Introduction
Principal AM is a diversified global asset management organization providing an
expanded range of diverse investment capabilities through a network of specialized
investment teams and affiliates. Capabilities encompass an extensive range of equity,
fixed income, currency, alternative investments, and asset allocation services.
Principal AM, is an indirect wholly owned subsidiary of Principal Financial Group, Inc.
(NASDAQ: PFG.)
Principal AM’s Services
Principal AM provides investment advisory services to institutional investors and
individuals on a discretionary or non-discretionary basis. Principal AM has divided its
investment management operations into several distinct investment teams across
equities, fixed income, currency, real estate, listed infrastructure, alternative
investments, and asset allocation services. Principal AM also serves as an investment
adviser for Principal Funds, Inc., Principal Variable Contracts, Inc., Principal Exchange-
Traded Funds and, for the Scholars Edge 529 plan, Principal AM serves as investment
manager. Principal AM also provides fund administration services for Principal Funds,
Inc. and Principal Variable Contracts, Inc. Principal AM may hire affiliated or non-
affiliated investment advisers to provide discretionary investment advisory services in a
sub-advisory capacity. For example, Principal AM serves as a “manager of managers” on
behalf of certain Principal Funds. In its capacity as a manager of managers, Principal AM
recommends the hiring and firing of sub-advisory firms and provides ongoing oversight
of such sub-advisory firms in connection with the services provided to the Principal
Funds.
Principal AM also provides additional investment services to clients as described more
fully in the Investment Solutions section in “Item 5 – Fees and Compensation.”
Principal AM generally provides continuous investment advice based on the defined
investment strategies, objectives, and policies of its clients. These arrangements are
documented through an investment management agreement, investment policy
statement, or investment guidelines, which incorporate investment management
restrictions and guidelines developed in consultation with each client, as well as any
additional services required by the client. These restrictions and guidelines customarily
impose limitations on the types of securities that may be purchased and the percentage
of account assets that may be invested in certain types of securities. Clients may also
choose to restrict investment in specific securities or groups of securities for social,
environmental, or other reasons. Principal AM also provides certain non-discretionary
services to clients such as model portfolios.
Prospective clients or investors may also access our services indirectly by purchasing
interests in Principal Funds or other commingled vehicles advised or sub-advised by
Principal AM or an affiliate (e.g., private funds, collective investment trusts, exchange-
traded funds (“ETFs”), or open-end or closed-end investment companies) rather than
establishing a direct relationship through an investment management agreement.
Clients or investors should consider the features of these options and their own specific
needs and circumstances when determining the most suitable investment and should
carefully review the offering documents of these investment vehicles to understand
the investment objectives, strategies, and risks of each vehicle.
Prospective clients or investors may also purchase our services indirectly by purchasing
investment management or discretionary trustee services from Principal Trust
Company or Principal Bank, rather than establishing a direct relationship through an
investment management agreement.
Private Funds
For our private funds, investment advice is provided directly to the funds subject to the
discretion and control of the funds’ general partners (or analogous party), and not to
investors in the fund based upon their individual needs. Fund investors may have
conflicting investment, tax, and other interests with respect to their investments in the
fund. As a consequence, conflicts of interest may arise in connection with decisions made
by Principal AM that may be more beneficial for one investor than for another investor,
especially with respect to investors’ individual tax situations. In selecting and structuring
investments appropriate for a private fund, Principal AM and the private fund’s general
partner (or analogous party) will consider the investment and tax objectives of the
applicable private fund, not the investment, tax, or other objectives of any investor
individually.
Principal AM from time to time enters into side letter arrangements with certain investors
in private funds. Side letters provide such investors with different or preferential rights or
terms of the private fund. Such differences and preferences may include but are not limited
to, different fund fee structures, and other preferential economic rights, information rights,
waiver of certain confidentiality obligations, co-investment rights, redemption, certain
rights or terms necessary in light of particular legal, regulatory or policy requirements of a
particular investor, additional obligations and restrictions with respect to structuring
particular investments in light of the legal and regulatory considerations applicable to a
particular investor, or preferential liquidity or transfer rights to the extent other investors
are not disadvantaged and these are allowable per regulation. Except as otherwise agreed
with an investor or otherwise set out in the private fund’s organization documents,
Principal AM and its affiliates are not required to disclose the terms of side letter
arrangements with other investors in the same private fund.
The organizational documents of a private fund establish complex arrangements among
the funds,
Principal AM, investors, and other relevant parties. From time to time, questions
may arise regarding certain parties’ rights and obligations in certain situations, some of
which may not have been contemplated upon the negotiation and execution of such
documents. In some instances, the operative provisions of the organizational documents, if
any, may be broad, silent on relevant provisions, conflicting, ambiguous, and vague and
may allow for multiple reasonable interpretations.
While Principal AM will construe the relevant provisions in good faith and in a manner
consistent with its fiduciary duty to the fund and legal obligations, the interpretations used
may not be the most favorable to the private fund investors.
Services required by Principal AM’s private funds may, for certain reasons including efficiency
and economic considerations, be outsourced in whole or in part to third parties, in each case
at the discretion of Principal AM or their general partners (or analogous parties).
Principal AM and its affiliates have an incentive to outsource such services at the expense of
the private funds to, among other things, leverage the use of Principal AM’s personnel.
Such services may include, without limitation, investor reporting, private fund administration
and accounting, custodial, valuation, and legal. Outsourcing may not occur universally for all
private funds and accordingly, certain costs may be incurred by one private fund for a third-
party service provider that is not incurred for comparable services by other private funds.
Separately Managed Accounts (“SMA”)/Wrap Programs
Principal AM provides investment advisory services to a variety of managed account
programs, including separately managed accounts or wrap fee programs, unified
managed account programs, and model portfolio programs (collectively, “Managed
Accounts”). There are several different types of Managed Account programs offered by
third-party broker-dealers, banks, or other investment advisers affiliated with broker-
dealers (“Program Sponsors”). In discretionary Managed Account programs, Principal
AM is responsible for implementing its investment recommendations. Principal AM
may handle the placement of trades for certain accounts with brokers other than the
Program Sponsor or its affiliate(s) (e.g., through “step outs”), but typically the majority
of trades will be directed to the Program Sponsor or its affiliate(s) for execution. In
“Model-Delivery” Managed Account programs, Principal AM is retained by the Program
Sponsor to provide non-discretionary research and portfolio recommendations that are
not tailored to any program participant. The Program Sponsor has discretion to accept,
modify, or reject Principal AM’s recommendations and assumes the responsibility to
implement transactions for Managed Accounts. Principal AM generally does not have
information regarding participants in Model-Delivery Managed Accounts.
Generally, for Managed Accounts comprised of ERISA plan clients, Principal AM’s services are
ordinarily described in the ERISA plan client’s contract with the Program Sponsor and/or in
the Program Sponsor’s program brochure.
Asset Allocation Service
Principal AM provides asset allocation advice and other investment advisory services to
qualified retirement plans funded with annuity contracts purchased from Principal Life
Insurance Company (“Principal Life”). These specific clients are contract holders of group
variable annuity contracts issued by Principal Life. The clients, as annuity contract holders,
have an option to invest in various separate accounts established by Principal Life. Principal
AM acts as sub-adviser to Principal Trust Company and Principal Bank, providing asset
allocation advice and other investment advisory services to institutional investors.
Services Provided to Non-U.S. Clients
Principal AM may also act as an investment adviser and may conduct marketing activity
with respect to clients and prospective clients domiciled in foreign jurisdictions. In
some instances, Principal AM may do so without maintaining regulatory licenses or
registrations in those jurisdictions, to the extent permitted by applicable law.
Clients and prospective clients in such jurisdictions should consider whether the
regulatory framework of their own jurisdiction imposes restrictions upon them
regarding hiring an investment adviser that does not hold local regulatory licenses or
registrations. Clients and prospective clients should also consider whether the
regulatory framework to which Principal AM is subject provides sufficient protections
given that Principal AM may not be subject to the regulatory framework with which
they are familiar in their own jurisdiction.
Global Asset Management
Principal AM may utilize services from, and provide services to, our United States
(U.S.). affiliates and non-U.S. affiliates. These services may include investment advisory
services, client relations, investment monitoring, accounting administration,
investment research, and trading. To facilitate this collaboration, Principal AM has
entered into sub-advisory agreements, intercompany agreements, and “participating
affiliate” arrangements with certain non-U.S. affiliates. Each U.S. affiliate is registered
with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and each non-U.S. affiliate
is registered with the appropriate respective regulators in their home jurisdictions.
Under participating affiliate arrangements, certain employees of Principal AM’s non-
U.S. affiliates serve as “associated persons” of Principal AM when providing certain of
these services, including placing orders for clients, and in this capacity are subject to
Principal AM’s oversight and supervision.
Assets Under Management
Principal AM managed $368,994,148,138 in discretionary assets and $8,228,828,744
in non-discretionary assets as of December 31, 2023.