Principal Financial Group, Inc. (PFG)

In the past six months, Principal Financial Group's stock has experienced various events. As of October 3, 2025, the share price was $84.24, reflecting a 3.53% decline from October 4, 2024. In Q2 2025, Principal Financial Group reported strong results, with non-GAAP operating earnings per share up 33% year-over-year and net income of $406 million, a 15% increase year-over-year, but also saw a significant drop in net income from $532.0 million in Q1 2024 to $62.9 million in Q1 2025. The company announced an 8% dividend increase to $0.78 per share for Q3 2025 and returned $320 million to shareholders in Q2 2025, with management expecting higher capital deployments in the second half of 2025, targeting $1.4 billion to $1.7 billion for the full year. In February 2025, a new share buyback program of up to $1.5 billion was authorized. Deanna Strable was elected as Principal's Board Chair in August 2025, having assumed the role of president and CEO in January 2025. Principal Financial Group's research indicated that U.S. business confidence remained near historic lows in September 2025, with tariffs and policy uncertainty dampening the 12-month economic outlook for U.S. businesses.

The financial services industry experiences seasonal trends, with loan demand peaking in August or September and reaching lows in December, January, and February. There is also increased demand for investment services in December and early January due to portfolio rebalancing and tax planning. For Principal Financial Group, capital deployments are seasonally higher in the second half of the year, with a greater volume of share repurchases expected during this period.

Principal Financial Group, Inc. (PFG) is a global financial services company that operates primarily within the Financial Services sector, offering asset management and insurance products and services to businesses, individuals, and institutional clients. The company's main business segments include Retirement and Income Solutions, Principal Asset Management, and Benefits and Protection. Retirement and Income Solutions offers defined contribution plans, defined benefit plans, annuities, and retirement income solutions. Principal Asset Management provides investment management services for institutional and retail clients, including mutual funds, real estate investments, and other alternative investments. Benefits and Protection offers specialty benefits like group dental and vision insurance, group life and other insurance, and group and individual disability insurance, as well as individual life insurance products.

Headquartered in Des Moines, Iowa, Principal Financial Group has a significant global presence, operating in over 80 countries with a strong focus on international markets, particularly in Latin America and Asia. Its international operations include offices and joint ventures in locations such as Australia, Brazil, Dubai, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, the Netherlands, Singapore, Thailand, and the United Kingdom, in addition to its extensive presence across the United States.

In the past year, Principal Financial Group has received positive recognition, being listed among Forbes' "America's Best Insurance Companies (2026)," "America's Best Employers for Tech Workers (2025)," "America's Best Employers By State (2025)," and "America's Best Employers for Women (2025)." The 2025 Principal Charity Classic also raised a record $10.6 million for Iowa youth. The company was also recognized among the 2025 World's Most Ethical Companies and as a Best Places to Work in Money Management. However, the Better Business Bureau website shows 91 complaints closed in the last 12 months, with categories including service or repair issues, product issues, and billing issues. Peiffer Wolf is investigating Principal Financial Group's employee 401k plan, alleging that Principal may have made overly risky investment choices and failed to regularly monitor its employees' 401k plan, potentially causing losses in retirement funds and decreased employee benefits.

Principal Financial Group (PFG) is predominantly owned by institutional shareholders, who hold approximately 73% to 74.36% of the company's stock. Retail investors hold around 23.91% to 38.57%, while Principal Financial Group insiders own about 0.68% to 2.05%. Major institutional owners include Vanguard Group Inc, BlackRock, Inc., Nippon Life Insurance Co, Bank Of America Corp /de/, State Street Corp, Geode Capital Management, Llc, Victory Capital Management Inc, Dimensional Fund Advisors LP, Northern Trust Corp, and Morgan Stanley. The largest individual shareholder is Daniel Gelatt, who owns 948,342 shares, representing 0.43% of the company.