Principal Active High Yield ETF (YLD) Performance
YLD total return
Distributions reinvested · as of Oct 23, 2026- YTD
- +0.8% since Dec 31, 2025
- 1 year
- +1.6% total return
- 5 years
- +4.1% a year
- 10 years
- +5.0% a year
- Since first price
- +5.0% a year since 2015
YLD trailing returns vs AGG, TLT, SPY
| Period | YLD total return | Price only | U.S. bonds (AGG) | 20+ yr Treasuries (TLT) | S&P 500 (SPY) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 month | −2.2% | −2.8% | +0.9% | +1.5% | −1.0% |
| 3 months | −2.2% | −4.0% | −0.4% | −1.0% | +3.2% |
| 6 months | −1.0% | −4.5% | −1.5% | −3.8% | +7.8% |
| YTD | +0.8% | −4.5% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 1 year | +1.6% | −5.6% | −1.1% | −6.9% | +14.4% |
| 3 years | +27.1%+8.3%/yr | +2.5% | +16.6%+5.2%/yr | +9.7%+3.1%/yr | +87.4%+23.3%/yr |
| 5 years | +22.1%+4.1%/yr | −13.1% | −0.8%−0.2%/yr | −32.5%−7.6%/yr | +79.3%+12.4%/yr |
| 10 years | +62.7%+5.0%/yr | −10.1% | +14.0%+1.3%/yr | −18.7%−2.0%/yr | +315.9%+15.3%/yr |
| Since inceptionJul 9, 2015 | +73.9%+5.0%/yr | −9.4% | — | — | — |
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: YLD vs AGG
From Jul 9, 2015: YLD grew to $17,386, AGG to $12,081.
Year-end values with distributions reinvested, no taxes or trading costs. Start: first common trading day of both funds.
YLD returns by calendar year
8 of 10 full years positive. Best 2016 (+14.6%), worst 2022 (−8.8%). 2026 is year to date.
YLD annual returns table
| Year | YLD | Largest drop | AGG | TLT | SPY |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026YTD | +0.8% | −3.5% | −1.0% | −3.4% | +12.3% |
| 2025 | +6.6% | −5.6% | +7.2% | +4.3% | +17.7% |
| 2024 | +9.2% | −1.9% | +1.3% | −8.1% | +24.9% |
| 2023 | +12.9% | −3.5% | +5.7% | +2.8% | +26.2% |
| 2022 | −8.8% | −13.6% | −13.0% | −31.2% | −18.2% |
| 2021 | +9.5% | −1.9% | −1.8% | −4.6% | +28.7% |
| 2020 | +1.5% | −28.3% | +7.5% | +18.2% | +18.3% |
| 2019 | +13.6% | −2.6% | +8.5% | +14.1% | +31.2% |
| 2018 | −2.9% | −7.7% | +0.1% | −1.6% | −4.6% |
| 2017 | +8.7% | −2.3% | +3.6% | +9.2% | +21.7% |
| 2016 | +14.6% | −7.5% | +2.4% | +1.2% | +12.0% |
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.
YLD largest drawdowns
Now 3.5% below the high| Peak | Decline | Bottom | Recovered | Fall | Underwater |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 14, 2020 | −28.3% | Mar 23, 2020 | Dec 4, 2020 | 2 months | 11 months |
| Dec 27, 2021 | −13.8% | Sep 27, 2022 | Dec 1, 2023 | 9 months | 1.9 years |
| Jul 17, 2015 | −13.7% | Feb 12, 2016 | Jun 1, 2016 | 7 months | 11 months |
| Aug 20, 2018 | −7.7% | Dec 24, 2018 | Apr 8, 2019 | 4 months | 8 months |
| Feb 28, 2025 | −5.6% | Apr 7, 2025 | Jun 4, 2025 | 38 days | 3 months |
Declines from a closing high (distributions reinvested) of 5% or more. Underwater = time from the peak until the old high was regained.
YLD risk statistics
| Statistic | 3 years | 5 years | 10 years | Since 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Annualized return | +8.2% | +4.3% | +5.1% | +5.2% |
| Volatility (annualized) | 4.2% | 6.7% | 8.5% | 8.6% |
| Sharpe ratio | 0.88 | 0.13 | 0.36 | 0.40 |
| Sortino ratio | 1.55 | 0.19 | 0.47 | 0.54 |
| Best month | +4.3% | +5.7% | +8.8% | +8.8% |
| Worst month | −2.5% | −6.5% | −15.9% | −15.9% |
| Best 12 months | +16.7% | +16.7% | +32.3% | +32.3% |
| Worst 12 months | +2.1% | −12.4% | −14.8% | −14.8% |
| Positive months | 72% | 62% | 63% | 63% |
| Beta vs S&P 500 | 0.24 | 0.35 | 0.45 | — |
| Correlation with S&P 500 | 0.70 | 0.83 | 0.82 | — |
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.
YLD rolling returns
| Holding period | Periods | Worst | Median | Best | Positive |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1-year | 124 | −14.8% | +6.9% | +32.3% | 82% |
| 3-year (a year) | 100 | −2.6% | +5.6% | +11.4% | 97% |
| 5-year (a year) | 76 | +1.4% | +5.0% | +9.6% | 100% |
| 10-year (a year) | 16 | +5.0% | +5.9% | +6.7% | 100% |
Every holding period starting at a month-end since 2015. Returns for 3 years and longer are annualized.
YLD performance overview
Principal Active High Yield ETF (YLD) returned +1.6% over the past year and +5.0% a year over ten years, with distributions reinvested. Since its first recorded price in 2015 it has returned +5.0% a year, turning $10,000 into about $17,386. Over the same year U.S. bonds (AGG) returned −1.1%.
The deepest decline was −28.3%, from Jan 14, 2020 to Mar 23, 2020, and it took 8 months to get back to the old high. YLD finished 8 of its 10 full calendar years with a gain; the best year was 2016 (+14.6%) and the worst 2022 (−8.8%). Volatility has been 8.6% a year.
Related: YLD chart, YLD dividends, YLD bond profile. See the YLD overview for the latest quote and fund facts.
YLD performance FAQ
What is the YLD return over the past year?
YLD returned +1.6% 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 YLD?
YLD has returned +4.1% a year over 5 years, +5.0% a year over 10 years, +5.0% a year since July 9, 2015 (total return, distributions reinvested).
How much would $10,000 invested in YLD be worth?
$10,000 invested in YLD at its first recorded close on July 9, 2015 would be worth about $17,386 on October 23, 2026 with distributions reinvested.
What was the worst year for YLD?
The worst calendar year was 2022, with a total return of −8.8%. The best was 2016 at +14.6%.
What is the biggest drawdown of YLD?
The largest peak-to-trough decline was −28.3% between January 14, 2020 and March 23, 2020. It recovered to the old high on December 4, 2020, 8 months after the bottom.
How volatile is YLD?
Over the past 3 years YLD had an annualized volatility of 4.2% and a Sharpe ratio of 0.88 (excess return over 1–3 month T-bills per unit of risk).