Principal Spectrum Tax-Advantaged Dividend… (PQDI) Performance
PQDI total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- −1.2% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- −0.1% total return
- 5 years
- +2.5% a year
- Since first price
- +4.0% a year since 2020
PQDI trailing returns vs AGG, TLT, SPY
| Period | PQDI total return | Price only | U.S. bonds (AGG) | 20+ yr Treasuries (TLT) | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.7% | −2.2% | +0.9% | +1.5% | −1.0% |
| 3 months | −2.2% | −3.6% | −0.4% | −1.0% | +3.2% |
| 6 months | −2.3% | −5.2% | −1.5% | −3.8% | +7.8% |
| YTD | −1.2% | −5.4% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 1 year | −0.1% | −5.6% | −1.1% | −6.9% | +14.4% |
| 3 years | +27.2%+8.4%/yr | +8.7% | +16.6%+5.2%/yr | +9.7%+3.1%/yr | +87.4%+23.3%/yr |
| 5 years | +13.1%+2.5%/yr | −13.5% | −0.8%−0.2%/yr | −32.5%−7.6%/yr | +79.3%+12.4%/yr |
| Since inceptionJun 17, 2020 | +28.2%+4.0%/yr | −8.0% | — | — | — |
Total return from adjusted closes (distributions reinvested, before tax). Periods of 3 years or more are also shown annualized. Price only excludes distributions.
Growth of $10,000: PQDI vs AGG
From Jun 17, 2020: PQDI grew to $12,817, AGG to $9,866.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
PQDI returns by calendar year
4 of 5 full years positive. Best 2024 (+10.0%), worst 2022 (−9.6%). 2026 is year to date.
PQDI annual returns table
| Year | PQDI | Largest drop | AGG | TLT | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | −1.2% | −3.4% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 2025 | +8.5% | −2.2% | +7.2% | +4.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +10.0% | −1.5% | +1.3% | −8.1% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +6.2% | −12.6% | +5.7% | +2.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −9.6% | −12.9% | −13.0% | −31.2% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +3.1% | −2.5% | −1.8% | −4.6% | +28.7% |
Largest drop = deepest fall from a high within that calendar year.
Calendar-year return vs largest drop within the year
Most years include a sizable fall at some point even when the year ends higher.
PQDI largest drawdowns
Now 3.4% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 23, 2021 | −17.4% | Mar 20, 2023 | Jun 17, 2024 | 1.5 years | 2.7 years |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 5% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
PQDI risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +7.7% | +2.5% | +4.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 4.5% | 6.7% | 6.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.71 | -0.13 | 0.21 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.16 | -0.18 | 0.30 |
| Best month | +4.7% | +5.0% | +5.0% |
| Worst month | −2.5% | −5.9% | −5.9% |
| Best 12 months | +18.0% | +18.0% | +18.0% |
| Worst 12 months | +0.5% | −12.3% | −12.3% |
| Positive months | 78% | 63% | 65% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.26 | 0.29 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.70 | 0.67 | — |
From monthly total returns. Sharpe and Sortino use 1–3 month T-bills (BIL) as the risk-free rate, so they need history from 2007 on.
PQDI rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 65 | −12.3% | +6.5% | +18.0% | 69% |
| 3-year (a year) | 41 | −1.2% | +3.7% | +9.3% | 88% |
| 5-year (a year) | 17 | +2.5% | +3.4% | +4.4% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2020. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
PQDI performance overview
Principal Spectrum Tax-Advantaged Dividend… (PQDI) returned −0.1% over the past year and +2.5% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2020 it has returned +4.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $12,817. Over the same year U.S. bonds (AGG) returned −1.1%.
The deepest decline was −17.4%, from Sep 23, 2021 to Mar 20, 2023, and it took 1.2 years to get back to the old high. PQDI finished 4 of its 5 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2024 (+10.0%) and the worst 2022 (−9.6%). Volatility has been 6.4% a year.
Related: PQDI chart, PQDI dividends, PQDI bond profile. See the PQDI overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
PQDI performance FAQ
What is the PQDI return over the past year?
PQDI returned −0.1% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it fell 5.6%.
What is the average annual return of PQDI?
PQDI has returned +2.5% a year over 5 years, +4.0% a year since June 17, 2020 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in PQDI be worth?
$10,000 invested in PQDI at its first recorded close on June 17, 2020 would be worth about $12,817 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for PQDI?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −9.6%. The best was 2024 at +10.0%.
What is the biggest drawdown of PQDI?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −17.4% between September 23, 2021 and March 20, 2023. It recovered to the old high on June 17, 2024, 1.2 years after the bottom.
How volatile is PQDI?
Over the past 3 years PQDI had an annualized volatility of 4.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.71 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).