As a complement to its global investment product lineup, Principal Funds has launched the Principal Origin Emerging Markets Fund, offering shares for Class A (POEYX), Class I (POEIX) and Class R6 (POEFX).

The new fund seeks to achieve capital growth by investing primarily in global emerging market equities that are well-managed and undervalued, and that have improving profit expectations and a rising share price relative to the market.

“This new fund appeals to investors looking for an unconstrained approach from a stock, country and sector perspective, resulting in high active share and driving exposure to growth and momentum,” said Mike Beer, president and CEO of Principal Funds. “The investment team focuses strictly on screened securities, ranking them as a team and looking at individual company characteristics rather than focusing on a benchmark.”

Launched Jan. 23, 2015, the fund is managed by Origin Asset Management, an owner-managed investment boutique established in 2005 and based in London. Origin specializes in the construction of global equity, global small-cap, global emerging market and international equity portfolios for institutional clients. The firm’s global investment team averages more than 20 years of investment experience.

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About Principal Funds
Principal Funds is a leading provider of mutual funds, with $120.3 billion in assets under management.1 Principal Funds brings expertise in global investment management, asset allocation and retirement leadership to financial professionals and investors. Including its target-risk and target-date offerings, Principal Funds is the fifth largest manager of lifecycle funds in the industry.2 The companies that make up Principal Funds are members of the Principal Financial Group®. For more information, visit www.principalfunds.com.

About the Principal Financial Group
The Principal Financial Group® (The Principal®)3 is a global investment management leader offering retirement services, insurance solutions and asset management. The Principal offers businesses, individuals and institutional clients a wide range of financial products and services, including retirement, asset management and insurance through its diverse family of financial services companies. Founded in 1879 and a member of the FORTUNE 500®, the Principal Financial Group has $519.3 billion in assets under management4 and serves some 19.7 million customers worldwide from offices in Asia, Australia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Principal Financial Group, Inc. is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol PFG. For more information, visit www.principal.com.

Carefully consider a fund’s objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Contact your financial professional or visit principalfunds.com for a prospectus, or summary prospectus if available, containing this and other information. Please read it carefully before investing.

International and global investing involves greater risks such as currency fluctuations, political/social instability and differing accounting standards. Risk is magnified in emerging markets, which may lack established legal, political, business or social structures to support securities markets.

Principal Funds are distributed by Principal Funds Distributor, Inc.

1 As of December 31, 2014. Includes all share classes of the Principal Funds, Inc. and Principal Variable Contracts Funds, Inc.

2 Strategic Insight Mutual Fund Lifecycle Report Q4 2014.

3 “The Principal Financial Group” and “The Principal” are registered service marks of Principal Financial Services, Inc., a member of the Principal Financial Group.

4 As of Dec. 31, 2014.