Principal Quality ETF (PSET) Performance
PSET total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +5.4% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +4.7% total return
- 5 years
- +8.0% a year
- 10 years
- +13.2% a year
- Since first price
- +12.8% a year since 2016
PSET trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | PSET total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | +1.9% | +1.7% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +5.8% | +5.6% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +7.4% | +6.9% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +5.4% | +4.7% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +4.7% | +3.9% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +52.8%+15.2%/yr | +49.6% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +47.0%+8.0%/yr | +40.3% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| 10 years | +246.0%+13.2%/yr | +209.5% | +315.9%+15.3%/yr | +538.9%+20.4%/yr | +14.0%+1.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionMar 22, 2016 | +259.3%+12.8%/yr | +219.4% | — | — | — |
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: PSET vs SPY
From Mar 22, 2016: PSET grew to $35,930, SPY to $43,950.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
PSET returns by calendar year
7 of 9 full years positive. Best 2019 (+34.6%), worst 2022 (−16.5%). 2026 is year to date.
PSET annual returns table
| Year | PSET | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +5.4% | −12.9% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +7.3% | −22.0% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +17.7% | −10.1% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +24.1% | −10.5% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −16.5% | −24.4% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +29.6% | −7.6% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +16.2% | −34.7% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +34.6% | −5.9% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −2.3% | −13.6% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
| 2017 | +24.6% | −2.2% | +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.
PSET largest drawdowns
Now 2.1% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 20, 2020 | −34.7% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 25, 2020 | 32 days | 6 months |
| Dec 31, 2021 | −25.6% | Sep 30, 2022 | Dec 11, 2023 | 9 months | 1.9 years |
| Jan 23, 2025 | −22.0% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 24, 2025 | 2 months | 6 months |
| Sep 21, 2018 | −13.6% | Dec 20, 2018 | Feb 25, 2019 | 3 months | 5 months |
| Jan 9, 2026 | −12.9% | Mar 30, 2026 | Jul 16, 2026 | 3 months | 6 months |
| Jul 16, 2024 | −10.1% | Aug 5, 2024 | Sep 24, 2024 | 20 days | 2 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
PSET risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2016 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +13.7% | +8.8% | +12.9% | +12.6% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 13.5% | 16.5% | 15.4% | 15.1% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.71 | 0.38 | 0.72 | 0.72 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.17 | 0.58 | 1.12 | 1.13 |
| Best month | +10.5% | +10.5% | +10.5% | +10.5% |
| Worst month | −6.8% | −9.4% | −9.8% | −9.8% |
| Best 12 months | +33.2% | +33.2% | +47.9% | +47.9% |
| Worst 12 months | −2.0% | −16.5% | −16.5% | −16.5% |
| Positive months | 64% | 57% | 63% | 62% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 1.01 | 1.00 | 0.94 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.93 | 0.95 | 0.94 | — |
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.
PSET rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 116 | −16.5% | +13.2% | +47.9% | 88% |
| 3-year (a year) | 92 | +6.6% | +13.0% | +26.6% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 68 | +7.9% | +13.5% | +19.8% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 8 | +11.9% | +12.7% | +13.2% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2016. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
PSET performance overview
Principal Quality ETF (PSET) returned +4.7% over the past year and +13.2% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2016 it has returned +12.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $35,930. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −34.7%, from Feb 20, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. PSET finished 7 of its 9 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2019 (+34.6%) and the worst 2022 (−16.5%). Volatility has been 15.1% a year.
Related: PSET chart, PSET holdings, PSET dividends, PSET valuation. See the PSET overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
PSET performance FAQ
What is the PSET return over the past year?
PSET returned +4.7% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 3.9%.
What is the average annual return of PSET?
PSET has returned +8.0% a year over 5 years, +13.2% a year over 10 years, +12.8% a year since March 22, 2016 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in PSET be worth?
$10,000 invested in PSET at its first recorded close on March 22, 2016 would be worth about $35,930 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for PSET?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −16.5%. The best was 2019 at +34.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of PSET?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −34.7% between February 20, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 25, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is PSET?
Over the past 3 years PSET had an annualized volatility of 13.5% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.71 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).