Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF (USMC) Performance
USMC total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +10.8% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +11.5% total return
- 5 years
- +13.7% a year
- Since first price
- +14.8% a year since 2017
USMC trailing returns vs SPY, QQQ, AGG
| Period | USMC total return | Price only | S&P 500 (SPY) | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | U.S. bonds (AGG) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −1.8% | −2.0% | −1.0% | −5.0% | +0.9% |
| 3 months | +2.6% | +2.5% | +3.2% | +1.9% | −0.4% |
| 6 months | +9.4% | +9.0% | +7.8% | +8.4% | −1.5% |
| YTD | +10.8% | +10.2% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 1 year | +11.5% | +10.6% | +14.4% | +15.9% | −1.1% |
| 3 years | +84.4%+22.6%/yr | +79.1% | +87.4%+23.3%/yr | +101.4%+26.3%/yr | +16.6%+5.2%/yr |
| 5 years | +90.3%+13.7%/yr | +79.0% | +79.3%+12.4%/yr | +94.0%+14.2%/yr | −0.8%−0.2%/yr |
| Since inceptionOct 12, 2017 | +246.9%+14.8%/yr | +202.2% | — | — | — |
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: USMC vs SPY
From Oct 12, 2017: USMC grew to $34,689, SPY to $34,254.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
USMC returns by calendar year
6 of 8 full years positive. Best 2023 (+31.6%), worst 2022 (−17.2%). 2026 is year to date.
USMC annual returns table
| Year | USMC | Largest drop | SPY | QQQ | AGG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +10.8% | −9.4% | +12.3% | +15.1% | −1.0% |
| 2025 | +15.0% | −19.1% | +17.7% | +20.8% | +7.2% |
| 2024 | +29.8% | −8.4% | +24.9% | +25.6% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | +31.6% | −9.1% | +26.2% | +54.9% | +5.7% |
| 2022 | −17.2% | −24.1% | −18.2% | −32.6% | −13.0% |
| 2021 | +26.3% | −5.2% | +28.7% | +27.4% | −1.8% |
| 2020 | +16.1% | −30.0% | +18.3% | +48.6% | +7.5% |
| 2019 | +27.4% | −5.9% | +31.2% | +39.0% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | −2.3% | −16.2% | −4.6% | −0.1% | +0.1% |
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.
USMC largest drawdowns
Now 3.8% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 19, 2020 | −30.0% | Mar 23, 2020 | Aug 18, 2020 | 33 days | 6 months |
| Dec 29, 2021 | −24.1% | Oct 12, 2022 | Jul 3, 2023 | 9 months | 1.5 years |
| Feb 13, 2025 | −19.1% | Apr 8, 2025 | Jul 3, 2025 | 54 days | 5 months |
| Oct 2, 2018 | −16.2% | Dec 24, 2018 | Mar 21, 2019 | 3 months | 6 months |
| Jan 29, 2018 | −11.0% | Apr 2, 2018 | Aug 27, 2018 | 2 months | 7 months |
| Oct 29, 2025 | −10.3% | Mar 30, 2026 | Apr 17, 2026 | 5 months | 6 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 10% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
USMC risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | Since 2017 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +22.7% | +15.2% | +15.1% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 12.3% | 15.3% | 15.4% |
| Sharpe ratio | 1.38 | 0.77 | 0.83 |
| Sortino ratio | 2.87 | 1.26 | 1.34 |
| Best month | +9.7% | +9.7% | +12.7% |
| Worst month | −6.7% | −9.6% | −9.6% |
| Best 12 months | +38.0% | +38.0% | +45.0% |
| Worst 12 months | +10.4% | −17.2% | −17.2% |
| Positive months | 64% | 60% | 65% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.95 | 0.95 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.96 | 0.97 | — |
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.
USMC rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 97 | −17.2% | +16.3% | +45.0% | 87% |
| 3-year (a year) | 73 | +6.7% | +14.8% | +28.0% | 100% |
| 5-year (a year) | 49 | +8.6% | +14.9% | +18.8% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2017. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
USMC performance overview
Principal U.S. Mega-Cap ETF (USMC) returned +11.5% over the past year and +13.7% a year over five years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2017 it has returned +14.8% a year, turning $10,000 into about $34,689. Over the same year S&P 500 (SPY) returned +14.4%.
The deepest decline was −30.0%, from Feb 19, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 5 months to get back to the old high. USMC finished 6 of its 8 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2023 (+31.6%) and the worst 2022 (−17.2%). Volatility has been 15.4% a year.
Related: USMC chart, USMC holdings, USMC dividends, USMC valuation. See the USMC overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
USMC performance FAQ
What is the USMC return over the past year?
USMC returned +11.5% over the 12 months to October 23, 2026, including reinvested distributions. On price alone it rose 10.6%.
What is the average annual return of USMC?
USMC has returned +13.7% a year over 5 years, +14.8% a year since October 12, 2017 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in USMC be worth?
$10,000 invested in USMC at its first recorded close on October 12, 2017 would be worth about $34,689 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for USMC?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −17.2%. The best was 2023 at +31.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of USMC?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −30.0% between February 19, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on August 18, 2020, 5 months after the bottom.
How volatile is USMC?
Over the past 3 years USMC had an annualized volatility of 12.3% and a Sharpe ratio of 1.38 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).