Principal U.S. Small-Cap Multi-Factor ETF (PSC) Performance
PSC total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +18.2% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +19.8% total return
- 5 years
- +8.6% a year
- 10 years
- +11.8% a year
- Since first price
- +11.6% a year since 2016
PSC trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | PSC total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.3% | +1.1% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +0.9% | +0.7% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +8.4% | +8.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +18.2% | +17.6% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +19.8% | +19.0% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +81.0%+21.9%/yr | +77.0% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +51.2%+8.6%/yr | +43.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +206.0%+11.8%/yr | +172.0% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionSep 22, 2016 | +201.4%+11.6%/yr | +167.9% | — | — | — |
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: PSC vs SPY
From Sep 22, 2016: PSC grew to $30,137, SPY to $40,975.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
PSC returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2021 (+32.6%), worst 2022 (−15.9%). 2026 is year to date.
PSC annual returns table
| Year | PSC | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +18.2% | −10.0% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +13.4% | −20.7% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +12.4% | −9.6% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +18.5% | −14.4% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −15.9% | −23.7% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +32.6% | −9.8% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +13.3% | −44.2% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +18.9% | −9.6% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −11.4% | −26.9% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +15.9% | −5.9% | +21.7% | +32.7% | +3.6% |
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.
PSC largest drawdowns
Now 3.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 29, 2018 | −46.8% | Mar 18, 2020 | Nov 24, 2020 | 1.6 years | 2.2 years |
| Nov 8, 2021 | −25.9% | Sep 26, 2022 | Mar 1, 2024 | 11 months | 2.3 years |
| Nov 25, 2024 | −23.5% | Apr 8, 2025 | Sep 8, 2025 | 4 months | 9 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
PSC risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +18.6% | +9.2% | +11.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 17.7% | 19.1% | 20.9% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.81 | 0.37 | 0.52 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.48 | 0.59 | 0.80 |
| Best month | +10.7% | +11.3% | +19.5% |
| Worst month | −8.6% | −8.9% | −25.1% |
| Best 12 months | +36.1% | +36.1% | +108.2% |
| Worst 12 months | −1.3% | −17.9% | −30.0% |
| Positive months | 56% | 52% | 61% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.12 | 1.02 | 1.16 |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.79 | 0.84 | 0.85 |
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.
PSC rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 110 | −30.0% | +10.9% | +108.2% | 71% |
| 3-year (a year) | 86 | −7.8% | +11.0% | +25.1% | 93% |
| 5-year (a year) | 62 | +4.6% | +9.9% | +19.2% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 2 | +11.6% | +11.7% | +11.8% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
PSC performance overview
Principal U.S. Small-Cap Multi-Factor ETF (PSC) returned +19.8% over the past year and +11.8% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +11.6% a year, turning $10,000 into about $30,137. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −46.8%, from Aug 29, 2018 to Mar 18, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. PSC finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2021 (+32.6%) and the worst 2022 (−15.9%). Volatility has been 20.9% a year.
Related: PSC chart, PSC holdings, PSC dividends, PSC valuation. See the PSC overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
PSC performance FAQ
What is the PSC return over the past year?
PSC returned +19.8% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 19.0%.
What is the average annual return of PSC?
PSC has returned +8.6% a year over 5 years, +11.8% a year over 10 years, +11.6% a year since September 22, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in PSC be worth?
$10,000 invested in PSC at its first recorded close on September 22, 2016 would be worth about $30,137 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for PSC?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −15.9%. The best was 2021 at +32.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of PSC?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −46.8% between August 29, 2018 and March 18, 2020. It recovered to the old high on November 24, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is PSC?
Over the past 3 years PSC had an annualized volatility of 17.7% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.81 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).