YLD ETF — Principal Active High Yield ETF
Principal Active High Yield ETF (YLD)
YLD is an ETF. As of August 19, 2026, its distribution rate is 7.33%, its trailing-12-month yield is 7.32%, its expense ratio is 0.39%. Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score™ is 100/100 (Safe). Fund total return is 78.0% over the past 11.1 years, 271.3 points behind SPY at 349.3%.
At the current 7.33% distribution rate, a $10,000 investment would generate approximately $733 per year, or $61.08 per month on an equivalent basis.
YLD dividend yield and income
Data as of August 19, 2026.
The distribution rate (7.33%) is the latest posted forward yield, paid monthly. Trailing-12-month yield (7.32%) is the last year of payments divided by the current price. The last dividend was $0.1156. The last ex-dividend date was 08/03/2026. It was paid on 08/05/2026. At 7.33%, $10,000 would generate about $733 a year ($61.08 monthly-equivalent).
| Ex-date | Amount | vs year-ago payment |
|---|---|---|
| 2026-08-03 | $0.116 | 6.4% |
| 2026-07-01 | $0.115 | -0.9% |
| 2026-06-01 | $0.11 | -6.0% |
| 2026-05-01 | $0.114 | -1.7% |
| 2026-04-01 | $0.116 | 5.5% |
| 2026-03-02 | $0.112 | -4.3% |
| 2026-02-02 | $0.116 | -3.3% |
| 2025-12-29 | $0.139 | 10.3% |
| 2025-12-01 | $0.118 | -2.5% |
| 2025-11-03 | $0.118 | -0.8% |
| 2025-10-01 | $0.109 | -5.2% |
| 2025-09-02 | $0.103 | -7.2% |
| 2025-08-01 | $0.109 | 0.9% |
| 2025-07-01 | $0.116 | 1.8% |
| 2025-06-02 | $0.117 | 5.4% |
| 2025-05-01 | $0.116 | 4.5% |
| 2025-04-01 | $0.11 | -0.9% |
| 2025-03-03 | $0.117 | 6.4% |
| 2025-02-03 | $0.12 | 10.1% |
| 2024-12-27 | $0.126 | 9.6% |
| 2024-12-02 | $0.121 | 18.6% |
| 2024-11-01 | $0.119 | 11.2% |
| 2024-10-01 | $0.115 | 12.7% |
| 2024-09-03 | $0.111 | 7.8% |
| 2024-08-01 | $0.108 | 4.9% |
| 2024-07-01 | $0.114 | 9.6% |
| 2024-06-03 | $0.111 | 15.6% |
| 2024-05-01 | $0.111 | 23.3% |
| 2024-04-01 | $0.111 | 20.7% |
| 2024-03-01 | $0.11 | 22.2% |
| 2024-02-01 | $0.109 | -5.2% |
| 2023-12-27 | $0.115 | -13.5% |
| 2023-12-01 | $0.102 | 4.1% |
| 2023-11-01 | $0.107 | 7.0% |
| 2023-10-02 | $0.102 | 12.1% |
| 2023-09-01 | $0.103 | 14.4% |
| 2023-08-01 | $0.103 | 18.4% |
| 2023-07-03 | $0.104 | 4.0% |
| 2023-06-01 | $0.096 | -3.0% |
| 2023-05-01 | $0.09 | -5.3% |
| 2023-04-03 | $0.092 | -1.1% |
| 2023-03-01 | $0.09 | 4.7% |
| 2023-02-01 | $0.115 | 29.2% |
| 2022-12-28 | $0.133 | 47.8% |
| 2022-12-01 | $0.098 | 10.1% |
| 2022-11-01 | $0.1 | 11.1% |
| 2022-10-03 | $0.091 | -1.1% |
| 2022-09-01 | $0.09 | 36.4% |
| 2022-08-01 | $0.087 | 35.9% |
| 2022-07-01 | $0.1 | 56.3% |
| 2022-06-01 | $0.099 | 54.7% |
| 2022-05-02 | $0.095 | 43.9% |
| 2022-04-01 | $0.093 | 48.8% |
| 2022-03-01 | $0.086 | 34.4% |
| 2022-02-01 | $0.089 | 33.8% |
| 2021-12-29 | $0.09 | 81.8% |
| 2021-12-01 | $0.089 | 52.1% |
| 2021-11-01 | $0.09 | 32.4% |
| 2021-10-01 | $0.092 | 31.4% |
| 2021-09-01 | $0.066 | -21.0% |
| 2021-08-02 | $0.064 | -12.9% |
| 2021-07-01 | $0.064 | -20.5% |
| 2021-06-01 | $0.064 | -16.3% |
| 2021-05-03 | $0.066 | -14.3% |
| 2021-04-01 | $0.0625 | -21.4% |
| 2021-03-01 | $0.064 | -15.2% |
| 2021-02-01 | $0.0665 | -17.9% |
| 2020-12-29 | $0.0495 | -46.2% |
| 2020-12-01 | $0.0585 | -33.9% |
| 2020-11-02 | $0.068 | 3.0% |
| 2020-10-01 | $0.07 | -13.6% |
| 2020-09-01 | $0.0835 | 6.4% |
| 2020-08-03 | $0.0735 | -14.0% |
| 2020-07-01 | $0.0805 | -11.0% |
| 2020-06-01 | $0.0765 | -1.9% |
| 2020-05-01 | $0.077 | -8.9% |
| 2020-04-01 | $0.0795 | -2.5% |
| 2020-03-02 | $0.0755 | -4.4% |
| 2020-02-03 | $0.081 | 0.0% |
| 2019-12-27 | $0.092 | 20.3% |
| 2019-12-02 | $0.0885 | 22.1% |
| 2019-11-01 | $0.066 | -21.0% |
| 2019-10-01 | $0.081 | -1.2% |
| 2019-09-03 | $0.0785 | -6.0% |
| 2019-08-01 | $0.0855 | 7.5% |
| 2019-07-01 | $0.0905 | 17.5% |
| 2019-06-03 | $0.078 | 3.3% |
| 2019-05-01 | $0.0845 | 10.5% |
| 2019-04-01 | $0.0815 | 14.0% |
| 2019-03-01 | $0.079 | 5.3% |
| 2019-02-01 | $0.081 | -0.6% |
| 2018-12-27 | $0.0765 | -7.3% |
| 2018-12-14 | $0.17 | -24.4% |
| 2018-12-03 | $0.0725 | -7.1% |
| 2018-11-01 | $0.0835 | 12.1% |
| 2018-10-01 | $0.082 | 1.9% |
| 2018-09-04 | $0.0835 | 5.0% |
| 2018-08-01 | $0.0795 | -1.2% |
| 2018-07-02 | $0.077 | -2.5% |
| 2018-06-01 | $0.0755 | -10.7% |
| 2018-05-01 | $0.0765 | -12.6% |
| 2018-04-02 | $0.0715 | -16.9% |
| 2018-03-01 | $0.075 | -15.7% |
| 2018-02-01 | $0.0815 | -2.4% |
| 2017-12-27 | $0.0825 | -4.6% |
| 2017-12-15 | $0.225 | 160.1% |
| 2017-12-01 | $0.078 | -9.3% |
| 2017-11-01 | $0.0745 | -15.8% |
| 2017-10-02 | $0.0805 | -9.0% |
| 2017-09-01 | $0.0795 | -9.1% |
| 2017-08-01 | $0.0805 | -5.3% |
| 2017-07-03 | $0.079 | 110.7% |
| 2017-06-01 | $0.0845 | 27.1% |
| 2017-05-01 | $0.0875 | 31.6% |
| 2017-04-03 | $0.086 | — |
| 2017-03-01 | $0.089 | — |
| 2017-02-01 | $0.0835 | 20.1% |
| 2016-12-28 | $0.0865 | -7.5% |
| 2016-12-01 | $0.086 | 1.2% |
| 2016-11-01 | $0.0885 | — |
| 2016-10-03 | $0.0885 | -2.2% |
| 2016-09-01 | $0.0875 | -3.3% |
| 2016-08-01 | $0.085 | — |
| 2016-07-01 | $0.0375 | — |
| 2016-06-01 | $0.0665 | — |
| 2016-05-02 | $0.0665 | — |
| 2016-02-01 | $0.0695 | — |
| 2015-12-23 | $0.0935 | — |
| 2015-11-25 | $0.085 | — |
| 2015-09-30 | $0.0905 | — |
| 2015-08-31 | $0.0905 | — |
| 2015 total | $0.3595 | — |
| 2016 total | $0.762 | 112.0% |
| 2017 total | $1.21 | 58.8% |
| 2018 total | $1.1045 | -8.7% |
| 2019 total | $0.986 | -10.7% |
| 2020 total | $0.873 | -11.5% |
| 2021 total | $0.878 | 0.6% |
| 2022 total | $1.161 | 32.2% |
| 2023 total | $1.219 | 5.0% |
| 2024 total | $1.366 | 12.1% |
| 2025 total | $1.392 | 1.9% |
| 2026 YTD total | $0.799 | -0.7% |
YLD dividend growth
Trailing-12-month distributions versus the preceding 12 months changed 1.34%. That is the seasonality-immune income comparison, not a single quarterly check versus the prior quarter. An annualized trend fit on recent payments is -5.62%. That fit can move with uneven quarterly amounts and is not the same as a trailing-12-month cut.
| Window | Change |
|---|---|
| 1Y | -0.8% |
| 3Y | 30.5% |
| 5Y | 25.7% |
| 10Y | 1569.2% |
YLD performance versus SPY
Data as of August 19, 2026.
Fund total return is 78.0% over the past 11.1 years, 271.3 points behind SPY at 349.3%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 2.0%.
| Window | Total return | CAGR |
|---|---|---|
| Since inception (11.1 years) | 78.0% | 5.30% |
| 3Y CAGR | — | 8.60% |
| 5Y CAGR | — | 4.70% |
| 10Y CAGR | — | 5.30% |
YLD key facts
Data as of August 19, 2026.
- Distribution Safety Score™
- 100 · Safe
- Safety-Adjusted Yield
- 7.33%
- Issuer
- Principal
- Asset type
- ETF
- Asset class
- Fixed Income
- Inception date
- 07/08/2015
- Expense ratio
- 0.39%
- Distribution rate
- 7.33%
- Distribution frequency
- Monthly
- Trailing yield
- 7.32%
- Last close
- $18.93
- AUM
- $591,453,061
- Average volume
- 176227.0
- Last dividend
- $0.1156
- Ex-dividend date
- 08/03/2026
- Payment date
- 08/05/2026
- Beta
- 0.55
How Dividend Vision calculates yield and returns
Distribution rate (7.33%) is the latest regular payout annualized by the fund's stated frequency, divided by the last close. Issuers often publish this as “Distribution Rate” on the fact sheet. Trailing-12-month yield (7.32%) is the sum of distributions paid in the last 12 months, split-adjusted, divided by the last close. It lags a recent raise or cut. We show a 30-day SEC yield when the fund publishes one. Schwab and other issuers may report a TTM distribution yield or SEC yield on a different date — all can be valid; they are not interchangeable. Fund total return uses split-adjusted close with distributions reinvested from the first stored bar on or after inception through the latest bar, compared with the same window on the benchmark. That is what the fund did, not your personal gain/loss. Figures below use Dividend Vision data as of August 19, 2026.
Distribution rate methodology · Distribution Safety Score methodology · SEC yield
Sources and review
Data as of August 19, 2026.
Primary sources: Principal; prices and distributions from Dividend Vision, derived from vendor EOD data.
Reviewed by Bert Sweet, CEO and Co-owner of Dividend Vision. Methodology: Distribution Safety Score.
YLD risks and drawbacks
Total return has trailed SPY over the available window. The deepest 1-year drawdown on record here is 2.0%.
Who may consider YLD — and who may not
YLD may suit someone looking for a high Distribution Safety Score. It is a weaker fit for investors whose main goal is matching SPY total return. This is educational context, not a recommendation to buy or sell.
Frequently asked questions
Does YLD pay monthly?
Yes. YLD currently pays monthly.
What is YLD's expense ratio?
YLD's expense ratio is 0.39%.
What is YLD's dividend yield?
YLD currently yields 7.33%, paid monthly, with a 0.39% expense ratio.
How has YLD's dividend grown?
Trailing-12-month distributions versus the preceding 12 months changed 1.34%. That is not a single quarter versus the prior quarter.
When does YLD pay a dividend?
YLD pays monthly. The last dividend was $0.1156. The last ex-dividend date was 08/03/2026. It was paid on 08/05/2026.
How has YLD performed?
Fund total return is 78.0% over the past 11.1 years, 271.3 points behind SPY at 349.3%. Its deepest 1-year drawdown was 2.0%.
Is YLD a good investment?
YLD's Dividend Vision Distribution Safety Score is 100 (Safe). That is a risk signal, not investment advice. It currently yields 7.33%. Compare peers below rather than treating any single figure as a buy or sell.
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