Principal Funds Inc.

03/16/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 03/16/2026 10:16

Summary Prospectus by Investment Company (Form 497K)


GLOBAL EMERGING MARKETS FUND
Class A J Inst. R-3 R-5 R-6
Ticker Symbol(s) PRIAX PIEJX PIEIX PEAPX PEPSX PIIMX
Principal Funds, Inc. Summary Prospectus March 1, 2026 as amended March 16, 2026
Before you invest, you may want to review the Fund's Prospectus, which contains more information about the Fund and its risks. You can find the Fund's Prospectus, Statement of Additional Information, Reports to Shareholders, and other information about the Fund online at www.PrincipalAM.com/Prospectuses. You can also get this information at no cost by calling 1-800-222-5852 or by sending an email request to [email protected].
The Fund's Prospectus and Statement of Additional Information, both dated March 1, 2026, as may be amended or supplemented, are incorporated by reference into this Summary Prospectus.
NOTICE: On March 10, 2026, the Fund's Board of Directors approved a change to the Fund's diversification classification from "diversified" to "non-diversified" and a change to the related fundamental investment restriction (together, the "Proposed Change"). Fund shareholders of record on April 13, 2026, are entitled to vote on the Proposed Change at a Special Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund tentatively scheduled for June 25, 2026. Additional information about the Proposed Change will be provided in the Proxy Statement that is expected to be sent to record date Fund shareholders on or about April 20, 2026. The Proposed Change, if approved by Fund shareholders, is expected to be effective on or about July 1, 2026. However, the Fund's officers have the discretion to change these dates.
Objective
The Fund seeks long-term growth of capital.
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy, hold, and sell shares of the Fund. You may pay other fees, such as brokerage commissions and other fees to financial intermediaries, which are not reflected in the tables and examples below. You may qualify for sales charge discounts if you and your family invest, or agree to invest in the future, at least $50,000 in Class A Shares of Principal Funds, Inc. More information about these and other discounts is available from your financial intermediary and in "Choosing a Share Class and The Costs of Investing" beginning on page 398 of the Fund's Prospectus, Appendix B to the Prospectus titled "Intermediary-Specific Sales Charge Waivers and Reductions," and "Multiple Class Structure" beginning on page 69 of the Fund's Statement of Additional Information.
If you purchase Institutional Class or Class R-6 shares through certain programs offered by certain financial intermediaries, you may be required to pay a commission and/or other forms of compensation to the broker, or to your Financial Professional or other financial intermediary.
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Share Class
A
J
Inst.
R-3 R-5 R-6
Maximum Sales Charge (Load) Imposed on Purchases (as a percentage of offering price)
5.50% None None None None None
Maximum Deferred Sales Charge (Load) (as a percentage of the offering price or NAV when Sales Load is paid, whichever is less)
1.00% 1.00% None None None None
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Annual Fund Operating Expenses
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Share Class
A
J
Inst.
R-3 R-5 R-6
Management Fees 0.95% 0.95% 0.95% 0.95% 0.95% 0.95%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees 0.25% 0.15% N/A 0.25% N/A N/A
Other Expenses (1)
0.25% 0.25% 0.22% 0.36% 0.30% 0.05%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.45% 1.35% 1.17% 1.56% 1.25% 1.00%
Expense Reimbursement (2)
0.00% (0.04)% (0.06)% N/A N/A N/A
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses after Expense Reimbursement 1.45% 1.31% 1.11% 1.56% 1.25% 1.00%
(1)Includes 0.01% of expenses associated with consulting fees. The expense is not subject to the contractual expense limit.
(2)Principal Global Investors, LLC ("PGI"), the investment advisor, has contractually agreed to limit the Fund's expenses by paying, if necessary, expenses normally payable by the Fund, (excluding interest expense, expenses related to fund investments, acquired fund fees and expenses, expenses related to the ReFlow liquidity program, and tax reclaim recovery expenses and other extraordinary expenses) to maintain a total level of operating expenses (expressed as a percent of average net assets on an annualized basis) not to exceed 1.45% for Class A, 1.30% for Class J and 1.10% for Institutional Class shares. It is expected that the expense limits will continue through the period ending February 28, 2027; however, Principal Funds, Inc. and PGI, the parties to the agreement, may mutually agree to terminate the expense limits prior to the end of the period. Subject to applicable expense limits, the Fund may reimburse PGI for expenses incurred during the current fiscal year.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The Example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated and then redeem all of your shares at the end of those periods. The Example also assumes that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same. The calculation of costs takes into account any applicable contractual fee waivers and/or expense reimbursements for the period noted in the table above. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class A $689 $983 $1,299 $2,190
Class J 233 424 736 1,620
Institutional Class 113 366 638 1,415
Class R-3 159 493 850 1,856
Class R-5 127 397 686 1,511
Class R-6 102 318 552 1,225
With respect to Class J shares, you would pay the following expenses if you did not redeem your shares (all other classes would be the same as in the above example):
1 year
3 years
5 years
10 years
Class J $133 $424 $736 $1,620
Portfolio Turnover
The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in Annual Fund Operating Expenses or in the Example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 32.3% of the average value of its portfolio.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of emerging market companies. The Fund considers "emerging market" to mean any country that is not in the MSCI World Index. Generally, emerging markets include all countries except the United States, Canada, Japan, Australia, Singapore, New Zealand, and most nations located in Western Europe. The Fund also includes Mainland China and its administrative and other districts such as Hong Kong and Macau in its definition of "emerging market." The Fund considers a security to be tied economically to an emerging market if one or more of the following criteria is present: (i) the issuer or guarantor of the security has its principal place of business or principal office in an emerging market; (ii) the principal trading market for the security is in an emerging market; (iii) the issuer or guarantor of the security derives a majority of its revenue from emerging markets; or (iv) the currency of settlement of the security is the currency of an emerging market.
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The Fund invests in equity securities regardless of market capitalization (small, medium, or large) and style (growth or value).
The Fund may invest in and have direct access to China A shares listed on the Shanghai Stock Connect program ("SSE") via the Shanghai-Hong Kong Stock Connect and Shenzhen Hong Kong Stock Connect Schemes.
On or about July 1, 2026, subject to shareholder approval, add the following:
The Fund is considered non-diversified, which means it can invest a higher percentage of assets in securities of individual issuers than a diversified fund. As a result, changes in the value of a single investment could cause greater fluctuations in the Fund's share price than would occur in a more diversified fund.
Principal Risks
The value of your investment in the Fund changes with the value of the Fund's investments. Many factors affect that value, and it is possible to lose money by investing in the Fund. An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency. The principal risks of investing in the Fund are listed below in alphabetical order and not in order of significance.
Emerging Markets Risk. Investments in emerging markets may have more risk than those in developed markets because the emerging markets are less developed and more illiquid. Emerging markets can also be subject to increased social, economic, regulatory, and political uncertainties and can be extremely volatile. The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, the U.S. Department of Justice, and other U.S. authorities may be limited in their ability to pursue bad actors in emerging markets, including with respect to fraud.
•China Investment Risk. The Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in securities of issuers located or operating in China and its administrative and other districts such as Hong Kong and Macau. Investing in China involves certain heightened risks and considerations, including, among others: frequent trading suspensions and government interventions (including by nationalizing assets); currency exchange rate fluctuations or blockages; limits on using brokers and on foreign ownership; different financial reporting standards; higher dependence on exports and international trade; political and social instability; infectious disease outbreaks; regional and global conflicts; increased trade tariffs, embargoes, and other trade limitations; custody and other risks associated with programs used to access Chinese securities; and uncertainties in tax rules that could result in unexpected tax liabilities for the Fund. Significant portions of the Chinese securities markets may become rapidly illiquid, as Chinese issuers have the ability to suspend the trading of their equity securities. Moreover, actions by the U.S. government, such as delisting of certain Chinese companies from U.S. securities exchanges or otherwise restricting their operations in the U.S., may negatively impact the value of such securities held by the Fund.
Equity Securities Risk. A variety of factors can negatively impact the value of equity securities held by a fund, including a decline in the issuer's financial condition, unfavorable performance of the issuer's sector or industry, or changes in response to overall market and economic conditions. A fund's principal market segment(s) (such as market capitalization or style) may underperform other market segments or the equity markets as a whole.
•Growth Style Risk. Growth investing entails the risk that if growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of their stock may decline significantly, even if earnings show an absolute increase. Growth company stocks also typically lack the dividend yield that can lessen price declines in market downturns.
•Smaller Companies Risk. Investments in smaller companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies. Smaller companies may have limited product lines, markets, or financial resources; lack the competitive strength of larger companies; have less experienced managers; or depend on a few key employees. Their securities often are less widely held and trade less frequently and in lesser quantities, and their market prices often fluctuate more, than securities of larger companies.
•Value Style Risk. Value investing entails the risk that value stocks may continue to be undervalued by the market for extended periods, including the entire period during which the stock is held by a fund, or the events that would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock that appears to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and, therefore, would not be profitable for the fund.
Foreign Currency Risk. Risks of investing in securities denominated in, or that trade in, foreign (non-U.S.) currencies include changes in foreign exchange rates and foreign exchange restrictions.
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Foreign Securities Risk. The risks of foreign securities include loss of value as a result of: political or economic instability; nationalization, expropriation, or confiscatory taxation; settlement delays; and limited government regulation (including less stringent reporting, accounting, and disclosure standards than are required of U.S. companies).
On or about July 1, 2026, subject to shareholder approval, add the following:
Non-Diversification Risk. A non-diversified fund may invest a high percentage of its assets in the securities of a small number of issuers and is more likely than diversified funds to be significantly affected by a specific security's poor performance.
Redemption and Large Transaction Risk. Ownership of the Fund's shares may be concentrated in one or a few large investors (such as funds of funds, institutional investors, and asset allocation programs) that may redeem or purchase shares in large quantities. These transactions may cause the Fund to sell securities to meet redemptions or to invest additional cash at times it would not otherwise do so, which may result in increased transaction costs, increased expenses, changes to expense ratios, and adverse effects to Fund performance. Such transactions may also accelerate the realization of taxable income if sales of portfolio securities result in gains. Moreover, reallocations by large shareholders among share classes of a fund may result in changes to the expense ratios of affected classes, which may increase the expenses paid by shareholders of the class that experienced the redemption.
Performance
The following information provides some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund. Past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how the Fund will perform in the future. You may get updated performance information at www.principalam.com/mutualfundperformance.
The bar chart shows the investment returns of the Fund's Class A shares for each full calendar year of operations for 10 years (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund). These annual returns do not reflect sales charges on Class A shares; if they did, results would be lower. The table shows for the last one, five, and ten calendar year periods (or, if shorter, the life of the Fund), how the Fund's average annual total returns compare with those of one or more broad measures of market performance.
For periods prior to the inception date of Class R-6 shares (November 22, 2016), the performance shown in the table for Class R-6 shares is that of the Fund's Class R-3 shares, adjusted to reflect the fees and expenses of Class R-6 shares. However, where the adjustment for fees and expenses results in performance for Class R-6 shares that is higher than the historical performance of the Class R-3 shares, the historical performance of the Class R-3 shares is used. These adjustments result in performance for such periods that is no higher than the historical performance of the Class R-3 shares.
During 2019, the Fund experienced a significant one-time gain of approximately $0.11/share as the result of a settlement in a litigation proceeding. If such gain had not been recognized, the total return amounts expressed herein would have been lower.
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Total Returns as of December 31
Highest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above: Q2 2020 19.56 %
Lowest return for a quarter during the period of the bar chart above: Q1 2020 (24.38) %
Average Annual Total Returns
For the periods ended December 31, 2025
1 Year 5 Years
10 Years(1)
Class A Return Before Taxes 28.94% 3.51% 7.18%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions 28.16% 3.00% 6.82%
Class A Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares 17.50% 2.70% 5.85%
Class J Return Before Taxes 35.63% 4.87% 7.94%
Institutional Class Return Before Taxes 36.86% 5.06% 8.16%
Class R-3 Return Before Taxes 36.26% 4.55% 7.62%
Class R-5 Return Before Taxes 36.69% 4.87% 7.95%
Class R-6 Return Before Taxes 37.01% 5.16% 8.19%
MSCI Emerging Markets Index NTR (reflects withholding taxes on foreign dividends, but no deduction for fees, expenses, or other taxes)
33.57% 4.20% 8.42%
(1)During 2019, the Fund experienced a significant one-time gain of approximately $0.11 per share as a result of a settlement in a litigation proceeding. If such gain had not been recognized, the total return amounts shown for periods that include the year ended December 31, 2019 would have been lower.
After-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown are not relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. After-tax returns are shown for Class A shares only and would be different for the other share classes.
Investment Advisor and Portfolio Managers
Principal Global Investors, LLC
•Daniel Graña (since 2025), Portfolio Manager
•John Paul Lech (since 2025), Portfolio Manager
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Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
Share Class
Investment Type
Purchase Minimum
Per Fund
A and J
Initial Investment
$1,000(1)
A and J
Initial Investment for accounts with an Automatic Investment Plan (AIP)
$100
A and J
Subsequent Investments
$100(1)(2)
Institutional, R-3, R-5, and R-6
There are no minimum initial or subsequent investment requirements for eligible purchases.
N/A
(1)Some exceptions apply; see "Purchase of Fund Shares - Minimum Investments" for more information.
(2)For accounts with an AIP, the subsequent automatic investments must total $1,200 annually if the initial $1,000 minimum has not been met.
You may purchase or redeem shares on any business day (normally any day when the New York Stock Exchange is open for regular trading) through your plan, intermediary, or Financial Professional by sending a written request to Principal Funds at P.O. Box 219971, Kansas City, MO 64121-9971 (regular mail) or 801 Pennsylvania Ave., Ste. 219971, Kansas City, MO 64105-1307 (overnight mail); calling us at 1-800-222-5852; or accessing our website (www.principal.com).
Tax Information
The Fund's distributions you receive are generally subject to federal income tax as ordinary income or capital gain and may also be subject to state and local taxes, unless you are tax-exempt or your account is tax-deferred in which case your distributions would be taxed when withdrawn from the tax-deferred account.
Payments to Broker-Dealers and Other Financial Intermediaries
If you purchase the Fund through a broker-dealer or other financial intermediary (such as a bank), the Fund and its related companies may pay the intermediary for the sale of Fund shares and related services. These payments may create a conflict of interest by influencing the broker-dealer or other intermediary and your salesperson to recommend the Fund over another investment, or to recommend one share class of the Fund over another share class. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.

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Principal Funds Inc. published this content on March 16, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via EDGAR on March 16, 2026 at 16:16 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]