Principal Financial Group (PFG)
S&P 500 · Financials · data since 2001-10-23 · last close 2026-09-09
Principal Financial Group (PFG) monthly returns (%)
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 7.4 | 0.7 | -4.7 | 12.0 | 2.7 | 4.0 | 5.5 | -3.8 | 4.3 | · | · | · |
| 2025 | 6.5 | 8.0 | -4.4 | -12.1 | 5.0 | 3.0 | -2.0 | 3.4 | 4.0 | 1.4 | 0.9 | 5.0 |
| 2024 | 0.6 | 2.2 | 7.7 | -8.3 | 3.7 | -3.5 | 3.9 | -0.1 | 6.5 | -4.1 | 5.7 | -10.4 |
| 2023 | 10.3 | -3.2 | -16.3 | 0.5 | -11.5 | 15.9 | 5.3 | -2.7 | -6.5 | -6.1 | 10.1 | 6.6 |
| 2022 | 1.0 | -3.3 | 5.0 | -7.2 | 7.0 | -7.6 | 0.2 | 11.7 | -2.6 | 22.1 | 2.5 | -6.4 |
| 2021 | -0.7 | 15.9 | 6.0 | 6.5 | 2.4 | -2.5 | -1.7 | 8.6 | -3.6 | 4.2 | 3.1 | 5.5 |
| 2020 | -3.7 | -15.2 | -29.4 | 16.2 | 7.5 | 7.6 | 2.1 | 0.5 | -4.4 | -2.6 | 26.9 | 0.8 |
| 2019 | 13.4 | 5.1 | -3.7 | 13.9 | -8.9 | 12.3 | 0.2 | -8.3 | 8.5 | -6.6 | 3.2 | 0.8 |
| 2018 | -4.2 | -7.8 | -1.5 | -2.8 | -5.8 | -4.2 | 9.7 | -5.0 | 7.2 | -19.7 | 5.9 | -10.4 |
| 2017 | -1.3 | 9.6 | 1.6 | 3.2 | -3.4 | 2.6 | 4.2 | -5.6 | 2.9 | 2.4 | 7.5 | 0.4 |
| 2016 | -15.5 | -0.5 | 5.3 | 8.2 | 4.4 | -6.9 | 13.4 | 6.1 | 5.0 | 6.0 | 5.7 | 1.1 |
| 2015 | -9.7 | 9.0 | 1.1 | -0.5 | 1.1 | -0.1 | 8.2 | -9.3 | -5.2 | 6.0 | 2.6 | -11.9 |
| 2014 | -11.6 | 4.1 | 2.0 | 1.9 | -0.1 | 8.7 | -1.6 | 9.3 | -2.8 | -0.2 | 1.7 | -1.9 |
| 2013 | 8.7 | 1.9 | 8.4 | 6.1 | 5.5 | -1.1 | 15.8 | -5.6 | 5.3 | 10.8 | 6.7 | -2.1 |
| 2012 | 11.0 | 1.3 | 7.4 | -6.2 | -10.6 | 6.8 | -2.4 | 7.2 | -1.1 | 2.2 | -1.4 | 5.8 |
| 2011 | 0.6 | 4.5 | -6.3 | 5.1 | -7.3 | -2.7 | -9.2 | -8.2 | -10.6 | 13.7 | -3.7 | 1.9 |
| 2010 | -4.1 | 0.7 | 25.9 | 0.0 | -7.0 | -13.8 | 9.3 | -10.0 | 12.4 | 3.5 | 3.5 | 19.5 |
| 2009 | -26.5 | -51.8 | 2.4 | 99.8 | 35.9 | -15.1 | 25.8 | 19.8 | -3.6 | -8.6 | 3.3 | -5.3 |
| 2008 | -13.4 | -7.3 | 0.9 | -3.7 | 0.4 | -22.1 | 1.3 | 7.7 | -5.0 | -56.3 | -25.7 | 63.4 |
| 2007 | 5.0 | -1.2 | -1.6 | 6.0 | -4.2 | -4.1 | -3.3 | -1.6 | 13.7 | 7.3 | -1.9 | 5.1 |
| 2006 | -0.6 | 3.3 | 0.2 | 5.1 | 6.5 | 1.8 | -3.0 | -1.4 | 1.9 | 4.1 | 3.6 | 1.6 |
| 2005 | -0.9 | -3.8 | -1.4 | 1.5 | 2.1 | 5.0 | 4.9 | 4.2 | 3.4 | 4.8 | 3.4 | -6.4 |
| 2004 | 4.9 | 4.3 | -1.6 | -0.9 | -1.0 | -0.5 | -2.3 | 2.1 | 3.6 | 5.0 | 1.2 | 8.7 |
| 2003 | -5.1 | -3.6 | -1.6 | 7.2 | 9.1 | 1.5 | 1.1 | -3.5 | -1.5 | 1.2 | 7.1 | -0.1 |
| 2002 | 6.0 | -4.3 | 3.9 | 9.9 | 9.3 | 2.0 | -7.4 | 2.2 | -10.7 | 7.1 | 4.3 | 3.9 |
| 2001 | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | · | 7.1 | 2.0 | 4.6 |
| Avg | -0.9 | -1.3 | 0.2 | 6.5 | 1.7 | -0.5 | 3.1 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.2 | 3.1 | 3.2 |
Values in %. Current and first-listed months are partial (greyed).
returnsview.com
PFG seasonality — average by calendar month
Principal Financial Group has monthly history back to 2001. Its strongest month by median is October — positive in 17 of 25 years, median +3.5%. January is the soft spot, down in 13 of 25 with a median of -0.6%. Across its full record it has closed 59% of months higher, swings ±11.4% in an average month and has fallen 91.5% peak to trough.
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avg | -0.9% | -1.3% | +0.2% | +6.5% | +1.7% | -0.5% | +3.1% | +0.7% | +0.7% | +0.2% | +3.1% | +3.2% |
| Win rate | 48%/25 | 56%/25 | 56%/25 | 68%/25 | 60%/25 | 48%/25 | 64%/25 | 48%/25 | 50%/24 | 68%/25 | 84%/25 | 64%/25 |
Win rate = share of positive months / sample size.
PFG risk & extremes
PFG drawdown & rolling returns
Percent below the all-time high at each month-end — how far underwater the asset was.
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Frequently asked questions
What was Principal Financial Group's best month?+
Principal Financial Group's strongest completed month on record is April 2009, at +99.76%.
What was Principal Financial Group's worst month?+
Its weakest completed month on record is October 2008, at -56.33%.
Is Principal Financial Group up this year?+
Principal Financial Group is up 30.42% year to date, measured from its last close before 1 January.
What is Principal Financial Group's 1-year return?+
+45.04% over the past twelve months, comparing the latest close with the most recent close on or before the same date a year earlier.
What is Principal Financial Group's biggest drawdown?+
The deepest peak-to-trough fall on record is 91.5%, measured on month-end closes since 2001.
Which calendar month is historically best for Principal Financial Group?+
April has the highest average return across every completed April since 2001. An average is not a forecast.
About Principal Financial Group
Principal Financial Group is an S&P 500 company, a financials business worth about $24 billion. It moves money around and keeps a slice for the trouble — with price receipts on this site going back to 2001. And the long game: $100 at its first close here (2001) would be about $937 today.
Did you know?
- Its best month on record was April 2009 at +99.76%; its worst, October 2008 at -56.33%.
- It has closed November in the green 21 out of 25 times — calendar astrology, but the fun kind.
Trivia for entertainment — the numbers come from our price data; the jokes don't.