Track market-moving stories before they get noisy

For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFor value investors, it's all about finding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value before the broader market catches on. The Value Style Score utilizes ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to help pick out the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.8% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Principal Financial (PFG - Free Report) Founded in 1879 and headquartered in Des Moines, Principal Financial Group is a global financial services company that provides retirement solutions, asset management, insurance and employee benefits to businesses, individuals and institutional clients. The company had $1.9 trillion in assets under administration, including $808 billion in assets under management, as of June 30, 2026. Its global asset management businesses serve institutional, retirement, high-net-worth and retail investors. Its focused investment teams provide long-term investment capabilities and fund offerings. Its international businesses address demand for retirement accumulation, asset management and income solutions. Principal Financial reports in four segments.

PFG is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Momentum investors should take note of this Finance stock. PFG has a Momentum Style Score of B, and shares are up 2.9% over the past four weeks.

For fiscal 2026, six analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.24 to $9.62 per share. PFG boasts an average earnings surprise of +1.2%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, PFG should be on investors' short list.

3.9.2026 22:07

Wall Street má za sebou solidní růst tažený výrokem člena FEDu Wallera, který naznačil ochotu hlasovat pro podržení sazeb na současné úrovni. Růst indexů jde na vrub především největším společnostem jako Nvidia, Meta nebo Microsoft. Index S&P 500 je půl procenta od historického maxima.

Index Dow Jones +1,18 % na 53686,11 b.
S&P 500 +1,06 % na 7747,71 b.
Nasdaq Composite +1,4 % na 26584,06 b.

Index S&P 500 +1,06 % na 7747,71 b. Nejsilnější sektory S&P Změna Nejslabší sektory S&P Změna Zbytná spotřeba +1,6 % Energie -0,7 % Finanční sektor +1,6 % Základní materiály -0,5 % Komunikační služby +1,5 % Nezbytná spotřeba 0 % Nejsilnější akcie S&P Změna Nejslabší akcie S&P Změna Robinhood Markets (HOOD) +17 % Ciena Corp (CIEN) -10 % Coinbase Global (COIN) +10 % Tyson Foods (TSN) -7,3 % Palantir Technologies (PLTR) +7,7 % Charter Communications (CHTR) -4,8 % ServiceNow (NOW) +6,5 % Albemarle Corp (ALB) -4,1 % Principal Financial Group (PFG) +6,5 % General Mills (GIS) -3,3 %
Martin Varecha
Fio banka, a.s.
Prohlášení

3.9.2026 16:23, AVGO, PFG, SNOW, META

Index Dow Jones +0,87 % na 53525,61 b. S&P 500 +0,63 % na 7714,65 b. Nasdaq Composite +0,89 % na 26450,71 b.

Nejsledovanější americké indexy se nachází v kladném teritoriu, pozornost trhu dnes směřuje k výsledkům, které včera reportoval výrobce čipů a infrastrukturního softwaru Broadcom (-6,07 %).

Daří se i akciím softwarové společnosti Snowflake (+24,02 %) poté, co její výsledky za druhé čtvrtletí překonaly očekávání. Softwarová firma zároveň zvýšila celoroční výhled tržeb z produktů, jejichž růst táhne poptávka spojená s umělou inteligencí.

Americká společnost Meta Platforms, provozovatel Facebooku, Instagramu a dalších platforem, představila svůj dosud nejvýkonnější model umělé inteligence. Její akcie rostou přibližně o 3 %.

Podle Korea Economic Daily usiluje Samsung Life o získání 15% podílu ve společnosti Principal Financial Group (+8,4 %). 

Index S&P 500 +0,63 % na 7714,65 b. Nejsilnější sektory S&P Změna Nejslabší sektory S&P Změna Komunikační služby +2,1 % Zdravotní péče -0,6 % Zbytná spotřeba +1,6 % Nezbytná spotřeba -0,3 % Finanční sektor +1,4 % Základní materiály 0 % Nejsilnější akcie S&P Změna Nejslabší akcie S&P Změna Robinhood Markets (HOOD) +13 % Ciena Corp (CIEN) -9,7 % Principal Financial Group (PFG) +8,4 % Tyson Foods (TSN) -7,4 % Coinbase Global (COIN) +7,7 % Broadcom (AVGO) -5,7 % ServiceNow (NOW) +6,2 % Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) -5,3 % Palantir Technologies (PLTR) +6,0 % Western Digital Corp (WDC) -4,5 % Zdroj: Bloomberg

Jan Prokeš
Fio banka, a.s.
Prohlášení

[url="]Principal Financial Group[/url][url="]Â[/url] (Nasdaq: PFG) completed its acquisition of Beam Benefits effective today, September 1. As an employee bene

A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Principal Financial (PFG - Free Report) . Shares have lost about 2.2% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.

Will the recent negative trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Principal Financial due for a breakout? Well, first let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Principal Financial Group, Inc. before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.

PFG Q2 Earnings Beat on Solid Underwriting, Revenues Rise Y/Y

Principal Financial Group, Inc.’s second-quarter 2026 operating earnings of $2.50 per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 7.3%. The bottom line increased 16% year over year. Revenues rose 6.4% year over year to $3.99 billion, which missed the consensus mark of $4.09 billion by 2.4%. Strong underwriting, higher net revenues and margin expansion supported earnings.

PFG's Costs Rise With Benefit OutlaysTotal expenses increased 7.6% year over year to $3.41 billion. Benefits, claims and settlement expenses rose 8.3% to $1.99 billion, while operating expenses increased 8.1% to $1.40 billion. Non-GAAP operating earnings climbed 12% to $547 million. Excluding significant variances, operating earnings advanced 13% to $528.7 million, reflecting growth across the operating segments. Net income attributable to PFG declined 1% to $403.4 million.

Principal's Retirement Business Gains GroundRetirement and Income Solutions’ net revenues increased 9% year over year to $779 million. Favorable market performance and business growth supported the increase. Pre-tax operating earnings rose 11% to $323.3 million, while the operating margin expanded 60 basis points to 41.5%. Transfer deposits increased 30% to $9 billion, and recurring deposits advanced 6% to $13 billion. Participant roll-ins totaled $1.7 billion in the quarter.

PFG's Asset Management Results Stay MixedInvestment Management’s operating revenues less pass-through expenses increased 1% to $431.6 million. Pre-tax operating earnings edged up 1% to $159.4 million, while the operating margin remained stable at 37.5%. International Pension delivered stronger growth. Net revenues increased 16% to $184.8 million, and pre-tax operating earnings rose 24% to $97 million. Assets under management reached a record $168.5 billion, up 18%, aided by more favorable encaje returns and foreign-currency tailwinds.

PFG's Benefits Unit Drives Profit GrowthSpecialty Benefits’ premiums and fees increased 4% to $873.3 million. Pre-tax operating earnings rose 25% to $158.9 million, driven by premium growth and more favorable underwriting. Specialty Benefits’ loss ratio improved 280 bps to 57.4%. This was driven by improvements across all products. The unit’s operating margin improved 300 basis points to 18.2%, while the incurred loss ratio declined 280 basis points. Life Insurance revenues fell 6% to $224.1 million, but pre-tax operating earnings increased 26% to $25.2 million on improved mortality experience. Its operating margin expanded 280 basis points to 11.2%.

PFG's AUM Rises Despite Net OutflowsPrincipal Financial’s assets under management increased 7% year over year to $808 billion. The total was included within assets under administration of $1.89 trillion. AUM net cash outflows were $11.1 billion compared with $2.6 billion a year earlier. Investment Management recorded $12 billion of net outflows, concentrated in a small number of U.S. active equity strategies. Market performance added $47.5 billion to AUM during the quarter.

Principal Financial's Capital Returns Remain StrongThe company returned $426.7 million to shareholders during the quarter. This included $250.2 million of share repurchases and $176.5 million of dividends.
Principal Financial ended the quarter with $1.6 billion of excess and available capital, an estimated 400% risk-based capital ratio and a 23.6% debt-to-capital ratio. Book value per share, excluding certain fair-value and accumulated other comprehensive income effects, was $58.40.

PFG's SMB Strategy Adds ScalePrincipal Financial agreed to acquire Beam Benefits, a provider of dental, vision, life, disability and supplemental health products for small and midsized businesses. Beam serves more than 25,000 employer customers and generated $175 million in premiums during 2025. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026. Principal Financial maintained its 2026 earnings-per-share and capital targets and expects Specialty Benefits growth to be at or above the high end of its 5-9% target range in 2027. The board also raised the third-quarter dividend by 2 cents to 84 cents per share.

How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?Since the earnings release, investors have witnessed a upward trend in estimates revision.

VGM ScoresAt this time, Principal Financial has a average Growth Score of C, a grade with the same score on the momentum front. However, the stock was allocated a grade of A on the value side, putting it in the top 20% for this investment strategy.

Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of B. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.

OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending upward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions looks promising. Interestingly, Principal Financial has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.

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Retirement income is a math problem before it is a stock-picking problem. With the 10-year Treasury yielding 4.69% as of August 20, 2026, dividend equities have to earn their spot in a retiree portfolio through a combination of yield, growth, and payout durability, not yield alone. The five names below screen for safety first: multi-decade payout track records, regulated or fee-based cash flows, and manageable payout ratios. Yields range from modest to competitive with Treasuries, and each has a live catalyst worth tracking into year-end.

One framing note before the picks. As one financial advisor put it recently, "dividends have grown at twice the rate on average of inflation," which is the real argument for owning dividend growers in the distribution phase of retirement. Growth of income matters as much as the starting yield.

Kimberly-Clark (KMB): Dividend King With a 4%+ Yield Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB | KMB Price Prediction) is the highest-yielding name in this group and the one that fits the "high-yield" descriptor most cleanly. The stock trades at $109.31 as of August 21, 2026, with a dividend yield of 4.67% and a forward P/E of 15. Management raised the quarterly payout to $1.28 per share, with the next payment scheduled for October 2, 2026, extending a streak that the company has now stretched across 54 consecutive years of increases.

The bull case rests on category durability. On the Q2 call, CEO Mike Hsu described "the 10th consecutive quarter of solid volume plus mix performance" and said "the fundamentals of our business remain strong." The pending Kenvue acquisition is the swing factor. Risks include the China diaper controversy and integration execution. Shares are down 13.85% over the past year, which is exactly why the yield is where it is.

PepsiCo (PEP): Dividend King Rebuilding Momentum PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP) trades at $143.48 with a 4.05% dividend yield and a trailing P/E of 19. The quarterly dividend rose to $1.48 per share from $1.4225, keeping intact a payout track record that rivals Kimberly-Clark’s.

Q2 was the inflection: core EPS of $2.20, revenue up 6.4% year over year to $24.181B, GAAP operating profit more than doubled to $4.023B, and international segments posted double-digit growth (LatAm Foods +15%, EMEA +10%, Asia Pacific Foods +12%). The company plans ~$8.9B in total 2026 cash returns. Watch the North America Foods drag and tariff exposure. Shares are up 5.77% over the past month, suggesting sentiment is turning.

Exelon (EXC): Regulated Utility With a Data-Center Kicker Exelon (NASDAQ:EXC) is the pure regulated-utility exposure here. Shares closed at $43.78, yielding 3.64% with a forward P/E of 15. The current $0.42 quarterly dividend pays out September 15, 2026.

CFO Jeanne Jones reaffirmed "annualized earnings growth near the top end of 5% to 7% from 2025 through 2029, supported by 7.9% annualized rate-based growth" backed by approximately $41 billion of capital between now and 2029. AI data-center load in the ComEd and PJM footprint is the growth kicker. Regulatory timing on rate cases is the primary risk, and shares are down 6.25% over the past month.

Principal Financial Group (PFG): Retirement Services Compounding a Dividend Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG) is more dividend-growth story than headline-yield story. Shares trade at $110.75 with a 2.89% yield, trailing P/E of 16, and forward P/E of 9.

CFO Joel Pitz announced "an 84 cent per share dividend payable in the third quarter. This is a two cent increase from the prior quarter and 8% higher than a year ago, demonstrating an ongoing commitment to our 40% dividend payout ratio." That was the 13th consecutive quarterly increase. Q2 non-GAAP EPS came in at $2.50 versus $2.33 estimated, and total AUM reached $808B. The caveat: net cash outflows of $11.1B in the quarter concentrated in active equity. Shares are up 27.7% year to date, so the entry yield has compressed.

Northern Trust (NTRS): Trust Bank With a 10% Dividend Hike Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS) is the lowest-yielding name in the group, earning its place on dividend growth rather than headline yield. The stock trades at $183.90 with a 1.75% yield and trailing P/E of 16. The Board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.88 from $0.80, payable October 1, 2026.

Management framed the increase as "an $0.08 or 10% increase to our quarterly common dividend, reflecting our strong capital position, the durability of our business model, and our continued confidence in the firm’s earnings power." Q2 revenue rose 13% year over year, and the firm returned $499 million to common shareholders in the quarter. Risk: nonaccrual loans rose to $71.3M, and the stock’s 47.77% one-year gain means investors are paying for the dividend growth, not the yield.

Positioning Ahead of Year-End These five names span the retirement-income spectrum: two Dividend Kings on a consumer-staples reset (KMB, PEP), a regulated utility with an AI tailwind (EXC), a retirement-services compounder (PFG), and a trust bank raising its payout at a 10% clip (NTRS). Fifty-plus straight years of raises is a small club, and we ranked ten of them by valuation in a free Dividend Kings report for readers who want to keep going down that list. With the 10-year Treasury near the top of its trailing range at 4.69%, only KMB and PEP clear the risk-free rate on current yield. The rest of the case rests on payout growth and the durability of the underlying cash flows, which is where retirement-income investing lives or dies.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

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Bringing in $9,700 each month without dipping into principal works out to a $116,400 annual income target. That is the number a 77‑year‑old has to solve for. The math itself is straightforward. Divide the income goal by the yield on your portfolio, and you get the amount of capital you will need. What shifts at each yield level is the risk you take on, the staying power of that income stream, and where the principal will stand a decade down the road.

For some perspective on the alternatives, the 10‑year Treasury is currently yielding 4.7%, while the national average for a 12‑month CD sits at just 1.7%. Dividend equities fall somewhere between those two poles and the more aggressive end of the income spectrum.

Conservative Tier: 3% to 4% Yield At 3.5%, $116,400 divided by 0.035 equals roughly $3,325,000. This is the dividend-growth tier: Dividend Kings, Aristocrats, and broad-market dividend ETFs.

PepsiCo (NASDAQ:PEP | PEP Price Prediction) yields 4.0% with an annualized forward dividend of $5.92 after the quarterly payout stepped up from $1.4225 to $1.48. Linde (NASDAQ:LIN) yields only 1.3%, but the quarterly dividend progressed from $1.275 in 2023 to $1.60 in 2026, and shares returned 66% over five years. Kimberly-Clark (NASDAQ:KMB) yields 4.6% and just extended its dividend streak to 54 consecutive years.

The trade-off at this tier: you need the most capital, but the income stream typically outpaces inflation, and the principal tends to appreciate. This is the sleep-at-night tier, and the whole idea behind a dividend ladder is to generate income for life without selling a share.

Moderate Tier: 5% to 7% Yield At 6%, $116,400 divided by 0.06 equals roughly $1,940,000. This is the REIT, preferred-share, covered-call ETF, and higher-yielding equity zone, along with high-payout financials and utilities.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG) yields 2.9% after raising the quarterly payout from $0.82 to $0.84, with shares up 46% over the past year. Exelon (NASDAQ:EXC) yields 3.6% and lifted its quarterly dividend from $0.40 to $0.42, riding AI data-center demand at ComEd and PECO. To reach a 6% blended yield, you generally have to blend these with higher-payout REITs and covered-call funds. Distribution growth slows, and some strategies cap upside during rallies.

Aggressive Tier: 8% to 12% Yield At a 10% yield, that $116,400 target requires $1,164,000 in capital. Push the yield to 12%, and the needed sum drops to roughly $970,000. This is the neighborhood where mortgage REITs, business development companies, leveraged covered‑call funds, and high‑yield bond funds tend to live.

The capital requirement falls sharply, but so do the odds that the principal stays intact. Distributions get cut. Net asset values erode over time. A 77‑year‑old who buys into a 12% fund today might collect $9,700 a month for a while, but eventually both the payout and the account balance tend to drift lower.

Why Lower Yields Often Win Over Time Consider Northern Trust (NASDAQ:NTRS). It yields just 1.7%, but the board just raised the quarterly dividend from $0.80 to $0.88, a 10% bump, and shares returned 252% over ten years.

A 3.5% yield that grows 8% annually doubles the income stream in about nine years, taking that $9,700 monthly to roughly $19,400 without adding a dollar. A 12% payout with no growth stays at $9,700 forever and shrinks in real terms as the 2027 Social Security COLA tracks 3.1%. For a 77-year-old with a plausible 15-year horizon, growth math still matters.

Three Steps Before You Rebalance Price your actual spending. If fixed expenses run closer to $7,000 a month, the required capital at 4% drops by roughly a third. Blend the tiers deliberately. A barbell of dividend-growth names like PepsiCo, Kimberly-Clark, and Linde alongside covered-call and BDC income can produce a 5% to 6% blended yield with room for principal growth. Model the effective tax bracket alongside the yield. Qualified dividends and ordinary BDC distributions land in very different places on a retiree’s 1040. A high-yield BDC in a taxable account can quietly cost more than a lower-yield qualified dividend after tax. Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

AssuredPartners Investment Advisors LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG – Free Report) in the second quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the SEC. The fund purchased 12,257 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,321,000.

Other institutional investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $2,157,181,000. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $273,276,000. AQR Capital Management LLC lifted its stake in shares of Principal Financial Group by 112.8% during the 4th quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 2,348,233 shares of the company’s stock valued at $207,138,000 after buying an additional 1,244,668 shares in the last quarter. Deutsche Bank AG bought a new position in Principal Financial Group in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $132,735,000. Finally, Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in Principal Financial Group in the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $124,372,000. Institutional investors own 75.08% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth PFG has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Bank of America increased their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upped their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $102.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a report on Monday, July 13th. Jefferies Financial Group increased their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $91.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research report on Friday, July 10th. Citigroup cut Principal Financial Group from a “sell” rating to an “underperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. Finally, Barclays upped their target price on Principal Financial Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Principal Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $106.67.

View Our Latest Analysis on PFG Principal Financial Group Price Performance Shares of PFG stock opened at $111.64 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.28 and a current ratio of 0.28. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.34 and a fifty-two week high of $116.61. The firm has a market cap of $23.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 15.86, a P/E/G ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.88. The business’s 50 day moving average price is $111.66 and its 200-day moving average price is $101.30.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.50 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.33 by $0.17. Principal Financial Group had a return on equity of 16.49% and a net margin of 9.93%.The company had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.11 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.16 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 9.57 earnings per share for the current year.

Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be issued a $0.84 dividend. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This is an increase from Principal Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. Principal Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.59%.

(Free Report)

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ: PFG) is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm’s business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal’s product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

See Also Five stocks we like better than Principal Financial Group Bloom Energy’s AI Surge Meets a Valuation Reality Check Target Is Winning Shoppers Back—Can the Rally Reach $180? IonQ’s Space Contract Points to a New Frontier for Quantum Investors Is Apple’s AI Strategy Smarter Than Skeptics Think?

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Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 16th, 2026

Handelsbanken Fonder AB increased its position in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG – Free Report) by 72.8% in the second quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 29,084 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 12,250 shares during the period. Handelsbanken Fonder AB’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $3,135,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of PFG. Integrated Wealth Concepts LLC bought a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $244,000. NewEdge Advisors LLC lifted its stake in Principal Financial Group by 24.1% during the first quarter. NewEdge Advisors LLC now owns 7,503 shares of the company’s stock worth $633,000 after purchasing an additional 1,455 shares during the last quarter. Empowered Funds LLC lifted its stake in Principal Financial Group by 11.9% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 4,678 shares of the company’s stock worth $395,000 after purchasing an additional 497 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its holdings in Principal Financial Group by 96.2% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,278 shares of the company’s stock worth $181,000 after purchasing an additional 1,117 shares during the period. Finally, Cerity Partners LLC boosted its holdings in Principal Financial Group by 9.1% in the second quarter. Cerity Partners LLC now owns 37,957 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,015,000 after purchasing an additional 3,175 shares during the period. 75.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Insider Buying and Selling at Principal Financial Group In other news, insider Wee Yee Cheong sold 7,534 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $103.16, for a total value of $777,207.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 66,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,854,259.88. This represents a 10.18% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.13% of the company’s stock.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades Several analysts have weighed in on the stock. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of Principal Financial Group from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Wednesday. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. lifted their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $106.00 to $107.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, August 3rd. Raymond James Financial downgraded shares of Principal Financial Group from a “strong-buy” rating to an “outperform” rating and boosted their price objective for the company from $99.00 to $111.00 in a research report on Tuesday, May 19th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods increased their price objective on shares of Principal Financial Group from $102.00 to $112.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Monday, July 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $105.83.

View Our Latest Research Report on PFG

Principal Financial Group Price Performance Shares of NASDAQ PFG opened at $113.98 on Friday. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $77.15 and a fifty-two week high of $116.61. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $111.33 and its 200 day simple moving average is $100.84. The company has a quick ratio of 0.28, a current ratio of 0.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36. The stock has a market cap of $24.40 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.19, a P/E/G ratio of 1.04 and a beta of 0.88.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $3.99 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.11 billion. Principal Financial Group had a net margin of 9.93% and a return on equity of 16.49%. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.16 earnings per share. Equities analysts expect that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 9.56 EPS for the current year.

Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.84 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.9%. This is an increase from Principal Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. Principal Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.59%.

About Principal Financial Group (Free Report)

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ: PFG) is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm’s business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal’s product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

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First Bank & Trust grew its position in shares of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG – Free Report) by 216.2% in the 2nd quarter, according to the company in its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 7,216 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 4,934 shares during the quarter. First Bank & Trust’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $778,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission.

A number of other institutional investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. bought a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group in the fourth quarter valued at $32,473,000. LBP AM SA bought a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group during the fourth quarter worth about $10,400,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc increased its position in shares of Principal Financial Group by 1,219.5% during the fourth quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 51,196 shares of the company’s stock worth $4,516,000 after acquiring an additional 47,316 shares in the last quarter. VCI Wealth Management LLC acquired a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth about $1,650,000. Finally, Commerzbank Aktiengesellschaft FI acquired a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth about $1,277,000. 75.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Activity In related news, insider Wee Yee Cheong sold 7,534 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.16, for a total transaction of $777,207.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 66,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $6,854,259.88. This trade represents a 10.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. 1.13% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts recently weighed in on PFG shares. Atlantic Securities set a $94.00 price target on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Principal Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America increased their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $94.00 to $104.00 and gave the stock an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Wells Fargo & Company dropped their target price on Principal Financial Group from $114.00 to $113.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Principal Financial Group from $102.00 to $112.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Monday, July 13th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $105.83.

Get Our Latest Analysis on PFG

Principal Financial Group Stock Up 0.4% PFG opened at $113.81 on Tuesday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a current ratio of 0.28 and a quick ratio of 0.28. The company’s 50-day moving average is $110.48 and its 200 day moving average is $100.28. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $76.15 and a fifty-two week high of $116.61. The firm has a market capitalization of $24.37 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.17, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.87.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.17. The business had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.11 billion. Principal Financial Group had a net margin of 9.93% and a return on equity of 16.49%. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.16 earnings per share. Research analysts expect that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 9.56 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be paid a $0.84 dividend. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This is a boost from Principal Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. Principal Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 46.59%.

Principal Financial Group Company Profile (Free Report)

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ: PFG) is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm’s business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal’s product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

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Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG – Get Free Report)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high on Wednesday after Bank of America raised their price target on the stock from $94.00 to $104.00. Bank of America currently has an underperform rating on the stock. Principal Financial Group traded as high as $114.95 and last traded at $114.35, with a volume of 76030 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $114.09.

PFG has been the topic of a number of other research reports. JPMorgan Chase & Co. upped their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $101.00 to $106.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 21st. Barclays raised their price objective on shares of Principal Financial Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the company an “underweight” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Evercore set a $108.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a report on Monday, April 27th. UBS Group upped their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Finally, Atlantic Securities set a $94.00 price target on shares of Principal Financial Group in a report on Wednesday, July 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Principal Financial Group currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $105.75.

Get Our Latest Research Report on PFG

Insider Activity at Principal Financial Group In related news, insider Wee Yee Cheong sold 7,534 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.16, for a total transaction of $777,207.44. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 66,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,854,259.88. This trade represents a 10.18% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders sold 19,928 shares of company stock worth $2,038,004 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 1.13% of the company’s stock.

Trending Headlines about Principal Financial Group Here are the key news stories impacting Principal Financial Group this week:

Positive Sentiment: Q2 earnings beat expectations. Principal Financial reported adjusted earnings of $2.50 per share, above the $2.33 consensus estimate and up from $2.16 a year earlier. Stronger underwriting revenue, higher total revenue and margin expansion supported the results, although revenue of $3.99 billion was below the $4.11 billion estimate. PFG Q2 Earnings Beat on Solid Underwriting, Revenues Rise Year Over Year Positive Sentiment: Management highlighted strong earnings growth. The Q2 earnings call and presentation emphasized operating momentum and solid underwriting performance, which may reinforce confidence in PFG’s earnings outlook. Principal Financial Group Q2 2026 Earnings Call Highlights Principal Financial Group 2026 Q2 Results Earnings Call Presentation Positive Sentiment: Quarterly dividend increased. PFG declared a quarterly dividend of $0.84 per share, up 2.4% from $0.82, with an indicated yield of approximately 2.9%. The dividend is payable September 25 to shareholders of record September 3. Principal Financial Group Dividend Announcement Neutral Sentiment: The earnings-call transcript provides additional details on management’s outlook, operating results and capital priorities, but does not introduce a separate major catalyst beyond the reported quarterly results. Principal Financial Group Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript Negative Sentiment: Bank of America remains bearish. The firm raised its price target from $94 to $104 but retained an “underperform” rating, leaving its target below PFG’s recent trading level. This signals concern that the stock’s strong run has outpaced its expected upside. Institutional Trading of Principal Financial Group A number of institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in PFG. DV Equities LLC purchased a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $25,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in Principal Financial Group during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Principal Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth approximately $26,000. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. purchased a new stake in Principal Financial Group in the first quarter worth approximately $27,000. Finally, MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new stake in Principal Financial Group in the 1st quarter worth approximately $28,000. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 75.08% of the company’s stock.

Principal Financial Group Stock Performance The firm has a market cap of $24.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 16.08, a P/E/G ratio of 1.09 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.36, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a current ratio of 0.24. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $108.78 and its 200 day simple moving average is $98.88.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Monday, July 27th. The company reported $2.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.33 by $0.17. The firm had revenue of $3.99 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $4.11 billion. Principal Financial Group had a return on equity of 16.49% and a net margin of 9.93%.During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned $2.16 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 9.49 earnings per share for the current year.

Principal Financial Group Increases Dividend The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, September 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.84 per share. This represents a $3.36 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.0%. This is a boost from Principal Financial Group’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.82. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. Principal Financial Group’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 46.92%.

About Principal Financial Group (Get Free Report)

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ: PFG) is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm’s business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal’s product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

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Principal Financial Group NASDAQ: PFG reported second-quarter 2026 results marked by double-digit earnings growth, margin expansion and continued capital returns, while executives also addressed concentrated investment-management outflows and an agreement to acquire employee benefits provider Beam Benefits.

Chair, President and CEO Deanna Strable said adjusted non-GAAP earnings per share increased 17% from a year earlier and 15% year to date, exceeding the high end of the company’s target range. Enterprise earnings grew 13%, supported by 6% net revenue growth and 200 basis points of margin expansion.

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Strable said favorable underwriting and improved mortality in the Benefits and Protection segment, strong Retirement and Income Solutions fundamentals, and positive market conditions for fee-based businesses more than offset the effect of investment-management net cash outflows.

Second-Quarter Financial Results and Capital Position CFO Joel Pitz said non-GAAP operating earnings totaled $547 million in the quarter, up 12% year over year, while earnings per share rose 16% to $2.50. Excluding significant variances, operating earnings were $529 million, up 13%, and earnings per share were $2.42, up 17% from a year earlier.

Total company operating margin reached 32%, expanding 200 basis points from the prior-year period. Non-GAAP operating return on equity, excluding significant variances, was 16.4%, up 120 basis points year over year and above the midpoint of Principal’s 15% to 17% target range. Net income excluding exit business was $535 million, a 24% increase from the year-ago quarter, with minimal credit losses, Pitz said.

Managed assets under management ended the quarter at $808 billion, up 5% from the first quarter and 7% from the second quarter of 2025.

Principal returned $427 million to shareholders during the quarter, comprising $250 million in share repurchases and $177 million in dividends. Year-to-date shareholder returns totaled $800 million. The company said it remains on track for full-year capital deployment of $1.5 billion to $1.8 billion.

The company also raised its common-stock dividend for the 13th consecutive quarter. It announced a third-quarter dividend of $0.84 per share, up $0.02 sequentially and 8% from a year earlier.

Pitz said Principal ended the quarter with more than $1.6 billion in excess and available capital, including $950 million at the holding company, $300 million at subsidiaries and $350 million above its targeted risk-based capital ratio. Its risk-based capital ratio was approximately 400% at quarter-end.

Retirement, Benefits Results Drive Growth In Retirement and Income Solutions, pre-tax operating earnings increased 8% from a year earlier, supported by 5% net revenue growth and expense discipline. Operating margin expanded 120 basis points to 41%.

Strable said retirement transfer deposits rose 30% year over year and recurring deposits increased 6%. Roll-ins reached $1.7 billion during the quarter and more than $7 billion over the trailing 12 months, with both measures up nearly 20%. The company also reported $2 billion in defined-contribution investment-only sales and $500 million of pension risk transfer sales during the quarter.

Chris Littlefield, president of Retirement and Income Solutions, said the company continued to see growth in participants with account balances, higher deferrals and strong retention. Plan counts were flat to slightly down as Principal de-emphasized the micro-plan market in favor of plans with greater assets and investment-mandate opportunities, he said.

Benefits and Protection generated pre-tax operating earnings of $191 million, up 29% year over year. Specialty Benefits earnings rose 29% to a record $162 million, while the loss ratio improved 280 basis points to 57.4%. Specialty Benefits operating margin increased 360 basis points to 19%.

Amy Friedrich, president of Benefits and Protection, attributed the improvement to favorable results across product lines, including dental-network optimization, past pricing actions, lower disability incidence and lower group life frequency. She said Principal now expects full-year Specialty Benefits underwriting results to emerge below the low end of its previously communicated 60% to 64% loss-ratio range.

Asset Management Outflows Remain a Headwind Principal Asset Management’s earnings increased 6% year over year, aided by assets under management growth and margin expansion. Investment-management earnings rose 4%, as slightly higher revenue and expense discipline offset elevated severance costs. The company said severance expenses across investment management and international pension were about $7 million during the quarter.

However, the company recorded approximately $11 billion in total-company net outflows, concentrated in a small number of U.S. active equity strategies. Kamal Bhatia, president and CEO of Principal Asset Management, said those strategies represent slightly more than 5% of firm assets under management and have faced an “acute and unusual” market environment that has not rewarded quality-oriented, valuation-aware stock selection.

Bhatia said management expects net flows to remain somewhat challenged in the second half, though the committed but unfunded pipeline increased to roughly $10 billion from the first quarter. He also cited growth in other areas, including private markets, international pension assets and active ETFs.

Private markets assets under management increased 10% year over year, while international pension assets under management climbed 18% to a record $169 billion. Active ETFs generated $500 million in quarterly net inflows and $2 billion over the trailing 12 months.

Beam Benefits Acquisition and Portfolio Actions Principal announced earlier in July that it agreed to acquire Beam Benefits, a digital-first employee benefits company serving small and midsize businesses. Beam has more than 25,000 employer customers, about 400,000 members and generated $175 million of premium in 2025, according to Friedrich.

Management said the transaction would expand Principal’s SMB reach and add digital quoting, underwriting and distribution capabilities. Friedrich said potential benefits include eliminating certain leased dental-network costs and extending Beam’s technology across Principal’s broader small-case business.

Pitz said the acquisition is not expected to change the company’s 2026 capital-deployment plan, earnings outlook, free-cash-flow outlook or return-on-equity outlook. Strable said Principal views acquisitions as opportunistic accelerators rather than a replacement for organic growth and will continue to apply financial, strategic and cultural criteria to potential deals.

The company also completed the transition of its Hong Kong pension business to BCT and said its pending sale of the Chile annuity business remains part of efforts to optimize its portfolio.

About Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG)Principal Financial Group NASDAQ: PFG is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm's business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal's product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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Principal Financial (PFG - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $2.5 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.33 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.16 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +7.30%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this financial services company would post earnings of $2.01 per share when it actually produced earnings of $2.07, delivering a surprise of +2.99%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times.

Principal Financial, which belongs to the Zacks Insurance - Multi line industry, posted revenues of $3.99 billion for the quarter ended June 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.89%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $3.69 billion. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates just once over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

Principal Financial shares have added about 24% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.3%.

What's Next for Principal Financial?While Principal Financial has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Principal Financial was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $2.49 on $4.22 billion in revenues for the coming quarter and $9.45 on $16.3 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Insurance - Multi line is currently in the bottom 29% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

Equitable Holdings, Inc. (EQH - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 4.

This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.66 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +50.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 2.2% higher over the last 30 days to the current level.

Equitable Holdings, Inc.'s revenues are expected to be $3.8 billion, down 0% from the year-ago quarter.

DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) announced results for second quarter 2026. Diluted earnings per common share 2Q26   Earnings (in millions) 2Q26 Net income attributable to PFG $1.84   Net income attributable to PFG $403 Non-GAAP net income attributable to PFG, excluding exited business1 $2.44   Non-GAAP net income attributable to PFG, excluding exited business1 $535 Non-GAAP operating earnings1 $2.50   Non-GAAP operating earnings1 $547 Non-GAAP operati.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Jul 25th, 2026

Assetmark Inc. increased its stake in Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG – Free Report) by 104.3% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the SEC. The institutional investor owned 20,227 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 10,325 shares during the quarter. Assetmark Inc.’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $1,823,000 as of its most recent filing with the SEC.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently bought and sold shares of PFG. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the fourth quarter worth $25,000. Thurston Springer Miller Herd & Titak Inc. bought a new position in Principal Financial Group during the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 4th quarter worth approximately $26,000. MBM Wealth Consultants LLC bought a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Finally, Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. increased its holdings in shares of Principal Financial Group by 343.6% in the 4th quarter. Quest 10 Wealth Builders Inc. now owns 346 shares of the company’s stock valued at $30,000 after acquiring an additional 268 shares during the last quarter. 75.08% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Principal Financial Group Stock Up 1.9% NASDAQ:PFG opened at $109.40 on Friday. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $108.14 and its 200 day moving average price is $98.37. The firm has a market capitalization of $23.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 15.65, a PEG ratio of 1.03 and a beta of 0.88. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a 1-year low of $75.00 and a 1-year high of $114.90.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The company reported $2.07 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.01 by $0.06. Principal Financial Group had a return on equity of 16.25% and a net margin of 10.10%.The firm had revenue of $3.53 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $4.11 billion. During the same period last year, the company posted $1.81 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts forecast that Principal Financial Group, Inc. will post 9.45 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Principal Financial Group In other Principal Financial Group news, General Counsel George Djurasovic sold 2,571 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, April 28th. The shares were sold at an average price of $100.83, for a total transaction of $259,233.93. Following the transaction, the general counsel directly owned 21,906 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,208,781.98. This represents a 10.50% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, insider Wee Yee Cheong sold 7,534 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $103.16, for a total value of $777,207.44. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 66,443 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $6,854,259.88. This represents a 10.18% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 28,317 shares of company stock valued at $2,884,902 over the last ninety days. Company insiders own 1.13% of the company’s stock.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several brokerages recently issued reports on PFG. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $114.00 to $113.00 and set an “equal weight” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday. Jefferies Financial Group boosted their target price on shares of Principal Financial Group from $91.00 to $98.00 and gave the company a “hold” rating in a research note on Friday, July 10th. Weiss Ratings cut shares of Principal Financial Group from a “buy (b)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a report on Friday, May 1st. Barclays raised their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $87.00 to $92.00 and gave the stock an “underweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Finally, UBS Group lifted their price target on shares of Principal Financial Group from $92.00 to $94.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, April 9th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have issued a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $105.00.

Get Our Latest Analysis on Principal Financial Group

Principal Financial Group Profile (Free Report)

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ: PFG) is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm’s business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal’s product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

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Key Takeaways PFG is expected to see higher revenues from Retirement, Asset Management and Benefits businesses. PFG is likely to gain from higher AUM, investment income and international pension earnings. PFG is expected to face higher expenses from increased benefits, claims and settlement costs. Principal Financial Group, Inc. (PFG - Free Report) is expected to register an improvement in its top and bottom lines when it reports second-quarter 2026 results on July 27, after the closing bell.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PFG’s second-quarter revenues is pegged at $4.11 billion, indicating an increase of 11.4% from the year-ago reported figure.

The consensus estimate for earnings is pegged at $2.32 per share. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for PFG’s second-quarter earnings has moved down 0.8% in the past 30 days. The estimate suggests a year-over-year increase of 7.4%.

What Our Quantitative Model PredictsOur proven model predicts an earnings beat for Principal Financial this time around. This is because the stock has the right combination of a positive Earnings ESP and a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold), which increases the chances of an earnings beat.

Earnings ESP: Principal Financial has an Earnings ESP of +0.29% at present. This is because the Most Accurate Estimate of $2.33 is pegged higher than the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $2.32. You can uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they’re reported with our Earnings ESP Filter.

Zacks Rank: Principal Financial currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.

Factors at PlayPrincipal Financial’s second-quarter results are likely to reflect favorable underwriting results and improved mortality within the benefits and protection business, as well as positive market conditions for fee-based businesses.

Operating revenues are likely to have increased owing to higher premiums & other considerations, as well as higher fees & other revenues in Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Asset Management, and Benefits and Protection.

Higher management fee revenues, as a result of increased average AUM, are likely to have benefited Investment Management.

Higher earnings from equity method investments in Brazil and foreign currency tailwinds are expected to have benefited International Pension operations.

Investment income is expected to have benefited from higher average invested assets in fixed maturities, derivatives in fair value hedges, and other investments for our U.S. operations. The lower inflation-based returns on average invested assets and cash in Latin America are likely to have offset the upside.

Assets under management are likely to have benefited from positive market performance and net cash flow, as well as foreign currency tailwinds.

Expenses are likely to have increased due to higher benefits, claims and settlement expenses.

Other Stocks to ConsiderHere are three other insurance stocks that you may want to consider, as our model shows that these, too, have the right combination of elements to post an earnings beat:

Cincinnati Financial Corporation (CINF - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +7.22% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $1.82, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 7.6%. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank stocks here.

CINF’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.

The Allstate Corporation (ALL - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +2.59% and a Zacks Rank #2 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $5.61, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 5.5%.

ALL’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.

Axis Capital Holdings Limited (AXS - Free Report) has an Earnings ESP of +3.82% and a Zacks Rank #3 at present. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for second-quarter 2026 earnings is pegged at $3.23, indicating a year-over-year decrease of 1.8%.

AXS’s earnings beat estimates in each of the last four reported quarters.

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Momentum ScoreMomentum investors, who live by the saying "the trend is your friend," are most interested in taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Utilizing one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, among other factors, the Momentum Style Score can help determine favorable times to buy high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank is a proprietary stock-rating model that harnesses the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to help investors build a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To maximize your returns, you want to buy stocks with the highest probability of success. This means picking stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you find yourself looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, make sure they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Principal Financial (PFG - Free Report) Ranked among the Fortune 500 companies, Des Moines, IA-based Principal Financial Group Inc. is a leader in global investment management offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through our diverse family of financial services companies. The company was founded in 1879.

PFG is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

Momentum investors should take note of this Finance stock. PFG has a Momentum Style Score of A, and shares are up 4% over the past four weeks.

Two analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.09 to $9.40 per share. PFG boasts an average earnings surprise of +1.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Momentum and VGM Style Scores, PFG should be on investors' short list.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

Featuring daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, the research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor.

It also includes access to the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics. Just like in school, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on -- that means the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Principal Financial (PFG - Free Report) Ranked among the Fortune 500 companies, Des Moines, IA-based Principal Financial Group Inc. is a leader in global investment management offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through our diverse family of financial services companies. The company was founded in 1879.

PFG is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 12.02; value investors should take notice.

For fiscal 2026, two analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.09 to $9.40 per share. PFG boasts an average earnings surprise of +1.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, PFG should be on investors' short list.

Principal Financial Group (Nasdaq: PFG) announced today the expansion of its Principal Custody Solutions Bank Referral Program to help address a common obs

DES MOINES, Iowa--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG) announced today that it will release second quarter 2026 financial results after U.S. markets close on Monday, July 27, 2026. On Tuesday, July 28, 2026, at 10 a.m. ET, Deanna Strable, chair, president, and chief executive officer, and Joel Pitz, executive vice president and chief financial officer, will share the results during a live conference call. Other members of senior management will be available for a question a.

It doesn't matter your age or experience: taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for all investors. Luckily, Zacks Premium offers several different ways to do both.

The research service features daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, full access to the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens, all of which will help you become a smarter, more confident investor.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreValue investors love finding good stocks at good prices, especially before the broader market catches on to a stock's true value. Utilizing ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and many other multiples, the Value Style Score identifies the most attractive and most discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +24% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

The direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should always be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy, since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: Principal Financial (PFG - Free Report) Ranked among the Fortune 500 companies, Des Moines, IA-based Principal Financial Group Inc. is a leader in global investment management offering businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through our diverse family of financial services companies. The company was founded in 1879.

PFG is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of A thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 11.26; value investors should take notice.

Four analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.06 to $9.37 per share. PFG boasts an average earnings surprise of +1.7%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, PFG should be on investors' short list.

On June 24, 2026, Principal Financial Group Inc (PFG) shares fell 5.1% to a current price of $106.66. This drop occurs within a 52-week range of $75.00 to $112.

Top Wall Street analysts changed their outlook on these top names. For a complete view of all analyst rating changes, including upgrades, downgrades and initiations, please see our analyst ratings page.

Considering buying PFG stock? Here’s what analysts think:

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Principal Asset Management® today announced the launch of Principal® Fit, a fixed income exchange-traded fund (ETF) suite that includes four newly launched exchange-traded funds, expanding the firm’s lineup and enhancing fixed income capabilities for investors. The suite and newly launched ETFs are designed to support more precise and flexible portfolio positioning as investors navigate evolving interest rate, credit, and inflation dynamics.

As fixed income markets grow more complex, there is an increasing need for more precise ways to align portfolio allocations with market views and desired outcomes across distinct market environments. The cohesive new suite of ETFs is designed to help simplify the process by providing targeted exposure across key segments of the fixed income market, including inflation protection, securitized credit, long duration, and collateralized loan obligations. Additionally, each ETF can serve a distinct role within a broader portfolio, with exposures aligned to different interest rates, credit, and inflation conditions, and can be used independently or in combination as conditions evolve.

“Principal Fit is designed to help investors navigate rapidly changing market environments and simplify how they make allocation decisions across fixed income,” said Michael Goosay, chief investment officer and global head of fixed income at Principal Asset Management. “In this environment, broad exposure is often less effective than more targeted approaches, and this lineup provides more precise tools to support portfolio decisions as market conditions shift.”

Together with the Principal Investment Grade Corporate ETF (IG), the five ETFs in the suite form a flexible set of solutions that can be used across portfolios to support income generation, diversification, and portfolio positioning across duration, credit, and inflation expectations. The newly launched ETFs include:

The Principal Inflation Protection ETF (RIZE), which focuses on helping investors manage inflation risk by providing exposure to securities sensitive to changes in price levels. The Principal Securitized Debt ETF (WDE) which provides access to securitized sectors of the fixed income market, offering diversified exposure across structured credit. The Principal Long Duration ETF (DWWN) provides exposure to longer-duration bonds, supporting positioning around changes in interest rates. The Principal CLO ETF (UUPP) offers exposure to collateralized loan obligations and seeks to deliver income through floating-rate credit instruments. Principal Asset Management offers 16 ETFs and approximately $10.4 billion in assets under management across its ETF platform3. The funds are listed on Cboe BZX Exchange and trade under the tickers UUPP, DWWN, IG, WDE, and RIZE.

About Principal Asset Management®

With public and private market capabilities across all asset classes, Principal Asset Management and its investment specialists look at asset management through a different lens, creating solutions to help deliver client investment objectives. By applying local insights with global perspectives, Principal Asset Management identifies distinct and compelling investment opportunities for more than 1,100 institutional clients in over 80 markets.1 Principal Asset Management is the global investment solutions business for Principal Financial Group® (Nasdaq: PFG), managing $578.0 billion in assets1 and recognized as a “Best Places to Work in Money Management”2 for 14 consecutive years.

Learn more at www.PrincipalAM.com

[1] As of March 31, 2026

[2] Pensions & Investments, The "Best Places to Work in Money Management”, among companies with 1,000 or more employees, December 2025.

[3] As of May 31, 2026

Carefully consider a fund’s objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. For a prospectus, or summary prospectus if available, containing this and other information, visit www.PrincipalAM.com or call sales support at 800-787-1621. Please read it carefully before investing.

Investing in ETFs involves risk, including possible loss of principal. ETFs are subject to risk similar to those of stocks, including those regarding short-selling and margin account maintenance.

Fixed income investments are subject to interest rate risk; as interest rates rise, bond prices generally fall.

Investments in asset-backed securities such as collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) and mortgage-backed securities are subject to additional risks associated with the nature of the underlying assets and the servicing of those assets, including risk of default of the underlying assets. Neither the principal of bond investment options nor their yields are guaranteed by the U.S. government. Yields for U.S. Treasury Inflation Protected Securities (“TIPS”) are adjusted monthly based on changes in the rate of inflation. This can cause the yield to vary from one month to the next and may not be repeated. Funds with longer average portfolio durations are more sensitive to changes in interest rates and may be more volatile than those with shorter durations. Investing in derivatives entails specific risks relating to liquidity, leverage, and credit, which may reduce returns and/or increase volatility.

ALPS Distributors, Inc. is the distributor of the Principal ETFs. ALPS Distributors, Inc. and the Principal Funds are not affiliated.

View source version on businesswire.com: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20260615233888/en/

Posted by Defense World Staff on Apr 1st, 2026

Foster & Motley Inc. trimmed its position in shares of Principal Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:PFG – Free Report) by 14.5% in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor owned 34,980 shares of the company’s stock after selling 5,943 shares during the quarter. Foster & Motley Inc.’s holdings in Principal Financial Group were worth $3,086,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other large investors have also recently made changes to their positions in the company. Capital A Wealth Management LLC grew its position in Principal Financial Group by 5,533.3% during the second quarter. Capital A Wealth Management LLC now owns 338 shares of the company’s stock valued at $27,000 after buying an additional 332 shares during the period. FWL Investment Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Principal Financial Group in the third quarter worth about $32,000. Rialto Wealth Management LLC boosted its stake in shares of Principal Financial Group by 3,754.5% during the 4th quarter. Rialto Wealth Management LLC now owns 424 shares of the company’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 413 shares in the last quarter. True Wealth Design LLC boosted its stake in shares of Principal Financial Group by 87.9% during the 4th quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 511 shares of the company’s stock worth $45,000 after acquiring an additional 239 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of Principal Financial Group during the 3rd quarter valued at about $46,000. 75.08% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Insider Buying and Selling In other Principal Financial Group news, CEO Deanna D. Strable-Soethout sold 9,300 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $95.12, for a total value of $884,616.00. Following the transaction, the chief executive officer owned 144,168 shares in the company, valued at approximately $13,713,260.16. This trade represents a 6.06% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Over the last three months, insiders sold 24,965 shares of company stock valued at $2,352,460. 1.08% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In PFG has been the subject of several recent analyst reports. UBS Group lifted their price target on Principal Financial Group from $88.00 to $92.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. reissued a “neutral” rating and issued a $103.00 price objective on shares of Principal Financial Group in a report on Monday, January 5th. Piper Sandler boosted their price objective on Principal Financial Group from $94.00 to $100.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 23rd. Barclays reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $85.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research note on Thursday, January 8th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods reiterated a “hold” rating and set a $92.00 target price on shares of Principal Financial Group in a research report on Thursday, March 26th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, Principal Financial Group has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $94.22.

Get Our Latest Research Report on Principal Financial Group

Principal Financial Group Trading Up 2.1% Shares of Principal Financial Group stock opened at $90.11 on Wednesday. The company has a current ratio of 0.27, a quick ratio of 0.27 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.33. Principal Financial Group, Inc. has a twelve month low of $68.39 and a twelve month high of $97.88. The firm has a market capitalization of $19.54 billion, a PE ratio of 17.10, a P/E/G ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.87. The firm’s 50-day moving average price is $91.67 and its 200 day moving average price is $87.34.

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ:PFG – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 18th. The company reported $2.20 EPS for the quarter. Principal Financial Group had a return on equity of 16.09% and a net margin of 7.58%.The company had revenue of $4.58 billion during the quarter.

Principal Financial Group Dividend Announcement The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Friday, March 27th. Investors of record on Wednesday, March 11th were given a dividend of $0.80 per share. This represents a $3.20 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.6%. The ex-dividend date was Wednesday, March 11th. Principal Financial Group’s payout ratio is presently 60.72%.

Principal Financial Group Profile (Free Report)

Principal Financial Group (NASDAQ: PFG) is a global financial services company headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, that provides a range of retirement, investment and insurance solutions to individuals, employers and institutional clients. The firm’s business is organized around retirement services, asset management, and insurance products designed to help clients plan, invest for, and protect income over the long term.

Principal’s product and service offerings include retirement plan recordkeeping and administration for employer-sponsored plans, individual and group retirement annuities, life and disability insurance, employee benefits solutions, and wealth management services.

Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Principal Financial Group

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