENTIAL OR ANY OTHER DAMAGES (INCLUDING LOST PROFITS) EVEN IF NOTIFIED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.
No purchaser, seller or holder of this security, product or fund, or any other person or entity, should use or refer to any MSCI trade name, trademark or service mark to sponsor, endorse, market or promote this security without first contacting MSCI to determine whether MSCI’s permission is required. Under no circumstances may any person or entity claim any affiliation with MSCI without the prior written permission of MSCI.
Diversified Real Asset Fund
Delaware Investments Fund Advisers (“DIFA”), a series of Macquarie Investment Management Business Trust, 610 Market Street, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19106, serves as sub-advisor for a portion of the assets of Diversified Real Asset Fund. DIFA is a subsidiary of Macquarie Management Holdings, Inc. (“MMHI”). MMHI is a wholly owned subsidiary of Macquarie Group Ltd. (“MGL”). MGL, a Sydney, Australia-headquartered global provider of banking, financial, advisory, investment and funds management services operates in more than 70 locations in more than 28 countries. Macquarie Asset Management is the marketing name for certain companies comprising the asset management division of MGL, including DIFA. Other than Macquarie Bank Limited (“MBL”) none of the entities referred to in this document are authorized deposit-taking institutions for the purposes of the Banking Act 1959 (Commonwealth of Australia). The obligations of these entities do not represent deposits or other liabilities of MBL. MBL does not guarantee or otherwise provide assurance in respect of the obligations of these entities, unless noted otherwise. Investments in the Fund are subject to investment risk, including possible delays in repayment and loss of income and capital invested. No Macquarie Group company guarantees or will guarantee the performance of the Fund, the repayment of capital from the fund or any particular rate of return.
C-1
Global Multi-Strategy Fund
Due to the timing of the HFRI family of indices finalizing their index performance, HFRI may revise historical performance data up to four months following the calendar year end. The index performance shown was calculated using current, available data at the time of filing, but is subject to change outside of the control of the Fund and its affiliates.
C-2
APPENDIX D—FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS
The following financial highlights tables are intended to help you understand each Fund’s financial performance for the periods shown. Certain information reflects returns for a single Fund share. The total returns in each table represent the rate that an investor would have earned or lost each period on an investment in the Fund (assuming reinvestment of all distributions). This information has been derived from the financial statements audited by Ernst & Young LLP, Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm, whose report, along with each Fund’s financial statements, is included in Principal Funds, Inc. Annual Report to Shareholders for the fiscal year ended August 31, 2022, which is available upon request, and incorporated by reference into the SAI.
To request a free copy of the latest Annual or Semi-Annual report for the Funds, you may telephone 1-800-222-5852.
D-1
(This page left intentionally blank)
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):

 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
BLUE CHIP FUND
Class A shares
2022
$42.59
$(0.12)
$(10.39)
$(10.51)
$–
$(2.73)
$(2.73)
2021
33.85
(0.18)
10.06
9.88
–
(1.14)
(1.14)
2020
25.56
(0.07)
9.54
9.47
(0.02)
(1.16)
(1.18)
2019
24.49
(0.01)
2.67
2.66
–
(1.59)
(1.59)
2018
19.91
(0.07)
5.24
5.17
–
(0.59)
(0.59)
Class C shares
2022
39.91
(0.35)
(9.65)
(10.00)
–
(2.73)
(2.73)
2021
32.01
(0.42)
9.46
9.04
–
(1.14)
(1.14)
2020
24.39
(0.26)
9.03
8.77
–
(1.15)
(1.15)
2019
23.62
(0.18)
2.54
2.36
–
(1.59)
(1.59)
2018
19.37
(0.23)
5.07
4.84
–
(0.59)
(0.59)
Class J shares
2022
43.23
(0.07)
(10.56)
(10.63)
–
(2.73)
(2.73)
2021
34.29
(0.13)
10.21
10.08
–
(1.14)
(1.14)
2020
25.86
(0.04)
9.64
9.60
(0.01)
(1.16)
(1.17)
2019
24.74
(0.02)
2.73
2.71
–
(1.59)
(1.59)
2018(f)
20.16
(0.05)
5.22
5.17
–
(0.59)
(0.59)
Institutional shares
2022
43.51
(0.02)
(10.65)
(10.67)
–
(2.73)
(2.73)
2021
34.47
(0.08)
10.26
10.18
–
(1.14)
(1.14)
2020
26.00
(0.01)
9.72
9.71
(0.05)
(1.19)
(1.24)
2019
24.81
0.09
2.69
2.78
–
(1.59)
(1.59)
2018
20.10
0.01
5.29
5.30
–
(0.59)
(0.59)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(d)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit and/or Distributor's voluntary distribution fee limit.
(e)
Excludes expense reimbursement from Manager and/or Distributor.
(f)
Period from September 11, 2017, date operations commenced, through August 31, 2018.
(g)
Total return amounts have not been annualized.
(h)
Computed on an annualized basis.
(i)
Total return is calculated using the traded net asset value which may differ from the reported net asset value. The traded net asset value is the net asset value which a shareholder would have paid or received from a subscription or redemption.
D-3
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Gross
Expenses to
Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$29.35
(26.35)%(b)
$850,509
0.94%(c)
–%
(0.35)%
24.0%
42.59
30.18(b)
1,123,747
0.91(c)
–
(0.49)
25.6
33.85
38.51(b)
646,386
0.93(c)
–
(0.25)
30.0
25.56
12.75(b)
302,904
1.00(c)
–
(0.06)
15.9
24.49
26.45(b)
164,310
1.09(c)
–
(0.30)
34.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
27.18
(26.86)(b)
276,796
1.66(c)
–
(1.08)
24.0
39.91
29.26(b)
411,694
1.65(c)
–
(1.23)
25.6
32.01
37.43(b)
322,210
1.66(c)
–
(0.99)
30.0
24.39
11.91(b)
156,734
1.73(c)
–
(0.80)
15.9
23.62
25.47(b)
91,660
1.84(c)
–
(1.05)
34.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
29.87
(26.23)(b)
156,338
0.77(d)
0.82(e)
(0.18)
24.0
43.23
30.38(b)
221,942
0.77(d)
0.83(e)
(0.35)
25.6
34.29
38.58(b)
153,325
0.82(d)
0.91(e)
(0.14)
30.0
25.86
12.82(b)
80,050
0.96(d)
1.08(e)
(0.06)
15.9
24.74
26.12(b)(g)
59,232
1.01(d)(h)
1.04(e)(h)
(0.21)(h)
34.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
30.11
(26.13)(i)
2,473,139
0.66(c)
–
(0.06)
24.0
43.51
30.51
3,141,819
0.65(c)
–
(0.23)
25.6
34.47
38.88
2,638,389
0.66(c)
–
(0.02)
30.0
26.00
13.09
725,718
0.67(c)
–
0.39
15.9
24.81
26.88
175,887
0.75(c)
–
0.03
34.0
D-4
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
BLUE CHIP FUND
R-3 shares
2022
$42.51
$(0.18)
$(10.37)
$(10.55)
$–
$(2.73)
$(2.73)
2021
33.85
(0.25)
10.05
9.80
–
(1.14)
(1.14)
2020
25.59
(0.12)
9.53
9.41
–
(1.15)
(1.15)
2019
24.55
(0.07)
2.70
2.63
–
(1.59)
(1.59)
2018
20.00
(0.10)
5.24
5.14
–
(0.59)
(0.59)
R-4 shares
2022
42.89
(0.15)
(10.44)
(10.59)
–
(2.73)
(2.73)
2021
34.08
(0.18)
10.13
9.95
–
(1.14)
(1.14)
2020
25.76
(0.06)
9.58
9.52
(0.03)
(1.17)
(1.20)
2019
24.66
(0.01)
2.70
2.69
–
(1.59)
(1.59)
2018
20.05
(0.06)
5.26
5.20
–
(0.59)
(0.59)
R-5 shares
2022
43.20
(0.09)
(10.54)
(10.63)
–
(2.73)
(2.73)
2021
34.29
(0.14)
10.19
10.05
–
(1.14)
(1.14)
2020
25.86
(0.04)
9.66
9.62
(0.03)
(1.16)
(1.19)
2019
24.72
0.02
2.71
2.73
–
(1.59)
(1.59)
2018
20.07
(0.03)
5.27
5.24
–
(0.59)
(0.59)
R-6 shares
2022
43.64
0.02
(10.69)
(10.67)
–
(2.73)
(2.73)
2021
34.54
(0.05)
10.29
10.24
–
(1.14)
(1.14)
2020
26.04
0.04
9.72
9.76
(0.07)
(1.19)
(1.26)
2019
24.82
0.07
2.74
2.81
–
(1.59)
(1.59)
2018
20.10
0.03
5.28
5.31
–
(0.59)
(0.59)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(c)
Total return is calculated using the traded net asset value which may differ from the reported net asset value. The traded net asset value is the net asset value which a shareholder would have paid or received from a subscription or redemption.
D-5
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$29.23
(26.50)%
$11,031
1.13%(b)
(0.51)%
24.0%
42.51
29.94
11,204
1.12(b)
(0.70)
25.6
33.85
38.20
8,764
1.12(b)
(0.43)
30.0
25.59
12.58
5,913
1.15(b)
(0.32)
15.9
24.55
26.18
8,402
1.24
(0.45)
34.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
29.57
(26.35)
2,443
0.94(b)
(0.40)
24.0
42.89
30.18
5,608
0.93(b)
(0.51)
25.6
34.08
38.45
5,230
0.93(b)
(0.23)
30.0
25.76
12.78
3,989
0.96(b)
(0.05)
15.9
24.66
26.42
1,300
1.05
(0.27)
34.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
29.84
(26.25)
7,938
0.82(b)
(0.25)
24.0
43.20
30.29
12,383
0.81(b)
(0.39)
25.6
34.29
38.66
12,060
0.81(b)
(0.15)
30.0
25.86
12.92
6,380
0.84(b)
0.07
15.9
24.72
26.59
5,279
0.93
(0.15)
34.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
30.24
(26.08)(c)
4,932,871
0.56(b)
0.05
24.0
43.64
30.66(c)
6,134,030
0.55(b)
(0.14)
25.6
34.54
39.01
4,051,190
0.55(b)
0.15
30.0
26.04
13.22
3,052,936
0.58(b)
0.29
15.9
24.82
26.93
2,709,836
0.67(b)
0.12
34.0
D-6
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
BOND MARKET INDEX FUND
Class J shares
2022
$9.89
$0.15
$(1.32)
$(1.17)
$(0.13)
$(0.03)
$(0.16)
2021
11.79
0.15
(0.19)
(0.04)
(0.64)
(1.22)
(1.86)
2020
11.36
0.21
0.43
0.64
(0.21)
–
(0.21)
2019
10.60
0.23
0.74
0.97
(0.21)
–
(0.21)
2018
11.01
0.20
(0.39)
(0.19)
(0.22)
–
(0.22)
Institutional shares
2022
10.12
0.18
(1.33)
(1.15)
(0.17)
(0.03)
(0.20)
2021
12.03
0.19
(0.20)
(0.01)
(0.68)
(1.22)
(1.90)
2020
11.59
0.26
0.45
0.71
(0.27)
–
(0.27)
2019
10.81
0.29
0.76
1.05
(0.27)
–
(0.27)
2018
11.21
0.25
(0.39)
(0.14)
(0.26)
–
(0.26)
R-1 shares
2022
9.89
0.10
(1.31)
(1.21)
(0.07)
(0.03)
(0.10)
2021
11.82
0.09
(0.19)
(0.10)
(0.61)
(1.22)
(1.83)
2020
11.36
0.16
0.43
0.59
(0.13)
–
(0.13)
2019
10.58
0.19
0.75
0.94
(0.16)
–
(0.16)
2018
10.97
0.15
(0.38)
(0.23)
(0.16)
–
(0.16)
R-3 shares
2022
9.86
0.13
(1.31)
(1.18)
(0.10)
(0.03)
(0.13)
2021
11.78
0.12
(0.20)
(0.08)
(0.62)
(1.22)
(1.84)
2020
11.35
0.19
0.44
0.63
(0.20)
–
(0.20)
2019
10.57
0.22
0.76
0.98
(0.20)
–
(0.20)
2018
10.97
0.19
(0.39)
(0.20)
(0.20)
–
(0.20)
R-4 shares
2022
9.97
0.15
(1.33)
(1.18)
(0.12)
(0.03)
(0.15)
2021
11.88
0.15
(0.20)
(0.05)
(0.64)
(1.22)
(1.86)
2020
11.39
0.22
0.43
0.65
(0.16)
–
(0.16)
2019
10.60
0.24
0.78
1.02
(0.23)
–
(0.23)
2018
11.00
0.21
(0.39)
(0.18)
(0.22)
–
(0.22)
R-5 shares
2022
9.94
0.16
(1.32)
(1.16)
(0.14)
(0.03)
(0.17)
2021
11.85
0.16
(0.20)
(0.04)
(0.65)
(1.22)
(1.87)
2020
11.42
0.23
0.44
0.67
(0.24)
–
(0.24)
2019
10.65
0.26
0.75
1.01
(0.24)
–
(0.24)
2018
11.05
0.22
(0.39)
(0.17)
(0.23)
–
(0.23)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit and/or Distributor's voluntary distribution fee limit.
(d)
Excludes expense reimbursement from Manager and/or Distributor.
(e)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(f)
Total return is calculated using the traded net asset value which may differ from the reported net asset value. The traded net asset value is the net asset value which a shareholder would have paid or received from a subscription or redemption.
D-7
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Gross
Expenses to
Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$8.56
(11.95)%(b)
$32,188
0.48%(c)
0.52%(d)
1.61%
113.4%
9.89
(0.44)(b)
36,254
0.48(c)
0.52(d)
1.42
161.7
11.79
5.75(b)
44,200
0.57(c)
0.62(d)
1.79
94.1
11.36
9.38(b)
29,025
0.71(c)
0.91(d)
2.10
107.7
10.60
(1.79)(b)
27,466
0.62(c)
0.75(d)
1.86
102.7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.77
(11.58)
1,858,811
0.15(e)
–
1.97
113.4
10.12
(0.18)
831,018
0.14(e)
–
1.77
161.7
12.03
6.29
2,290,008
0.14(e)
–
2.25
94.1
11.59
9.92
2,056,135
0.16(e)
–
2.65
107.7
10.81
(1.29)
1,472,817
0.16(e)
–
2.32
102.7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.58
(12.33)
850
1.02(e)
–
1.07
113.4
9.89
(1.02)
1,148
1.01(e)
–
0.88
161.7
11.82
5.27
1,412
1.02(e)
–
1.36
94.1
11.36
8.99
1,169
1.04(e)
–
1.78
107.7
10.58
(2.10)
1,391
1.04(e)
–
1.44
102.7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.55
(11.99)(f)
8,056
0.71(e)
–
1.38
113.4
9.86
(0.84)
11,264
0.70(e)
–
1.18
161.7
11.78
5.66
13,196
0.71(e)
–
1.67
94.1
11.35
9.41
11,337
0.73(e)
–
2.09
107.7
10.57
(1.87)
13,934
0.73(e)
–
1.75
102.7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.64
(11.97)
2,611
0.52(e)
–
1.56
113.4
9.97
(0.51)
4,099
0.51(e)
–
1.39
161.7
11.88
5.84
6,523
0.52(e)
–
1.87
94.1
11.39
9.82
5,521
0.54(e)
–
2.29
107.7
10.60
(1.67)
44,422
0.54(e)
–
1.95
102.7
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.61
(11.84)
10,475
0.40(e)
–
1.68
113.4
9.94
(0.44)
14,572
0.39(e)
–
1.50
161.7
11.85
6.01
18,279
0.40(e)
–
1.98
94.1
11.42
9.67
16,552
0.42(e)
–
2.40
107.7
10.65
(1.56)
18,775
0.42(e)
–
2.05
102.7
D-8
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
CAPITAL SECURITIES FUND
Class S shares
2022
$10.76
$0.44
$(1.52)
$(1.08)
$(0.48)
$(0.48)
$9.20
2021
10.36
0.46
0.43
0.89
(0.49)
(0.49)
10.76
2020
10.17
0.50
0.23
0.73
(0.54)
(0.54)
10.36
2019
9.95
0.58
0.21
0.79
(0.57)
(0.57)
10.17
2018
10.40
0.58
(0.49)
0.09
(0.54)
(0.54)
9.95
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
D-9
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(10.24)%
$1,143,647
0.00%(b)
4.40%
14.0%
8.77
1,167,754
0.00(b)
4.34
14.2
7.42
846,849
0.00(b)
4.95
14.0
8.39
648,432
0.00(b)
5.89
14.7
0.87
544,446
0.00(b)
5.67
9.1
D-10
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
DIVERSIFIED REAL ASSET FUND
Class A shares
2022
$13.53
$0.31
$(0.18)
$0.13
$(0.77)
$(0.16)
$(0.93)
2021
11.13
0.22
2.20
2.42
(0.02)
–
(0.02)
2020
11.23
0.17
(0.06)
0.11
(0.21)
–
(0.21)
2019
11.70
0.26
(0.42)
(0.16)
(0.31)
–
(0.31)
2018
11.53
0.24
0.15
0.39
(0.22)
–
(0.22)
Institutional shares
2022
13.54
0.35
(0.17)
0.18
(0.83)
(0.16)
(0.99)
2021
11.14
0.24
2.22
2.46
(0.06)
–
(0.06)
2020
11.25
0.21
(0.04)
0.17
(0.28)
–
(0.28)
2019
11.74
0.31
(0.44)
(0.13)
(0.36)
–
(0.36)
2018
11.57
0.29
0.14
0.43
(0.26)
–
(0.26)
R-3 shares
2022
13.43
0.27
(0.15)
0.12
(0.74)
(0.16)
(0.90)
2021
11.07
0.18
2.20
2.38
(0.02)
–
(0.02)
2020
11.20
0.15
(0.05)
0.10
(0.23)
–
(0.23)
2019
11.69
0.25
(0.43)
(0.18)
(0.31)
–
(0.31)
2018
11.53
0.23
0.13
0.36
(0.20)
–
(0.20)
R-5 shares
2022
13.51
0.33
(0.16)
0.17
(0.80)
(0.16)
(0.96)
2021
11.10
0.21
2.23
2.44
(0.03)
–
(0.03)
2020
11.23
0.19
(0.06)
0.13
(0.26)
–
(0.26)
2019
11.73
0.30
(0.44)
(0.14)
(0.36)
–
(0.36)
2018
11.56
0.27
0.14
0.41
(0.24)
–
(0.24)
R-6 shares
2022
13.53
0.35
(0.16)
0.19
(0.84)
(0.16)
(1.00)
2021
11.14
0.28
2.18
2.46
(0.07)
–
(0.07)
2020
11.26
0.22
(0.06)
0.16
(0.28)
–
(0.28)
2019
11.74
0.32
(0.43)
(0.11)
(0.37)
–
(0.37)
2018
11.57
0.29
0.14
0.43
(0.26)
–
(0.26)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
D-11
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$12.73
0.95%(b)
$150,176
1.20%(c)
2.34%
90.9%
13.53
21.79(b)
83,941
1.20(c)
1.74
70.0
11.13
0.89(b)
43,485
1.19(c)
1.57
85.4
11.23
(1.11)(b)
54,880
1.22(c)
2.35
71.5
11.70
3.36(b)
107,180
1.22(c)
2.05
84.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.73
1.35
2,624,597
0.83(c)
2.61
90.9
13.54
22.18
2,086,484
0.83(c)
1.97
70.0
11.14
1.36
1,960,593
0.84(c)
1.95
85.4
11.25
(0.83)
2,388,382
0.85(c)
2.74
71.5
11.74
3.72
2,518,033
0.85(c)
2.45
84.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.65
0.89
274
1.33(c)
2.06
90.9
13.43
21.47
225
1.34(c)
1.49
70.0
11.07
0.78
138
1.36(c)
1.39
85.4
11.20
(1.27)
113
1.36(c)
2.22
71.5
11.69
3.15
81
1.35(c)
1.99
84.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.72
1.24
73
1.02(c)
2.49
90.9
13.51
21.99
38
1.03(c)
1.71
70.0
11.10
1.01
32
1.05(c)
1.71
85.4
11.23
(0.92)
74
1.05(c)
2.71
71.5
11.73
3.53
12
1.04(c)
2.35
84.1
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.72
1.45
1,853,422
0.77(c)
2.61
90.9
13.53
22.14
2,213,151
0.78(c)
2.22
70.0
11.14
1.32
1,162,658
0.79(c)
1.99
85.4
11.26
(0.68)
1,330,773
0.79(c)
2.82
71.5
11.74
3.78
1,523,846
0.79(c)
2.50
84.1
D-12
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
EDGE MIDCAP FUND
Class A shares
2022
$18.61
$0.05
$(1.99)
$(1.94)
$(0.04)
$(4.68)
$(4.72)
2021
14.76
0.02
4.61
4.63
(0.05)
(0.73)
(0.78)
2020
14.39
0.06
0.92
0.98
(0.11)
(0.50)
(0.61)
2019(e)
11.98
0.06
2.35
2.41
–
–
–
Institutional shares
2022
18.71
0.10
(2.00)
(1.90)
(0.08)
(4.68)
(4.76)
2021
14.83
0.08
4.62
4.70
(0.09)
(0.73)
(0.82)
2020
14.42
0.11
0.92
1.03
(0.12)
(0.50)
(0.62)
2019
14.99
0.11
0.09
0.20
(0.15)
(0.62)
(0.77)
2018
12.60
0.16
2.42
2.58
–
(0.19)
(0.19)
R-6 shares
2022
18.78
0.11
(2.00)
(1.89)
(0.10)
(4.68)
(4.78)
2021
14.88
0.09
4.65
4.74
(0.11)
(0.73)
(0.84)
2020
14.46
0.13
0.92
1.05
(0.13)
(0.50)
(0.63)
2019
15.03
0.13
0.09
0.22
(0.17)
(0.62)
(0.79)
2018
12.68
0.16
2.44
2.60
(0.06)
(0.19)
(0.25)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(d)
Total return is calculated using the traded net asset value which may differ from the reported net asset value. The traded net asset value is the net asset value which a shareholder would have paid or received from a subscription or redemption.
(e)
Period from December 31, 2018, date operations commenced, through August 31, 2019.
(f)
Total return amounts have not been annualized.
(g)
Computed on an annualized basis.
D-13
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$11.95
(13.95)%(b)
$16,564
1.10%(c)
0.38%
16.1%
18.61
32.16(b)
21,225
1.10(c)
0.13
14.4
14.76
6.54(b)(d)
12,547
1.10(c)
0.46
27.9
14.39
20.20(b)(d)(f)
5,587
1.10(c)(g)
0.59(g)
19.8
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.05
(13.65)
61,125
0.77(c)
0.70
16.1
18.71
32.55
112,703
0.77(c)
0.46
14.4
14.83
6.97
82,198
0.77(c)
0.79
27.9
14.42
2.47
34,358
0.82(c)
0.81
19.8
14.99
20.58
14,470
0.90(c)
1.17
17.4
 
 
 
 
 
 
12.11
(13.54)
33,326
0.66(c)
0.79
16.1
18.78
32.68
451,070
0.65(c)
0.57
14.4
14.88
7.11
758,215
0.66(c)
0.90
27.9
14.46
2.56
653,991
0.71(c)
0.90
19.8
15.03
20.69
657,980
0.76(c)
1.15
17.4
D-14
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Tax Return
of Capital
Distribution
GLOBAL MULTI-STRATEGY FUND
Class A shares
2022
$11.77
$0.05
$(0.35)
$(0.30)
$(0.02)
$(0.39)
$–
2021
10.95
0.03
0.93
0.96
(0.14)
–
–
2020
10.64
0.18
0.13
0.31
–
–
–
2019
11.09
0.18
(0.02)
0.16
(0.11)
(0.47)
(0.03)
2018
11.28
0.11
(0.01)
0.10
(0.05)
(0.24)
–
Institutional shares
2022
11.96
0.11
(0.37)
(0.26)
(0.07)
(0.39)
–
2021
11.12
0.10
0.93
1.03
(0.19)
–
–
2020
10.76
0.21
0.15
0.36
–
–
–
2019
11.21
0.23
(0.02)
0.21
(0.16)
(0.47)
(0.03)
2018
11.39
0.15
–
0.15
(0.09)
(0.24)
–
R-6 shares
2022
11.96
0.10
(0.35)
(0.25)
(0.07)
(0.39)
–
2021
11.12
0.10
0.93
1.03
(0.19)
–
–
2020
10.75
0.29
0.08
0.37
–
–
–
2019
11.21
0.23
(0.02)
0.21
(0.17)
(0.47)
(0.03)
2018
11.39
0.16
(0.01)
0.15
(0.09)
(0.24)
–
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(d)
Excludes dividends and interest expense on short sales and short sale fees and reverse repurchase agreement expense. See “Operating Policies” in notes to financial statements.
(e)
Total return is calculated using the traded net asset value which may differ from the reported net asset value. The traded net asset value is the net asset value which a shareholder would have paid or received from a subscription or redemption.
(f)
Includes 0.01% of expenses associated with fund investments. The expense is not subject to the Manager's contractual expense limit.
D-15
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Expenses
to Average
Net
Assets (Excluding
Dividends and
Interest Expense
on Short Sales,
Short Sale Fees and
Reverse Repurchase
Agreement Expense)
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$(0.41)
$11.06
(2.60)%(b)
$38,252
2.41%(c)
2.08%(c)(d)
0.47%
123.2%
(0.14)
11.77
8.71(b)(e)
39,485
2.60(c)
2.12(c)(d)
0.30
289.8
–
10.95
3.01(b)(e)
27,072
3.68(c)(f)
2.11(c)(d)(f)
1.68
439.7
(0.61)
10.64
1.82(b)
41,100
3.37(c)(f)
2.02(c)(d)(f)
1.72
387.8
(0.29)
11.09
0.90(b)
63,860
2.48(c)
1.95(c)(d)
1.02
378.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(0.46)
11.24
(2.19)
364,886
1.96(c)
1.63(c)(d)
0.92
123.2
(0.19)
11.96
9.27(e)
351,188
2.16(c)
1.63(c)(d)
0.89
289.8
–
11.12
3.44(e)
591,298
3.21(c)(f)
1.64(c)(d)(f)
1.98
439.7
(0.66)
10.76
2.24
453,013
2.99(c)(f)
1.64(c)(d)(f)
2.11
387.8
(0.33)
11.21
1.29
749,738
2.16(c)
1.63(c)(d)
1.35
378.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(0.46)
11.25
(2.10)
76,481
1.91(c)
1.58(c)(d)
0.88
123.2
(0.19)
11.96
9.37
173,029
2.08(c)
1.58(c)(d)
0.89
289.8
–
11.12
3.44
166,448
3.15(c)(f)
1.58(c)(d)(f)
2.74
439.7
(0.67)
10.75
2.28
818,258
2.91(c)(f)
1.56(c)(d)(f)
2.19
387.8
(0.33)
11.21
1.25(e)
1,780,595
2.08(c)
1.55(c)(d)
1.43
378.0
D-16
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
INTERNATIONAL EQUITY INDEX FUND
Institutional shares
2022
$12.39
$0.34
$(2.74)
$(2.40)
$(0.36)
$(0.24)
$(0.60)
2021
10.06
0.27
2.32
2.59
(0.23)
(0.03)
(0.26)
2020
9.83
0.21
0.37
0.58
(0.32)
(0.03)
(0.35)
2019
10.57
0.30
(0.69)
(0.39)
(0.26)
(0.09)
(0.35)
2018
10.55
0.28
0.12
0.40
(0.30)
(0.08)
(0.38)
R-1 shares
2022
11.97
0.23
(2.65)
(2.42)
(0.25)
(0.24)
(0.49)
2021
9.73
0.16
2.25
2.41
(0.14)
(0.03)
(0.17)
2020
9.50
0.12
0.35
0.47
(0.21)
(0.03)
(0.24)
2019
10.20
0.20
(0.65)
(0.45)
(0.16)
(0.09)
(0.25)
2018
10.20
0.18
0.11
0.29
(0.21)
(0.08)
(0.29)
R-3 shares
2022
12.13
0.27
(2.69)
(2.42)
(0.29)
(0.24)
(0.53)
2021
9.85
0.19
2.29
2.48
(0.17)
(0.03)
(0.20)
2020
9.64
0.16
0.35
0.51
(0.27)
(0.03)
(0.30)
2019
10.35
0.23
(0.65)
(0.42)
(0.20)
(0.09)
(0.29)
2018
10.35
0.22
0.10
0.32
(0.24)
(0.08)
(0.32)
R-4 shares
2022
12.27
0.29
(2.71)
(2.42)
(0.31)
(0.24)
(0.55)
2021
9.97
0.22
2.31
2.53
(0.20)
(0.03)
(0.23)
2020
9.75
0.18
0.36
0.54
(0.29)
(0.03)
(0.32)
2019
10.48
0.25
(0.67)
(0.42)
(0.22)
(0.09)
(0.31)
2018
10.46
0.24
0.12
0.36
(0.26)
(0.08)
(0.34)
R-5 shares
2022
12.31
0.31
(2.72)
(2.41)
(0.33)
(0.24)
(0.57)
2021
10.00
0.24
2.30
2.54
(0.20)
(0.03)
(0.23)
2020
9.78
0.19
0.36
0.55
(0.30)
(0.03)
(0.33)
2019
10.50
0.27
(0.67)
(0.40)
(0.23)
(0.09)
(0.32)
2018
10.49
0.24
0.12
0.36
(0.27)
(0.08)
(0.35)
R-6 shares
2022
12.40
0.34
(2.74)
(2.40)
(0.36)
(0.24)
(0.60)
2021
10.06
0.27
2.33
2.60
(0.23)
(0.03)
(0.26)
2020
9.83
0.22
0.36
0.58
(0.32)
(0.03)
(0.35)
2019
10.57
0.30
(0.69)
(0.39)
(0.26)
(0.09)
(0.35)
2018
10.54
0.29
0.12
0.41
(0.30)
(0.08)
(0.38)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(c)
Includes 0.01% of expenses associated with the reclaim of foreign taxes paid. The expense is not subject to the Manager's contractual expense limit.
(d)
Total return is calculated using the traded net asset value which may differ from the reported net asset value. The traded net asset value is the net asset value which a shareholder would have paid or received from a subscription or redemption.
D-17
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$9.39
(20.27)%
$41,036
0.32%(b)(c)
3.09%
20.1%
12.39
26.03
50,246
0.31(b)
2.38
21.7
10.06
5.77
35,803
0.31(b)
2.11
31.1
9.83
(3.33)
50,221
0.31(b)
3.09
23.4
10.57
3.69
46,042
0.34(b)
2.54
27.2
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.06
(21.00)
325
1.19(c)
2.15
20.1
11.97
24.95
491
1.19
1.46
21.7
9.73
4.86
491
1.19
1.31
31.1
9.50
(4.19)
588
1.20
2.09
23.4
10.20
2.78
722
1.19
1.71
27.2
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.18
(20.75)
10,683
0.88(c)
2.47
20.1
12.13
25.42
16,698
0.88
1.75
21.7
9.85
5.11
15,706
0.88
1.65
31.1
9.64
(3.82)
16,499
0.89
2.41
23.4
10.35
3.03
17,816
0.88
2.04
27.2
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.30
(20.53)
8,359
0.69(c)
2.70
20.1
12.27
25.56
10,509
0.69
1.96
21.7
9.97
5.34
9,023
0.69
1.84
31.1
9.75
(3.72)
7,466
0.70
2.51
23.4
10.48
3.37
11,977
0.69
2.22
27.2
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.33
(20.45)
13,153
0.57(c)
2.82
20.1
12.31
25.66
18,863
0.57
2.08
21.7
10.00
5.45
16,208
0.57
1.95
31.1
9.78
(3.50)
16,948
0.58
2.80
23.4
10.50
3.38
18,479
0.57
2.26
27.2
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.40
(20.25)
912,444
0.30(b)(c)
3.10
20.1
12.40
26.14
1,151,273
0.29(b)
2.35
21.7
10.06
5.66(d)
1,020,094
0.29(b)
2.25
31.1
9.83
(3.23)(d)
1,003,550
0.28(b)
3.04
23.4
10.57
3.80
997,061
0.27(b)
2.67
27.2
D-18
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
INTERNATIONAL SMALL COMPANY FUND
Institutional shares
2022
$13.47
$0.20
$(3.69)
$(3.49)
$(0.16)
$(0.94)
$(1.10)
2021
10.63
0.12
2.87
2.99
(0.15)
–
(0.15)
2020
10.46
0.09
0.40
0.49
(0.32)
–
(0.32)
2019
12.36
0.14
(1.17)
(1.03)
(0.14)
(0.73)
(0.87)
2018
12.17
0.15
0.67
0.82
(0.26)
(0.37)
(0.63)
R-6 shares
2022
13.55
0.22
(3.72)
(3.50)
(0.18)
(0.94)
(1.12)
2021
10.70
0.13
2.87
3.00
(0.15)
–
(0.15)
2020
10.52
0.09
0.42
0.51
(0.33)
–
(0.33)
2019
12.42
0.14
(1.16)
(1.02)
(0.15)
(0.73)
(0.88)
2018
12.21
0.13
0.71
0.84
(0.26)
(0.37)
(0.63)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
D-19
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$8.88
(27.62)%
$49,278
1.16%(b)
1.81%
61.4%
13.47
28.27
94,066
1.19(b)
0.96
54.6
10.63
4.49
72,515
1.20(b)
0.88
44.1
10.46
(7.31)
34,866
1.20(b)
1.36
46.8
12.36
6.63
18,212
1.20(b)
1.19
45.9
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.93
(27.61)
655,371
1.08(b)
2.00
61.4
13.55
28.27
1,087,460
1.08(b)
1.11
54.6
10.70
4.67
966,964
1.08(b)
0.91
44.1
10.52
(7.20)
855,932
1.07(b)
1.36
46.8
12.42
6.79
976,593
1.06(b)
1.06
45.9
D-20
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
OPPORTUNISTIC MUNICIPAL FUND
Class A shares
2022
$11.71
$0.36
$(1.91)
$(1.55)
$(0.36)
$(0.36)
$9.80
2021
10.96
0.37
0.76
1.13
(0.38)
(0.38)
11.71
2020
11.26
0.36
(0.30)
0.06
(0.36)
(0.36)
10.96
2019
10.60
0.43
0.64
1.07
(0.41)
(0.41)
11.26
2018
10.65
0.42
(0.07)
0.35
(0.40)
(0.40)
10.60
Institutional shares
2022
11.72
0.39
(1.92)
(1.53)
(0.39)
(0.39)
9.80
2021
10.97
0.40
0.76
1.16
(0.41)
(0.41)
11.72
2020
11.26
0.40
(0.30)
0.10
(0.39)
(0.39)
10.97
2019
10.61
0.46
0.63
1.09
(0.44)
(0.44)
11.26
2018
10.66
0.45
(0.07)
0.38
(0.43)
(0.43)
10.61
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(d)
Excludes interest expense and fees paid through inverse floater agreements. See “Operating Policies” in notes to financial statements.
D-21
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of
Expenses to
Average Net
Assets (Excluding
Interest Expense
and Fees)
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
(13.42)%(b)
$49,013
0.90%(c)
0.84%(c)(d)
3.32%
52.4%
10.43(b)
59,266
0.88(c)
0.84(c)(d)
3.26
48.0
0.62(b)
50,459
0.91(c)
0.84(c)(d)
3.35
76.6
10.36(b)
53,756
0.98(c)
0.86(c)(d)
4.01
66.1
3.37(b)
46,667
1.00(c)
0.90(c)(d)
3.94
76.0
 
 
 
 
 
 
(13.25)
90,215
0.62(c)
0.56(c)(d)
3.57
52.4
10.73
116,210
0.60(c)
0.56(c)(d)
3.52
48.0
0.99
82,465
0.63(c)
0.56(c)(d)
3.64
76.6
10.55
82,132
0.70(c)
0.58(c)(d)
4.27
66.1
3.66
55,466
0.72(c)
0.62(c)(d)
4.21
76.0
D-22
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from
Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
ORIGIN EMERGING MARKETS FUND
Class A shares
2022
$14.16
$0.30
$(4.21)
$(3.91)
$(0.18)
$(0.24)
$(0.42)
2021
12.36
0.14
1.71
1.85
(0.05)
–
(0.05)
2020
10.63
0.11
1.77
1.88
(0.15)
–
(0.15)
2019
11.28
0.11
(0.68)
(0.57)
(0.08)
–
(0.08)
2018
11.74
0.12
(0.52)
(0.40)
(0.06)
–
(0.06)
Institutional shares
2022
13.95
0.35
(4.15)
(3.80)
(0.24)
(0.24)
(0.48)
2021
12.17
0.18
1.69
1.87
(0.09)
–
(0.09)
2020
10.47
0.16
1.74
1.90
(0.20)
–
(0.20)
2019
11.16
0.18
(0.71)
(0.53)
(0.16)
–
(0.16)
2018
11.61
0.07
(0.41)
(0.34)
(0.11)
–
(0.11)
R-6 shares
2022
13.98
0.34
(4.13)
(3.79)
(0.26)
(0.24)
(0.50)
2021
12.18
0.22
1.68
1.90
(0.10)
–
(0.10)
2020
10.48
0.16
1.75
1.91
(0.21)
–
(0.21)
2019
11.16
0.25
(0.76)
(0.51)
(0.17)
–
(0.17)
2018
11.61
0.15
(0.49)
(0.34)
(0.11)
–
(0.11)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
D-23
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$9.83
(28.32)%(b)
$5,426
1.57%(c)
2.45%
48.7%
14.16
14.95(b)
9,524
1.60(c)
1.00
71.9
12.36
17.73(b)
4,003
1.60(c)
0.96
72.9
10.63
(4.94)(b)
2,455
1.66(c)
1.08
59.4
11.28
(3.49)(b)
4,384
1.75(c)
0.97
52.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.67
(28.08)
96,342
1.20(c)
2.97
48.7
13.95
15.42
124,727
1.20(c)
1.30
71.9
12.17
18.21
26,478
1.20(c)
1.44
72.9
10.47
(4.55)
11,710
1.22(c)
1.78
59.4
11.16
(2.98)
12,032
1.25(c)
0.58
52.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.69
(27.96)
2,180,550
1.05(c)
2.85
48.7
13.98
15.61
3,729,485
1.05(c)
1.56
71.9
12.18
18.30
1,827,389
1.07(c)
1.43
72.9
10.48
(4.42)
1,082,059
1.12(c)
2.40
59.4
11.16
(2.97)
622,846
1.21(c)
1.21
52.3
D-24
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
SMALL-MIDCAP DIVIDEND INCOME FUND
Class A shares
2022
$17.01
$0.20
$(1.09)
$(0.89)
$(0.16)
$(0.02)
$(0.18)
2021
11.91
0.10
5.16
5.26
(0.16)
–
(0.16)
2020
13.96
0.16
(1.88)
(1.72)
(0.23)
(0.10)
(0.33)
2019
17.84
0.28
(1.92)
(1.64)
(0.35)
(1.89)
(2.24)
2018
16.57
0.34
1.92
2.26
(0.21)
(0.78)
(0.99)
Class C shares
2022
16.81
0.07
(1.09)
(1.02)
(0.03)
(0.02)
(0.05)
2021
11.78
(0.01)
5.11
5.10
(0.07)
–
(0.07)
2020
13.82
0.06
(1.86)
(1.80)
(0.14)
(0.10)
(0.24)
2019
17.68
0.17
(1.90)
(1.73)
(0.24)
(1.89)
(2.13)
2018
16.43
0.21
1.90
2.11
(0.08)
(0.78)
(0.86)
Institutional shares
2022
17.11
0.24
(1.10)
(0.86)
(0.20)
(0.02)
(0.22)
2021
11.97
0.15
5.18
5.33
(0.19)
–
(0.19)
2020
14.04
0.19
(1.89)
(1.70)
(0.27)
(0.10)
(0.37)
2019
17.92
0.32
(1.91)
(1.59)
(0.40)
(1.89)
(2.29)
2018
16.65
0.39
1.92
2.31
(0.26)
(0.78)
(1.04)
R-6 shares
2022
17.20
0.26
(1.12)
(0.86)
(0.21)
(0.02)
(0.23)
2021
12.03
0.15
5.22
5.37
(0.20)
–
(0.20)
2020
14.10
0.20
(1.89)
(1.69)
(0.28)
(0.10)
(0.38)
2019
17.98
0.33
(1.93)
(1.60)
(0.39)
(1.89)
(2.28)
2018
16.66
0.40
1.94
2.34
(0.24)
(0.78)
(1.02)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
D-25
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$15.94
(5.31)%(b)
$145,799
1.12%(c)
1.17%
22.1%
17.01
44.42(b)
148,411
1.12(c)
0.70
74.6
11.91
(12.55)(b)
103,382
1.12(c)
1.20
28.9
13.96
(7.83)(b)
147,402
1.13(c)
1.91
21.9
17.84
13.93(b)
214,620
1.13(c)
1.98
31.5
 
 
 
 
 
 
15.74
(6.09)(b)
45,460
1.87(c)
0.39
22.1
16.81
43.44(b)
69,017
1.87(c)
(0.03)
74.6
11.78
(13.25)(b)
71,660
1.87(c)
0.45
28.9
13.82
(8.50)(b)
118,135
1.88(c)
1.16
21.9
17.68
13.08(b)
170,893
1.88(c)
1.23
31.5
 
 
 
 
 
 
16.03
(5.08)
749,448
0.85(c)
1.44
22.1
17.11
44.89
833,344
0.85(c)
1.02
74.6
11.97
(12.36)
1,408,105
0.85(c)
1.47
28.9
14.04
(7.54)
1,892,406
0.86(c)
2.19
21.9
17.92
14.20
2,453,527
0.86(c)
2.25
31.5
 
 
 
 
 
 
16.11
(5.05)
120,396
0.80(c)
1.54
22.1
17.20
45.03
61,986
0.79(c)
0.93
74.6
12.03
(12.24)
9,135
0.79(c)
1.52
28.9
14.10
(7.54)
8,589
0.79(c)
2.27
21.9
17.98
14.39
7,737
0.78(c)
2.28
31.5
D-26
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
SMALL-MIDCAP GROWTH FUND
Institutional shares
2022
$19.16
$(0.08)
$(3.17)
$(3.25)
$(0.02)
$(4.94)
$(4.96)
2021
14.33
(0.06)
6.31
6.25
–
(1.42)
(1.42)
2020
10.26
(0.06)
4.13
4.07
–
–
–
2019(d)
10.00
(0.01)
0.27
0.26
–
–
–
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(c)
Total return is calculated using the traded net asset value which may differ from the reported net asset value. The traded net asset value is the net asset value which a shareholder would have paid or received from a subscription or redemption.
(d)
Period from June 12, 2019, date operations commenced, through August 31, 2019.
(e)
Total return amounts have not been annualized.
(f)
Computed on an annualized basis.
D-27
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$10.95
(21.76)%
$8,707
0.83%(b)
(0.60)%
161.6%
19.16
44.49(c)
11,489
0.83(b)
(0.33)
148.4
14.33
39.77(c)
7,626
0.83(b)
(0.59)
134.3
10.26
2.60(e)
5,131
0.83(b)(f)
(0.48)(f)
175.8(f)
D-28
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
SPECTRUM PREFERRED AND CAPITAL SECURITIES INCOME FUND
Class A shares
2022
$10.64
$0.37
$(1.44)
$(1.07)
$(0.44)
$–
$(0.44)
2021
10.32
0.38
0.36
0.74
(0.42)
–
(0.42)
2020
10.30
0.42
0.05
0.47
(0.45)
–
(0.45)
2019
10.06
0.49
0.26
0.75
(0.51)
–
(0.51)
2018
10.53
0.50
(0.46)
0.04
(0.49)
(0.02)
(0.51)
Class C shares
2022
10.64
0.30
(1.45)
(1.15)
(0.36)
–
(0.36)
2021
10.31
0.30
0.37
0.67
(0.34)
–
(0.34)
2020
10.29
0.35
0.04
0.39
(0.37)
–
(0.37)
2019
10.05
0.42
0.25
0.67
(0.43)
–
(0.43)
2018
10.52
0.42
(0.46)
(0.04)
(0.41)
(0.02)
(0.43)
Class J shares
2022
10.32
0.36
(1.41)
(1.05)
(0.44)
–
(0.44)
2021
10.01
0.37
0.37
0.74
(0.43)
–
(0.43)
2020
10.01
0.41
0.04
0.45
(0.45)
–
(0.45)
2019
9.79
0.47
0.26
0.73
(0.51)
–
(0.51)
2018
10.26
0.49
(0.45)
0.04
(0.49)
(0.02)
(0.51)
Institutional shares
2022
10.56
0.39
(1.44)
(1.05)
(0.46)
–
(0.46)
2021
10.24
0.40
0.37
0.77
(0.45)
–
(0.45)
2020
10.23
0.45
0.04
0.49
(0.48)
–
(0.48)
2019
9.99
0.52
0.26
0.78
(0.54)
–
(0.54)
2018
10.46
0.52
(0.46)
0.06
(0.51)
(0.02)
(0.53)
R-1 shares
2022
10.50
0.32
(1.43)
(1.11)
(0.39)
–
(0.39)
2021
10.19
0.32
0.36
0.68
(0.37)
–
(0.37)
2020
10.17
0.36
0.06
0.42
(0.40)
–
(0.40)
2019
9.94
0.44
0.25
0.69
(0.46)
–
(0.46)
2018
10.41
0.44
(0.46)
(0.02)
(0.43)
(0.02)
(0.45)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Total return is calculated without the front-end sales charge or contingent deferred sales charge, if applicable.
(c)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit and/or Distributor's voluntary distribution fee limit.
(d)
Excludes expense reimbursement from Manager and/or Distributor.
(e)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
D-29
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Gross
Expenses to
Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$9.13
(10.28)%(b)
$808,228
1.03%
–%
3.78%
15.4%
10.64
7.32(b)
971,310
1.04
–
3.62
21.6
10.32
4.77(b)
844,525
1.05
–
4.18
18.1
10.30
7.80(b)
732,421
1.06
–
4.96
19.8
10.06
0.32(b)
655,225
1.06
–
4.83
12.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.13
(10.98)(b)
180,824
1.79
–
3.01
15.4
10.64
6.58(b)
256,799
1.79
–
2.89
21.6
10.31
3.95(b)
365,817
1.81
–
3.44
18.1
10.29
6.97(b)
469,674
1.81
–
4.21
19.8
10.05
(0.44)(b)
631,599
1.81
–
4.08
12.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.83
(10.38)(b)
36,128
1.01(c)
1.03(d)
3.80
15.4
10.32
7.50(b)
42,288
1.00(c)
1.02(d)
3.68
21.6
10.01
4.67(b)
42,554
1.07(c)
1.10(d)
4.17
18.1
10.01
7.75(b)
45,660
1.13(c)
1.16(d)
4.89
19.8
9.79
0.38(b)
45,458
1.02(c)
1.05(d)
4.87
12.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.05
(10.14)
4,213,593
0.79(e)
–
4.01
15.4
10.56
7.64
5,472,494
0.79(e)
–
3.87
21.6
10.24
4.96
4,746,270
0.81(e)
–
4.42
18.1
10.23
8.12
3,591,388
0.81(e)
–
5.21
19.8
9.99
0.59
3,306,108
0.80(e)
–
5.09
12.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.00
(10.81)
476
1.57
–
3.23
15.4
10.50
6.75
620
1.57
–
3.10
21.6
10.19
4.24
613
1.58
–
3.62
18.1
10.17
7.23
1,024
1.58
–
4.44
19.8
9.94
(0.20)
987
1.58
–
4.29
12.3
D-30
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc.
Selected data for a share of Capital Stock outstanding throughout each year ended August 31 (except as noted):
 
 
Net Asset
Value,
Beginning
of Period
Net
Investment
Income (Loss)(a)
Net Realized
and Unrealized
Gain (Loss) on
Investments
Total From
Investment
Operations
Dividends
from Net
Investment
Income
Distributions
from Realized
Gains
Total
Dividends
and
Distributions
SPECTRUM PREFERRED AND CAPITAL SECURITIES INCOME FUND
R-3 shares
2022
$10.48
$0.35
$(1.43)
$(1.08)
$(0.42)
$–
$(0.42)
2021
10.16
0.35
0.37
0.72
(0.40)
–
(0.40)
2020
10.15
0.40
0.04
0.44
(0.43)
–
(0.43)
2019
9.92
0.47
0.25
0.72
(0.49)
–
(0.49)
2018
10.39
0.47
(0.46)
0.01
(0.46)
(0.02)
(0.48)
R-4 shares
2022
10.45
0.36
(1.42)
(1.06)
(0.44)
–
(0.44)
2021
10.14
0.37
0.36
0.73
(0.42)
–
(0.42)
2020
10.13
0.42
0.04
0.46
(0.45)
–
(0.45)
2019
9.90
0.48
0.26
0.74
(0.51)
–
(0.51)
2018
10.37
0.49
(0.46)
0.03
(0.48)
(0.02)
(0.50)
R-5 shares
2022
10.51
0.38
(1.43)
(1.05)
(0.45)
–
(0.45)
2021
10.19
0.39
0.36
0.75
(0.43)
–
(0.43)
2020
10.18
0.43
0.04
0.47
(0.46)
–
(0.46)
2019
9.95
0.50
0.25
0.75
(0.52)
–
(0.52)
2018
10.42
0.50
(0.45)
0.05
(0.50)
(0.02)
(0.52)
R-6 shares
2022
10.55
0.40
(1.43)
(1.03)
(0.47)
–
(0.47)
2021
10.24
0.41
0.36
0.77
(0.46)
–
(0.46)
2020
10.23
0.46
0.04
0.50
(0.49)
–
(0.49)
2019
9.99
0.53
0.25
0.78
(0.54)
–
(0.54)
2018
10.46
0.53
(0.46)
0.07
(0.52)
(0.02)
(0.54)
(a)
Calculated based on average shares outstanding during the period.
(b)
Reflects Manager's contractual expense limit.
(c)
Total return is calculated using the traded net asset value which may differ from the reported net asset value. The traded net asset value is the net asset value which a shareholder would have paid or received from a subscription or redemption.
D-31
Financial Highlights
Principal Funds, Inc. (Continued)
 
Net Asset
Value, End
of Period
Total
Return
Net Assets,
End of Period
(in thousands)
Ratio of
Expenses
to Average
Net Assets
Ratio of Net
Investment
Income to
Average
Net Assets
Portfolio
Turnover
Rate
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
$8.98
(10.53)%
$7,838
1.26%
3.64%
15.4%
10.48
7.20
2,521
1.26
3.38
21.6
10.16
4.49
1,328
1.27
3.98
18.1
10.15
7.58
2,101
1.27
4.77
19.8
9.92
0.11
2,319
1.27
4.62
12.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
8.95
(10.41)
938
1.07
3.75
15.4
10.45
7.31
834
1.07
3.61
21.6
10.14
4.71
1,031
1.08
4.16
18.1
10.13
7.80
1,397
1.08
4.93
19.8
9.90
0.31
1,284
1.08
4.82
12.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.01
(10.24)
2,726
0.95
3.82
15.4
10.51
7.51
4,126
0.95
3.72
21.6
10.19
4.82
3,526
0.96
4.29
18.1
10.18
7.89
3,200
0.96
5.05
19.8
9.95
0.43
3,023
0.96
4.92
12.3
 
 
 
 
 
 
9.05
(9.97)
1,228,160
0.70
4.11
15.4
10.55
7.64
1,706,467
0.70(b)
3.97
21.6
10.24
5.17(c)
1,518,101
0.71(b)
4.52
18.1
10.23
8.12(c)
910,863
0.71(b)
5.32
19.8
9.99
0.69
1,010,227
0.71(b)
5.21
12.3
D-32
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information about the Funds is available in the SAI dated December 31, 2022, which is incorporated by reference into this Prospectus. Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Registrant’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports to Shareholders. In the Registrant’s Annual Report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected each Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year. The SAI and the Registrant’s Annual and Semi-Annual Reports can be obtained free of charge by writing Principal Funds, P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971. In addition, the Registrant makes its SAI and Annual and Semi-Annual Reports available, free of charge, on www.PrincipalAM.com/Prospectuses. To request this and other information about the Funds and to make shareholder inquiries, telephone 1-800-222-5852.
Reports and other information about the Registrant are available on the EDGAR Database on the SEC’s internet site at www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: [email protected].
The Registrant has entered into a management agreement with PGI. The Registrant and/or PGI, on behalf of the Funds, enter into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the Funds' sub-advisors, distributor, transfer agent, and custodian, who provide services to the Funds. These arrangements are between the Registrant and/or PGI and the applicable service provider. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any of these arrangements. Such arrangements are not intended to create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right, including the right to enforce such arrangements against the service providers or to seek any remedy thereunder against PGI or any other service provider, either directly or on behalf of the Registrant or any Fund.
This Prospectus provides information that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of a Fund. This Prospectus, the SAI, or the contracts that are exhibits to the Registrant’s registration statement are not intended to give rise to any agreement or contract between the Registrant and/or any Fund and any investor, or give rise to any contract or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders, or other person other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.
The U.S. government does not insure or guarantee an investment in any of the Funds.
Shares of the Funds are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, Principal Bank or any other financial institution, nor are shares of the Funds federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency.
Principal Funds, Inc. SEC File 811-07572
E