Fund Evaluator:
Principal Core Fixed Income R6 (PICNX)
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Fund Details
Principal Core Fixed Income R6 Overview
Principal Core Fixed Income R6 (PICNX) is an actively managed Taxable Bond Intermediate Core Bond fund. Principal Funds launched the fund in 2014.
The investment seeks to provide a high level of current income consistent with preservation of capital. Under normal circumstances, the fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in fixed-income securities. The fund invests primarily in a diversified pool of investment-grade fixed-income securities, which includes corporate securities, U.S. government securities, asset-backed securities and mortgage-backed securities (securitized products), bank loans, and foreign securities.
About Principal Core Fixed Income R6 (PICNX)
There are 4 members of the management team with an average tenure of 6.77 years: John Friedl (2005), Bryan Davis (2025), Jeff Callahan (2025), Michael Goosay (2023). Management tenure is more important for actively managed funds than passive index funds.
The fund has 1 primary benchmark: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD index with a weighting of 100%. Principal Core Fixed Income R6 has 459 securities in its portfolio. The top 10 holdings constitute 14.2% of the fund’s assets. The fund meets the SEC requirement of being classified as a diversified fund. The fund is not considered to have an ESG focus with its investment selection and management.
Principal Core Fixed Income R6 is part of the Fixed Income global asset class and is within the Taxable Bond fund group. Principal Core Fixed Income R6 has 2.2% of its portfolio invested in foreign issues. The overall assets allocated to domestic stock is 0.1%. There is 0.0% allocated to foreign stock, and 0.0% is allocated to preferred stocks. The bond allocation as a percentage of total assets is 105.6% (103.4% domestic bond, 2.2% foreign bond and 0.0% convertible bond). Principal Core Fixed Income R6 has -5.6% of the portfolio in cash.
Assets Under Management
The fund has $9 billion in total assets, which is above the $3 billion average for the Intermediate Core Bond category. Normally, lower assets under management translates to higher average expense ratios, and greater total assets are desired. However, for some investment categories, such as small-cap investing, it may be difficult for the manager to fully employ the desired active strategy if assets grow too large or too quickly.
PICNX Performance and Fees
The expense ratio measures how much of a fund’s assets are used for administrative expenses and operating expenses, including adviser fees and fees for the transfer agent and custodial services. The Principal Core Fixed Income R6 expense ratio is below average compared to funds in the Intermediate Core Bond category. Principal Core Fixed Income R6 has an expense ratio of 0.34%, which is 40% lower than its category average, making the fund expense ratio grade a B. While it is difficult to predict returns, it is known that high annual expense ratios reduce your rate of return, and excessive fees are difficult to overcome. Active management normally comes with higher expense ratios than passive index management. Certain investment categories such as small company and foreign also normally have higher expense ratios. It is best to compare fund expense ratios against the category averages for meaningful assessments.
High portfolio turnover can translate to higher expenses and lower aftertax returns. Principal Core Fixed Income R6 has a portfolio turnover rate of 13%, indicating that holds its assets around 0.1 years. By way of comparison, the average portfolio turnover is 151% for the Intermediate Core Bond category.
Recently, in the month of July 2026, Principal Core Fixed Income R6 returned -1.4%, which earned it a grade of D, as the Intermediate Core Bond category had an average return of -1.3%. The letter grades of A, B, C, D and F are based upon relative rankings within the investment category. A grade of A, for example, would indicate that the return is in the highest 20% for that time period compared to all funds in that category.
Principal Core Fixed Income R6 has a trailing yield of 3.92%, which is below the 4.04% category average. The fund normally distributes its income monthly.
It’s natural to seek the best-performing investments, but you must consider the relationship between risk and return and the impact of costs and taxes on your realized returns.
Principal Core Fixed Income R6 Grades
Year to date, the fund has returned -0.7%, 0.1 percentage points better than the category, which translates into a grade of C. The fund has returned 2.6% over the past year (grade of C), 3.8% over the past three years (grade of C) and -0.3% per year over the past five years (grade of B) and 1.8% per year over the past 10 years (grade of A).
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PICNX Trailing NAV Total Returns Data as of 7/31/26
| Last Month |
Last Quarter |
Ann'l. 1Yr |
Ann'l. 3Yr |
Ann'l. 5Yr |
Ann'l. 10Yr |
|
| PICNX Return (NAV) | -1.4% | -0.8% | 2.6% | 3.8% | -0.3% | 1.8% |
| PICNX Grade | D | B | C | C | B | A |
| +/- Category | -0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.5% |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | -1.3% | -0.8% | 2.5% | 3.7% | -0.5% | 1.4% |
| PICNX Tax Cost Ratio | na | na | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.3% | 1.3% |
PICNX Annual NAV Total ReturnsData as of 7/31/26
| 2026 | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | |
| PICNX Return (NAV) | -0.7% | 7.1% | 1.6% | 5.8% | -12.7% | -1.7% | 8.3% | 9.0% | 0.1% | 4.5% | 5.5% |
| PICNX Grade | C | C | C | B | A | D | B | B | A | A | A |
| +/- Category | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.0% | 0.2% | 0.5% | -0.3% | 0.2% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 1.0% | 2.7% |
| Intermediate Core Bond Avg | -0.7% | 7.0% | 1.6% | 5.6% | -13.2% | -1.5% | 8.1% | 8.5% | -0.4% | 3.6% | 2.8% |
| Risk Measures | |
| Standard Deviation: | 5.7% |
| Total Risk Index: | 0.46 - Low |
| Category Risk Index: | 1.01 - Above Average |
| Category Risk Grade: | D (67% Rank) |
| Beta: | 1.00 |
| R-Squared: | 99% |
| Leveraged Fund: | No |
| Inverse Fund: | No |
| Portfolio Characteristics | |
| Equity Investment Style: | na |
| Bond Investment Style: | High Quality Moderate Sensitivity |
| Yield: | 3.9% |
| Dividend Distribution: | Monthly |
| Cap Gains Distribution: | |
| Total Assets: | $9896 Mil |
| Fund Total Assets: | $9,002 Mil |
| Share Class Type: | Retirement |
| Portfolio Turnover: | 13% |
Management Team
| Number of Managers: 4 | |||
| Longest Tenure: 21.4 years | |||
| Average Tenure: 6.8 years | |||
| Managers (Year): Friedl John (2005), Goosay Michael (2023), Davis Bryan (2025), Callahan Jeff (2025) | |||
Portfolio Composition (as of 6/30/26)
| # of Holdings: | 459 |
| % in Top 10 Holdings: | 14.2% |
| Fund is Non-Diversified: | No |
| % in Foreign Issues: | 2.2% |
Portfolio Allocation |
|
| Domestic Stock: | 0.1% |
| Foreign Stock: | 0.0% |
| Preferred Stock: | 0.0% |
| Domestic Bond: | 103.4% |
| Foreign Bond: | 2.2% |
| Convertible Bond: | 0.0% |
| Other: | 0.0% |
| Cash: | -5.6% |
Purchase Information
| Fund Family: | Principal Funds |
| Phone Number: | 800-222-5852 |
| Website: | www.principalfunds.com |
| Status: | Open |
| Inception Date: | November 25, 2014 |
| Min. Initial Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Initial IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
| True No-Load: | Yes |
| Front Load Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Deferred Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| Redemption Charge Maximum: | 0.00% |
| 12b-1 Fee: | na |
Expenses and Fees | |
| Expense Ratio (%): | 0.34% ( Rating : Below Avg ) |
| Category Average Expense Ratio (%): | 0.57% |
| Share Class: | Principal Core Fixed Income A |
| Min. Subsequent Purchase: | $ 0 |
| Min. Subsequent IRA Purchase: | $ 0 |
