497 1 etf497prospectus081916.htm ETF DEFINITIVE PROSPECTUS HEALTHCARE AND MILLENNIALS 081916 Document



PRINCIPAL EXCHANGE-TRADED FUNDS





The date of this Prospectus is August 19, 2016.




Fund
Ticker Symbol
Principal U.S. Listing Exchange
Principal Healthcare Innovators Index ETF
BTEC
The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC
Principal Millennials Index ETF
GENY
The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC























The Securities and Exchange Commission has not approved or disapproved these securities or passed upon the adequacy of this prospectus. Any representation to the contrary is a criminal offense.































This page intentionally left blank.

2



TABLE OF CONTENTS
FUND SUMMARIES
 
PRINCIPAL HEALTHCARE INNOVATORS INDEX ETF
PRINCIPAL MILLENNIALS INDEX ETF
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
DISTRIBUTOR AND OTHER FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS
PRICING OF FUND SHARES
PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS
TAX CONSIDERATIONS
DISTRIBUTION PLANS AND INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION
FUND ACCOUNT INFORMATION
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION




3



PRINCIPAL HEALTHCARE INNOVATORS INDEX ETF
Objective:
The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before expenses, to the performance of the Nasdaq Healthcare Innovators Index (the "Index").
Fees and Expenses of the Fund:
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses    
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees
0.42
%
 
Other Expenses
%
 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1)
0.42
%
 
(1)
The investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) between the Fund and Principal Management Corporation (“Principal”) provides that Principal will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except for the Management Fee, payments made under each Series 12b-1 plan (if or when such fees are imposed), brokerage commissions and other expenses connected to the execution of portfolio transactions, interest expense, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
 
1 year
3 years
Principal Healthcare Innovators Index ETF
$43
$135
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. This is a new Fund and does not yet have a portfolio turnover rate to disclose.
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 companies that compose the Index at the time of purchase. The Index is designed to provide exposure to equity securities (including growth and value stock) of small and medium capitalization U.S. healthcare companies. Most of the companies in the Index are "early-stage companies" within the healthcare equipment and supplies, pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, and life sciences industries. Examples of early-stage companies in these industries include companies developing products and services and companies in the pre-marketing stage seeking regulatory approvals. The Fund employs a passive investment approach designed to attempt to track the performance of the Index. In seeking its objective, the Fund typically employs a "full replication" strategy which involves investing in all the securities that make up the Index, in the same approximate proportions as the Index. The Fund can, however, use a “sampling” methodology to purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The Fund can also invest in securities not included in the Index that the Sub-Advisor believes will help the fund track the Index. Given the present composition of the Index, the Fund expects to have more than 25% of its assets invested in the healthcare industry.

4



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, in alphabetical order, are:
Equity Securities Risk. The value of equity securities could decline if the issuer's financial condition declines or 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 Stock Risk. If growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of the 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
Small and Medium Market Capitalization Companies. Investments in small and medium sized companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies.
Value Stock Risk. 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 the portfolio manager believed would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock judged to be undervalued actually may be appropriately priced at a low level and therefore would not be profitable for the fund.
Healthcare Industry Risk. Given the present composition of the Index, the Fund expects to have more than 25% of its assets invested in the healthcare industry. As a result, the fund will have greater exposure than other funds to market, economic and other factors affecting the healthcare industry. A fund that invests in securities of companies in the healthcare industry (which are companies involved in medical services or health care, including biotechnology research and production, drugs and pharmaceuticals and health care facilities and services) is subject to the direct risks of investing in such companies. These companies are subject to extensive competition (due to, among others, generic drug sales or the loss of patent protection), product liability litigation and increased government regulation. Research and development costs of bringing new drugs to market are substantial, and there is no guarantee that a proposed product will ever come to market. Such companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability. Healthcare facility operators may be affected by the demand for services, efforts by government or insurers to limit rates, restriction of government financial assistance and competition from other providers.
Index Fund Investment Risk. More likely than not, an index fund will underperform the index due to cashflows and the fees and expenses of the fund. The correlation between fund performance and index performance may also be affected by changes in securities markets, changes in the composition of the index and the timing of purchases and sales of fund shares.
Market Trading Risks. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, and disruption to the activities of market makers, authorized participants, or other participants and in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. ANY OF THESE FACTORS MAY LEAD TO THE FUND’S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV.
Performance
No performance information is shown because the Fund has not yet had a calendar year of performance. The Fund’s performance is benchmarked against the Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index. Performance information provides an 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 by calling 1-800-787-1621 or online at www.PrincipalETFs.com.
Management
Investment Advisor:
Principal Management Corporation
Sub-Advisor and Portfolio Managers:
Principal Global Investors, LLC
Paul S. Kim (since 2016), Portfolio Manager
Mark R. Nebelung (since 2016), Portfolio Manager
Jeffrey A. Schwarte (since 2016), Portfolio Manager

5



Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) only with authorized participants ("APs") who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor and only in blocks of 50,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a "Creation Unit"), or multiples thereof ("Creation Unit Aggregations"), in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities that the Fund specifies each day. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund. Typically, the basket of assets will be made up of securities, but may include a cash component. (See "Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units" in the Statement of Additional Information" for more information.)
Individual Shares of the Fund may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares of the Fund are expected to be listed for trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("NASDAQ") and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).
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, insurance company, investment adviser, etc.), 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. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.


6



PRINCIPAL MILLENNIALS INDEX ETF
Objective:
The Fund seeks to provide investment results that closely correspond, before expenses, to the performance of the Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index (the "Index").
Fees and Expenses of the Fund
This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund (“Shares”). Investors may pay brokerage commissions on their purchases and sales of Shares, which are not reflected in the table or the example below.
Annual Fund Operating Expenses    
(expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Management Fees
0.45
%
 
Other Expenses
%
 
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses(1)
0.45
%
 
(1)
The investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) between the Fund and Principal Management Corporation (“Principal”) provides that Principal will pay all operating expenses of the Fund, except for the Management Fee, payments made under each Series 12b-1 plan (if or when such fees are imposed), brokerage commissions and other expenses connected to the execution of portfolio transactions, interest expense, taxes, acquired fund fees and expenses, litigation expenses and other extraordinary expenses.
Example
This Example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other 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. Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions your costs would be:
 
1 year
3 years
Principal Millennials Index ETF
$46
$144
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. This is a new Fund and does not yet have a portfolio turnover rate to disclose.
Principal Investment Strategies
Under normal circumstances, the ETF invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies that compose the Index at the time of purchase. The Index is designed to provide exposure to global equity securities of companies that are impacted by the spending and lifestyle activities of the Millennial generation, which refers to people born from 1980 to the mid-2000s. The Index may include equity securities of different market capitalizations (small, medium, or large) and styles (growth or value) and is weighted based upon capitalization and exposure to Millennials, determined through a qualitative assessment of a company’s business strategy, target market, products manufactured and services provided. Market segments with the greatest Millennial exposure are likely to include, without limitation, consumer goods (including fashion and apparel), social media and e-commerce, and digital media and technology. The Fund employs a passive investment approach designed to attempt to track the performance of the Index. In seeking its objective, the Fund typically employs a "full replication" strategy which involves investing in all the securities that make up the Index, in the same approximate proportions as the Index. The Fund can, however, use a “sampling” methodology to purchase a subset of the securities in the Index in an effort to hold a portfolio of securities with generally the same risk and return characteristics of the Index. The Fund can also invest in securities not included in the Index that the Sub-Advisor believes will help the fund track the Index. The Fund will not concentrate (invest more than 25% of its assets) its investments in a particular industry except to the extent the Index is so concentrated.

7



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, in alphabetical order, are:
Consumer Goods and Consumer Services Sectors Risk. The Fund expects to invest in securities of companies in the consumer services and consumers goods sectors to the extent the Index is composed of such securities. Such companies are particularly subject to risks related to performance of the overall global economy, interest rates, competition, government regulation, and consumer confidence. Success depends heavily on disposable income and consumer spending, and is also impacted by consumer interest and marketing campaigns. Companies in these sectors may be subject to severe competition, which may have an adverse impact on their profitability. Changes in demographics and consumer tastes can affect the demand for, and success of, consumer goods and services in the marketplace.
Equity Securities Risk. The value of equity securities could decline if the issuer's financial condition declines or 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 Stock Risk. If growth companies do not increase their earnings at a rate expected by investors, the market price of the 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
Small and Medium Market Capitalization Companies. Investments in small and medium sized companies may involve greater risk and price volatility than investments in larger, more mature companies.
Value Stock Risk. 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 the portfolio manager believed would cause the stock price to increase may not occur as anticipated or at all. Moreover, a stock judged 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.
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).
Index Fund Investment Risk. More likely than not, an index fund will underperform the index due to cashflows and the fees and expenses of the fund. The correlation between fund performance and index performance may also be affected by changes in securities markets, changes in the composition of the index and the timing of purchases and sales of fund shares.
Information Technology Sector Risk. The Fund expects to invest in securities of companies in the information technology sector to the extent the Index is composed of such securities. Such companies may face dramatic and often unpredictable changes in growth rates and are particularly vulnerable to changes in technology product cycles, product obsolescence, government regulation, and competition, both domestically and internationally. Such companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.
Market Trading Risks. The Fund faces numerous market trading risks including the potential lack of an active market for Fund shares, losses from trading in secondary markets, and disruption to the activities of market makers, authorized participants, or other participants and in the creation/redemption process of the Fund. ANY OF THESE FACTORS MAY LEAD TO THE FUND’S SHARES TRADING AT A PREMIUM OR DISCOUNT TO NAV.

8



Performance
No performance information is shown because the Fund has not yet had a calendar year of performance. The Fund’s performance is benchmarked against the Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index. Performance information provides an 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 by calling 1-800-787-1621 or online at www.PrincipalETFs.com.
Management
Investment Advisor:
Principal Management Corporation
Sub-Advisor and Portfolio Managers:
Principal Global Investors, LLC
Paul S. Kim (since 2016), Portfolio Manager
Mark R. Nebelung (since 2016), Portfolio Manager
Jeffrey A. Schwarte (since 2016), Portfolio Manager
Purchase and Sale of Fund Shares
The Fund issues and redeems Shares at net asset value (“NAV”) only with authorized participants ("APs") who have entered into agreements with the Fund’s distributor and only in blocks of 50,000 Shares (each block of Shares is called a "Creation Unit"), or multiples thereof ("Creation Unit Aggregations"), in exchange for the deposit or delivery of a basket of securities that the Fund specifies each day. Except when aggregated in Creation Units, the Shares are not redeemable securities of the Fund. Typically, the basket of assets will be made up of securities, but may include a cash component. (See "Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units" in the Statement of Additional Information" for more information.)
Individual Shares of the Fund may be purchased and sold only on a national securities exchange through brokers. Shares of the Fund are expected to be listed for trading on The NASDAQ Stock Market LLC ("NASDAQ") and because the Shares will trade at market prices rather than NAV, Shares may trade at prices greater than NAV (at a premium), at NAV, or less than NAV (at a discount).
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, insurance company, investment adviser, etc.), 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. Ask your salesperson or visit your financial intermediary's website for more information.


9



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT INVESTMENT STRATEGIES AND RISKS
Each Fund’s investment objective is described in the summary section for each Fund. The summary section also describes each Fund’s principal investment strategies, including the types of securities in which the Funds invest, and the principal risks of investing in each Fund. The principal investment strategies are not the only investment strategies available to each Fund, but they are the ones each Fund primarily uses to achieve its investment objective.
The Board of Trustees may change each Fund's objective or the investment strategies without a shareholder vote if it determines such a change is in the best interests of the Fund. If there is a material change to a Fund's investment objective or investment strategies, you should consider whether the Fund remains an appropriate investment for you. There is no guarantee that each Fund will meet its objective.
Each Fund is designed to be a portion of an investor's portfolio. No Fund is intended to be a complete investment program. Investors should consider the risks of a Fund before making an investment and be prepared to maintain the investment during periods of adverse market conditions. It is possible to lose money by investing in a Fund.
Each Fund is passively managed and seeks to replicate the performance of a specified index. The values of the holdings of the underlying indices are available at www.PrincipalETFs.com, as well as through financial reporting and news services.
Temporary Defensive Measures
From time to time, as part of its investment strategy, each Fund may invest without limit in cash and cash equivalents for temporary defensive purposes in response to adverse market, economic, or political conditions. To the extent that a Fund is in a defensive position, it may lose the benefit of upswings and limit its ability to meet its investment objective. For this purpose, cash equivalents include: bank notes, bank certificates of deposit, bankers' acceptances, repurchase agreements, commercial paper, and commercial paper master notes, which are floating rate debt instruments without a fixed maturity. In addition, each Fund may purchase U.S. government securities, preferred stocks, and debt securities, whether or not convertible into or carrying rights for common stock.
There is no limit on the extent to which a Fund may take temporary defensive measures. In taking such measures, the Fund may fail to achieve its investment objective.
Strategy and Risk Table
The following table identifies whether the strategies and risks discussed in this section (listed in alphabetical order) are principal or non-principal to each Fund. The Statement of Additional Information ("SAI") contains additional information about investment strategies and their related risks.
Investment Strategies and Risks
Principal Healthcare Innovators Index ETF
Principal Millennials Index ETF
Equity Securities
Principal
Principal
Foreign Securities
Non-Principal
Principal
Index Funds
Principal
Principal
Industry Concentration
Principal(2)
Non-Principal(2)
Liquidity Risk(1)
Non-Principal
Non-Principal
Management of the Fund(1)
Non-Principal
Non-Principal
Market Volatility and Securities Issuers(1)
Non-Principal
Non-Principal
Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs")
Non-Principal
Non-Principal
Real Estate Securities
Non-Principal
Non-Principal
Shares May Trade at Prices Different Than NAV
Principal
Principal
(1) 
These risks are not deemed principal for purposes of this table because they apply to almost all funds; however, in certain circumstances, they could significantly affect the net asset value, yield, and total return.
(2) 
An index Fund may concentrate its investments in a particular industry only to the extent that the relevant index is so concentrated.

10



Equity Securities
Equity securities include common stocks, preferred stock, depositary receipts, rights (a right is an offering of common stock to investors who currently own shares which entitle them to buy subsequent issues at a discount from the offering price), and warrants (a warrant grants its owner the right to purchase securities from the issuer at a specified price, normally higher than the current market price). Common stocks, the most familiar type, represent an equity (ownership) interest in a corporation. The value of a company's stock may fall as a result of factors directly relating to that company, such as decisions made by its management or lower demand for the company's products or services. A stock's value may also fall because of factors affecting not just the company, but also companies in the same industry or in a number of different industries, such as increases in production costs. The value of a company's stock may also be affected by changes in financial markets that are relatively unrelated to the company or its industry, such as changes in interest rates or currency exchange rates. In addition, a company's stock generally pays dividends only after the company invests in its own business and makes required payments to holders of its bonds and other debt. For this reason, the value of a company's stock will usually react more strongly than its bonds and other debt to actual or perceived changes in the company's financial condition or prospects.
Some Funds focus their investments on certain market capitalization ranges. Market capitalization is defined as total current market value of a company's outstanding equity securities. The market capitalization of companies in each Fund’s portfolios and their related indexes will change over time and, a Fund will not automatically sell a security just because it falls outside of the market capitalization range of its index(es).
Each Fund may invest in securities of companies with small- or medium- sized market capitalizations. Investments in companies with smaller market capitalizations may involve greater risks and price volatility (wide, rapid fluctuations) than investments in larger, more mature companies. Small company stocks may decline in price as large company stocks rise, or rise in price while larger company stocks decline. Investors should therefore expect the net asset value of a fund that invests a substantial portion of its assets in small company stocks may be more volatile than the shares of a fund that invests solely in larger company stocks.
Small companies may be less significant within their industries and may be at a competitive disadvantage relative to their larger competitors. While smaller companies may be subject to these additional risks, they may also realize more substantial growth than larger or more established companies.
Smaller companies may be less mature than larger companies. At this earlier stage of development, the companies may have limited product lines, reduced market liquidity for their shares, limited financial resources, or less depth in management than larger or more established companies.
Unseasoned issuers are companies with a record of less than three years continuous operation, including the operation of predecessors and parents. Many unseasoned issuers also may be small companies and involve the risks and price volatility associated with smaller companies. Unseasoned issuers by their nature have only a limited operating history that can be used for evaluating the company's growth prospects. As a result, these securities may place a greater emphasis on current or planned product lines and the reputation and experience of the company's management and less emphasis on fundamental valuation factors than would be the case for more mature growth companies.
To the extent the foregoing market segments are principal risks of a Fund, they are designated as such in the Fund's summary prospectus.
Foreign Securities
Principal defines foreign securities as those issued by:
companies with their principal place of business or principal office outside the U.S. or
companies whose principal securities trading market is outside the U.S.
Foreign companies may not be subject to the same uniform accounting, auditing, and financial reporting practices as are required of U.S. companies. In addition, there may be less publicly available information about a foreign company than about a U.S. company. Securities of many foreign companies are less liquid and more volatile than securities of comparable U.S. companies. Commissions on foreign securities exchanges may be generally higher than those on U.S. exchanges.
Foreign markets also have different clearance and settlement procedures than those in U.S. markets. In certain markets, there have been times when settlements have been unable to keep pace with the volume of securities transactions, making it difficult to conduct these transactions. Delays in settlement could result in temporary periods when a portion of Fund assets is not invested and earning no return. If the Fund is unable to make intended security purchases due to settlement problems, the Fund may miss attractive investment opportunities. In addition, the Fund may incur a loss as a result of a decline in the value of its portfolio if it is unable to sell a security.

11



With respect to certain foreign countries, there is the possibility of expropriation or confiscatory taxation, political or social instability, or diplomatic developments that could affect the Fund's investments in those countries. In addition, the Fund may also suffer losses due to nationalization, expropriation, or differing accounting practices and treatments. Investments in foreign securities are subject to laws of the foreign country that may limit the amount and types of foreign investments. Changes of governments or of economic or monetary policies, in the U.S. or abroad, changes in dealings between nations, currency convertibility or exchange rates could result in investment losses for the Fund. Finally, even though certain currencies may be convertible into U.S. dollars, the conversion rates may be artificial relative to the actual market values and may be unfavorable to Fund investors. To protect against future uncertainties in foreign currency exchange rates, the Fund is authorized to enter into certain foreign currency exchange transactions.
Foreign securities are often traded with less frequency and volume, and therefore may have greater price volatility, than is the case with many U.S. securities. Brokerage commissions, custodial services, and other costs relating to investment in foreign countries are generally more expensive than in the U.S. Though the Fund intends to acquire the securities of foreign issuers where there are public trading markets, economic or political turmoil in a country in which the Fund has a significant portion of its assets or deterioration of the relationship between the U.S. and a foreign country may reduce the liquidity of the Fund's portfolio. Furthermore, there may be difficulties in obtaining or enforcing judgments against foreign issuers.
The Fund may choose to invest in a foreign company by purchasing depositary receipts. Depositary receipts are certificates of ownership of shares in a foreign-based issuer held by a bank or other financial institution. They are alternatives to purchasing the underlying security but are subject to the foreign securities risks to which they relate.
Index Funds
An index fund generally attempts to mirror the investment performance of the index by allocating the fund's assets in approximately the same weightings as the index. However, it is unlikely that the fund's performance will perfectly correlate with the index performance for a variety of reasons. The correlation between fund performance and index performance may be affected by the fund's expenses, changes in securities markets, changes in the composition of the index and the timing of purchases and sales of fund shares. Because of the difficulty and expense of executing relatively small securities trades, index funds may not always be invested in the less heavily weighted securities and may at times be weighted differently than the index.
Industry Concentration
A fund that concentrates its investments (invests more than 25% of its net assets) in a particular industry (or group of industries) is more exposed to the overall condition of the particular industry than a fund that invests in a wider variety of industries. A particular industry could be affected by economic, business, supply-and-demand, political, or regulatory factors. Companies within the same industry could react similarly to such factors. As a result, a fund’s concentration in a particular industry would increase the possibility that the fund’s performance will be affected by such factors.
Liquidity Risk
Each Fund is exposed to liquidity risk when trading volume, lack of a market maker, or legal restrictions impair the Fund's ability to sell particular securities or close derivative positions at an advantageous price. Funds with principal investment strategies that involve securities of companies with smaller market capitalizations, foreign securities, derivatives, high yield bonds and bank loans or securities with substantial market and/or credit risk tend to have the greatest exposure to liquidity risk.
Management of the Fund
If a Fund's Sub-Advisor's investment strategies do not perform as expected, the Fund could underperform other funds with similar investment objectives or lose money. Index funds use a passive, or indexing, investment approach. Pure index funds do not attempt to manage market volatility, use defensive strategies or reduce the effect of any long-term periods of poor stock or bond performance. Index funds attempt to replicate their relevant target index by investing primarily in the securities held by the index in approximately the same proportion of the weightings in the index. However, because of the difficulty of executing some relatively small securities trades, such funds may not always be invested in the less heavily weighted securities held by the index. An index fund's ability to match the performance of their relevant index may be affected by many factors, such as fund expenses, the timing of cash flows into and out of the fund, changes in securities markets, and changes in the composition of the index. Some index funds may invest in index futures and/or exchange traded funds on a daily basis to gain exposure to the Index in an effort to minimize tracking error relative to the benchmark.

12



Market Volatility and Securities Issuers
The value of a Fund's portfolio securities may go down in response to overall stock or bond market movements. Markets tend to move in cycles, with periods of rising prices and periods of falling prices. Stocks tend to go up and down in value more than bonds. If a Fund's investments are concentrated in certain sectors, its performance could be worse than the overall market. The value of an individual security or particular type of security can be more volatile than the market as a whole and can perform differently from the value of the market as a whole. The value of a security may decline for reasons directly related to the issuer, such as management performance, financial leverage and reduced demand for the issuer’s goods or services. It is possible to lose money when investing in the Fund.
Real Estate Investment Trusts ("REITs")
Real estate investment trust securities ("REITs") involve certain unique risks in addition to the risks associated with investing in the real estate industry in general (such as possible declines in the value of real estate, lack of availability of mortgage funds, or extended vacancies of property). REITs are characterized as: equity REITs, which primarily own property and generate revenue from rental income; mortgage REITs, which invest in real estate mortgages; and hybrid REITs, which combine the characteristics of both equity and mortgage REITs. Equity REITs may be affected by changes in the value of the underlying property owned by the REITs, while mortgage REITs may be affected by the quality of any credit extended. REITs are dependent upon management skills, are not diversified, and are subject to heavy cash flow dependency, risks of default by borrowers, and self-liquidation. As an investor in a REIT, the fund will be subject to the REIT’s expenses, including management fees, and will remain subject to the fund's advisory fees with respect to the assets so invested. REITs are also subject to the possibilities of failing to qualify for the special tax treatment accorded REITs under the Internal Revenue Code, and failing to maintain their exemptions from registration under the 1940 Act.
Investment in REITs also involves risks similar to those associated with investing in small market capitalization companies. REITs may have limited financial resources, may trade less frequently and in a limited volume, and may be subject to more abrupt or erratic price movements than larger company securities.
Real Estate Securities
Investing in securities of companies in the real estate industry subjects a Fund to the special risks associated with the real estate market and the real estate industry in general. Generally, companies in the real estate industry are considered to be those that have principal activity involving the development, ownership, construction, management or sale of real estate; have significant real estate holdings, such as hospitality companies, healthcare facilities, supermarkets, mining, lumber and/or paper companies; and/or provide products or services related to the real estate industry, such as financial institutions that make and/or service mortgage loans and manufacturers or distributors of building supplies. Securities of companies in the real estate industry are sensitive to factors such as loss to casualty or condemnation, changes in real estate values, property taxes, interest rates, cash flow of underlying real estate assets, occupancy rates, government regulations affecting zoning, land use and rents, and the management skill and creditworthiness of the issuer. Companies in the real estate industry may also be subject to liabilities under environmental and hazardous waste laws.
Shares May Trade at Prices Different Than NAV
The net asset value (NAV) of the Shares generally will fluctuate with changes in the market value of each Fund's holdings. The market prices of the Shares generally will fluctuate in accordance with changes in NAV, as well as the relative supply of and demand for Shares on NASDAQ, Principal cannot predict whether the Shares will trade below, at or above their NAV. Price differences may be due largely to the fact that supply and demand forces at work in the secondary trading market for the Shares will be related, but not identical, to the same forces influencing the prices of the securities held by the Fund (individually or in the aggregate) at any time.
Only Authorized Participants may engage in creation or redemption transactions directly with each Fund. The Fund has a limited number of institutions that may act as Authorized Participants, none of which are or will be obligated to engage in creation or redemption transactions. To the extent that these institutions exit the business or are unable or unwilling to proceed with creation and/or redemption orders with respect to the Fund, and no other Authorized Participant is able or willing to step forward to create or redeem Creation Units, Fund shares may trade at a discount to NAV and possibly face trading halts and/or delisting. Such disruptions to creations and redemptions or the existence of extreme market volatility may result in trading prices that differ significantly from NAV.
With respect to Funds that invest in foreign securities, since foreign exchanges may be open on days when such a Fund does not price its shares, the value of the Fund’s portfolio may change on days when shareholders will not be able to purchase or sell the Fund’s Shares. Additionally, such Funds may be subject to heightened risks since Authorized Participants may be required to post collateral with such investments, which only certain Authorized Participants are able to do.

13



If a shareholder purchases at a time when the market price is at a premium to the NAV or sells at a time when the market price is at a discount to the NAV, the shareholder may sustain losses. Given that Shares can be created and redeemed only in Creation Units at NAV, Principal believes that large discounts and premiums should not be sustained over the long term.
PORTFOLIO HOLDINGS INFORMATION
A description of each Fund's policies and procedures with respect to disclosure of the Fund's portfolio securities is available in the SAI.
MANAGEMENT OF THE FUNDS
The Manager
Principal Management Corporation (“Principal”) serves as the manager for the Fund. Through the Management Agreement with the Fund, Principal provides investment advisory services and certain corporate administrative services for each Fund.
Principal is an indirect subsidiary of Principal Financial Group, Inc. and has managed mutual funds since 1969. Principal’s address is 655 9th Street, Des Moines, IA 50392.
The Sub-Advisor
Principal has signed a contract with a sub-advisor. Under the sub-advisory agreement, the Sub-Advisor agrees to assume the obligations of Principal to provide investment advisory services to the portion of the assets of the Fund allocated to it by Principal. For these services, Principal pays the Sub-Advisor a fee.
Principal or the Sub-Advisor provides the Trustees of each Fund with a recommended investment program. The program must be consistent with the Fund's investment objective and policies. Within the scope of the approved investment program, the Sub-Advisor advises the Fund on its investment policy and determines which securities are bought or sold, and in what amounts.
Each Fund summary identified the portfolio managers of the Fund. Additional information about the portfolio managers follows. The SAI provides additional information about each portfolio manager’s compensation, other accounts the portfolio managers manage, and each portfolio manager’s ownership of securities in each Fund.
 
Sub-Advisor:
Principal Global Investors, LLC (“PGI”), 801 Grand Avenue, Des Moines, IA 50392, manages equity and fixed-income investments, primarily for institutional investors. PGI's other primary asset management office is in New York, with asset management offices of affiliate advisors in several non-U.S. locations including London, Sydney and Singapore.
PGI is the sub-advisor for the Principal Healthcare Innovators Index ETF and the Principal Millennials Index ETF.
As reflected in the fund summaries, the day-to-day portfolio management for the funds is shared by multiple portfolio managers. The portfolio managers operate as a team, sharing authority and responsibility for research and the day-to-day management of the portfolio with no limitation on the authority of one portfolio manager in relation to another.
Paul S. Kim has been with PGI since 2015. He currently serves as managing director at PGI. Previously, he was a senior vice president at PIMCO from 2009-2015. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Dartmouth College and an M.B.A. in Finance from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Mr. Kim has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Mark R. Nebelung has been with PGI since 1997. As a co-employee of PGI and Principal Global Investors (Europe) Limited, Mr. Nebelung manages Principal Exchange-Traded Funds assets as an employee of PGI. He earned his bachelor's degree in Actuarial Science and Statistics from the University of Waterloo, Canada. He has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.
Jeffrey A. Schwarte has been with PGI since 1993. He earned a bachelor’s degree in Accounting from the University of Northern Iowa. Mr. Schwarte is a CPA and has earned the right to use the Chartered Financial Analyst designation.

14



 
Fees Paid to Principal
Pursuant to the investment management agreement (the “Management Agreement”) between the Fund and Principal, Principal pays all operating expenses of each Fund, except interest expenses, taxes, brokerage commissions and other expenses connected with executions of portfolio transactions, acquired fund fees and expenses, future distribution fees or expenses, and extraordinary expenses. The management fee schedules for the Funds, which have not completed a full fiscal year, are as follows:
Fund
First $500 Million
Next $500 Million
Next $500 Million
Over $1.5 Billion
Principal Healthcare Innovators Index ETF
0.42%
0.40%
0.38%
0.37%
Principal Millennials Index ETF
0.45%
0.43%
0.41%
0.40%
A discussion regarding the basis for the Board of Trustees approval of the management agreement with Principal and the sub-advisory agreement with PGI will be available in the semi-annual report to shareholders for the period ending December 31, 2016.
Manager of Managers
Principal Exchange-Traded Funds (the “Trust”) operates as a Manager of Managers. Under an order received from the SEC (the "current order"), the Trust and Principal may enter into and materially amend agreements with unaffiliated and wholly-owned affiliated sub-advisors (affiliated sub-advisors which are at least 95% owned, directly or indirectly, by Principal or an affiliated person of Principal) without obtaining shareholder approval. Principal may, without obtaining shareholder approval:
hire one or more Sub-Advisors;
change Sub-Advisors; and
reallocate management fees between itself and Sub-Advisors.
Additionally, the Trust has applied to the SEC for an amended exemptive order, which if granted, would allow Principal to also enter into and materially amend agreements with majority-owned affiliated sub-advisors (affiliated sub-advisors which are at least 50% owned, directly or indirectly, by Principal or an affiliated person of Principal) (the "majority-owned order"). There is no assurance, however, that the SEC will grant the majority-owned order.
Principal has ultimate responsibility for the investment performance of each Fund that utilizes a Sub-Advisor due to its responsibility to oversee Sub-Advisors and recommend their hiring, termination, and replacement. No fund will rely on the current order, the majority-owned order, or any future order until it receives approval from its shareholders (or in the case of a new Fund, the Fund's sole initial shareholder before the Fund is available to other purchasers).
The shareholders of each Fund have approved the Fund’s reliance, and the Funds intend to rely, on the current order. The shareholders of each Fund have also approved reliance, and the Funds intend to rely, on the majority-owned relief, should the SEC grant that relief in the future.
DISTRIBUTOR AND OTHER FUND SERVICE PROVIDERS
ALPS Distributor, Inc. (the "Distributor") serves as the distributor of Creation Units for the Funds. The Distributor does not maintain a secondary market in Shares.
State Street Bank and Trust Company is the sub-administrator, custodian, transfer agent, and dividend disbursing agent for the Funds.

15



PRICING OF FUND SHARES
The Funds will directly issue and redeem Shares on a continuous basis, to and from Authorized Participants, at net asset value (NAV) per Share in aggregations of 50,000 Shares called “Creation Units.” The value of the Funds’ Shares bought and sold in the secondary market (on NASDAQ) will be determined by market price, as described in the section below.
The Board of Trustees has delegated day-to-day valuation oversight responsibilities to Principal. Principal has established a Valuation Committee to fulfill these oversight responsibilities.
The NAV of the Funds are calculated each day the New York Stock Exchange (“NYSE”) is open (share prices are not calculated on the days on which the NYSE is closed for trading, generally New Year’s Day, Martin Luther King, Jr. Day, Washington’s Birthday/ Presidents’ Day, Good Friday, Memorial Day, Independence Day, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas). The share price is determined as of the close of business of the NYSE (normally 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time).
Notes:
If market quotations are not readily available for a security owned by a Fund, its fair value is determined using a policy adopted by the Trustees. Fair valuation pricing is subjective and creates the possibility that the fair value determined for a security may differ materially from the value that could be realized upon the sale of the security.
A Fund's securities may be traded on foreign securities markets that generally complete trading at various times during the day before the close of the NYSE. Foreign securities and currencies are converted to U.S. dollars using the exchange rate in effect at the close of the NYSE.
The trading of foreign securities generally or in a particular country or countries may not take place on all days the NYSE is open, or may trade on days the NYSE is closed. Thus, the value of the foreign securities held by the Fund may change on days when shareholders are unable to purchase or redeem shares.
Certain securities issued by companies in emerging market countries may have more than one quoted valuation at any point in time. These may be referred to as local price and premium price. The premium price is often a negotiated price that may not consistently represent a price at which a specific transaction can be effected. The Fund has a policy to value such securities at a price at which the Sub-Advisor expects the securities may be sold.
Fund Share Trading Prices - Secondary Market
The trading prices of Shares of a Fund on NASDAQ may differ from the Funds’ daily NAV. The price of the Shares will be subject to factors such as supply and demand, as well as the current value of the Fund’s portfolio securities. Secondary market Shares, which are available for purchase or sale on an intraday basis, do not have a fixed relationship to either the previous day’s NAV or to the current day’s NAV. Prices in the secondary market, therefore, may be below, at, or above the most recently calculated NAV per Share.
The approximate value of shares of each Fund, known as the “indicative optimized portfolio value” (“IOPV”) will be disseminated every fifteen seconds throughout the trading day by the national securities exchange on which a Fund is listed or by other information providers or market data vendors. The IOPV is based on the current market value of the securities and cash required to be deposited in exchange for a Creation Unit. The IOPV does not necessarily reflect the precise composition of the current portfolio of securities held by the Fund at a particular point in time nor the best possible valuation of the current portfolio. The IOPV should not be viewed as a “real-time” update of the NAV, because the IOPV may not be calculated in the same manner as the NAV, which is computed once a day as discussed below. The IOPV is generally determined by using current market quotations and/or price quotations obtained from broker-dealers that may trade in the portfolio securities held by the Fund. The quotations of certain Fund holdings may not be updated during U.S. trading hours if such holdings do not trade in the U.S. The Funds are not involved in, or responsible for, the calculation or dissemination of the IOPV and makes no warranty as to its accuracy.
Shares of each Fund may trade in the secondary market on days when the Fund does not accept orders to purchase or redeem shares. On such days, shares may trade in the secondary market with more significant premiums or discounts than might otherwise be experienced on days when the Fund accepts purchase and redemption orders.
Information regarding how often the Shares of each Fund trade on NASDAQ at a price above (at a premium) or below (at a discount) the NAV per Share of the Fund during the past four calendar quarters (if available) can be found at www.PrincipalETFs.com. Data presented represents past performance and cannot be used to predict future results.

16



PURCHASE AND SALE OF FUND SHARES
Generally
Shareholders who are not Authorized Participants or “APs" will not be able to purchase or redeem Shares directly with or from the Funds. As a result, most investors will buy and sell Shares of the Funds in secondary market transactions through brokers. Shares of the Funds are expected to be listed for trading on the secondary market on NASDAQ. Shares can be bought and sold throughout the trading day like other publicly traded shares. There is no minimum investment. When buying or selling Shares through a broker, you will incur customary brokerage commissions and charges, and you may pay some or all of the spread between the bid and the offered price in the secondary market on each leg of a round trip (purchase and sale) transaction. Due to the costs of buying or selling shares, including bid/ask spreads, frequent trading of shares may significantly reduce investment results and an investment in Shares may not be advisable for investors who anticipate regularly making small investments. Shares of the Funds trade under the symbols set forth on the cover of this prospectus. Contact your broker for additional information on how to buy and sell Shares.
The Funds will directly issue shares to APs on a continuous basis at net asset value (NAV) per Share in aggregations of 50,000 Shares called “Creation Units,” in exchange for portfolio securities. APs may acquire Shares directly from the Funds, and APs may tender their Shares for redemption directly to the Funds, at NAV per Share only in Creation Units or Creation Unit Aggregations, and in accordance with the procedures described in the SAI. An AP is either: (a) a broker or dealer registered under the Exchange Act or other participant in the Continuous Net Settlement System of the National Securities Clearing Corporation (“NSCC”), a clearing agency registered with the Commission and affiliated with the Depository Trust Company (“DTC”); or (b) a participant in the DTC (such participant, “DTC Participant”). Shares are not individually redeemable, but are redeemable only in Creation Unit aggregations, and in exchange for portfolio securities and/or cash. A Creation Unit of the Funds will consist of a block of 50,000 shares, which is subject to change.
All orders to purchase or redeem Creation Units must be placed through an AP that has entered into a participant agreement with the Distributor with respect to the creation and redemption of Creation Units. An investor purchasing or redeeming a Creation Unit from the Funds may be charged a fee (“Transaction Fee”) to protect existing shareholders of the Funds from the dilutive costs associated with the purchase and redemption of Creation Units.
Principal may recommend to the Board, and the Board may elect, to liquidate and terminate a Fund at any time without shareholder approval.
Note:
No salesperson, broker-dealer, or other person is authorized to give information or make representations about the Fund other than those contained in this Prospectus. Information or representations not contained in this prospectus may not be relied upon as having been provided or made by the Trust, the Funds, Principal, any Sub-Advisor, or the Distributor.
Book Entry
Shares are held in book-entry form, which means that no stock certificates are issued. The Depository Trust Company ("DTC") or its nominee is the record owner of all outstanding Shares of the Funds and is recognized as the owner of all Shares for all purposes.
Investors owning Shares are beneficial owners as shown on the records of DTC or its participants. DTC serves as the securities depository for all Shares. Participants in DTC include securities brokers and dealers, banks, trust companies, clearing corporations and other institutions that directly or indirectly maintain a custodial relationship with DTC. As a beneficial owner of Shares, you are not entitled to receive physical delivery of stock certificates or to have Shares registered in your name, and you are not considered a registered owner of Shares. Therefore, to exercise any right as an owner of Shares, you must rely upon the procedures of DTC and its participants. These procedures are the same as those that apply to any other stocks that you hold in book entry or "street name" form.
DIVIDENDS AND DISTRIBUTIONS
Each Fund intends to generally make distributions of net income quarterly. The Funds do not guarantee they will make any quarterly payments to their shareholders. Each Fund may make an additional distribution at the end of the year in order to comply with applicable law. This additional distribution may include an income component that may be higher or lower than the Fund’s regular quarterly income payment. The Funds do not expect to make distributions that will be treated as return of capital, although neither can make guarantee that it will not do so. Return of capital represents the return of a shareholder’s original investment in Fund shares, not a dividend from the Fund’s profits and earnings. If a Fund’s distributions are treated as a return of capital, the distributions themselves may not be taxable, but they will lower a shareholder's basis in the Fund shares so that when such shares are sold (even if they are sold at a loss on the original investment), the shareholder may be obligated to pay

17



taxes on the capital gains. At the end of the year, the Funds may be required under applicable law to re-characterize distributions for the year among ordinary income, capital gains, and return of capital (if any) for purposes of tax reporting to shareholders.
To the extent that distributions a Fund pays are derived from a source other than net income (such as a return of capital), a notice will be included in your quarterly statement pursuant to Section 19(a) of the Investment Company Act of 1940, as amended, and Rule 19a-1 disclosing the source of such distributions. Furthermore, such notices shall be posted monthly on our website at www.PrincipalETFs.com. You may request a copy of all such notices, free of charge, by telephoning 1-800-787-1621. The amounts and sources of distributions included in such notices are estimates only and you should not rely upon them for purposes of reporting income taxes. Each Fund will send shareholders a Form 1099-DIV for the calendar year that will provide shareholders with information for reporting these distributions for federal income tax purposes.
No dividend reinvestment service is provided by the Trust. Broker-dealers may make available DTC book-entry Dividend Reinvestment Service for use by beneficial owners of the Fund for reinvestment of their dividend distributions. Beneficial owners should contact their broker to determine the availability and costs of the service and the details of participation. Brokers may require beneficial owners to adhere to specific procedures and timetables. If this service is available and used, dividend distributions of both income and realized gains will be automatically reinvested in additional whole shares of the Fund purchased in the secondary market.
FREQUENT PURCHASES AND REDEMPTIONS
Shares of the Funds are listed and traded on a national securities exchange. Therefore, it is unlikely that a shareholder could take advantage of a potential arbitrage opportunity presented by a lag between a change in the value of a Fund’s portfolio securities after the close of the primary markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities and the reflection of that change in the Fund’s NAV (“market timing”), because each Fund sells and redeems its shares directly through transactions that are in-kind and/or for cash, with a deadline for placing cash-related transactions no later than the close of the primary markets for the Fund’s portfolio securities. Further, each Fund may impose transaction fees on purchases and redemptions of Creation Units to cover the custodial and other costs each Fund incurs in effecting trades which may help minimize the potential consequences of frequent purchases and redemptions of shares. For these reasons, the Board of Trustees believes that a frequent trading monitoring policy is unnecessary for the Funds. Each Fund reserves the right, without prior written notice, to reject orders from APs that the Fund determines to be disruptive to the management of the Fund or otherwise not in the best interests of the Fund.
TAX CONSIDERATIONS
The following discussion summarizes some of the possible consequences under current federal tax law of an investment in a Fund. It is not a substitute for personal tax advice. You also may be subject to state, local, and/or foreign tax on Fund distributions and sales of Shares. Consult your personal tax advisor about the potential tax consequences of an investment in Shares under all applicable tax laws. For more information, please see the section entitled "Taxes" in the SAI.
Taxes
As with any investment, you should consider how your investment in Shares will be taxed. The tax information in this Prospectus is provided as general information. You should consult your own tax professional about the tax consequences of an investment in Shares.
Unless your investment in Shares is made through a tax-exempt entity or tax-deferred retirement account, such as an IRA plan, you need to be aware of the possible tax consequences when:
a Fund makes distributions,
You sell your Shares listed on NASDAQ, and
You purchase or redeem Creation Units.
Taxes on Distributions
As stated above, dividends from net investment income and net capital gains, ordinarily, are declared and paid quarterly. A Fund also may pay a special distribution at the end of the calendar year to comply with federal tax requirements. In general, your distributions are subject to federal income tax when they are paid, whether you take them in cash or reinvest them in the Fund.
Dividends paid out of a Fund's income and net realized short-term capital gains, if any, are generally taxable as ordinary income, except that the Fund’s dividends attributable to its “qualified dividend income” (i.e., dividends received on stock of most domestic and foreign corporations, including Chinese corporations, with respect to which

18



the Fund satisfies certain holding period and other restrictions) generally will be subject to federal income tax for individual and certain other non-corporate shareholders (each, an “individual shareholder”) who satisfy those restrictions with respect to their Fund shares at the lower rates for long-term capital gains-a maximum of 15% (or 20% for individual shareholders with taxable income exceeding certain thresholds, which will be adjusted annually for inflation after 2013). Distributions of net long-term capital gains, if any, in excess of net short-term capital losses are taxable as long-term capital gains, regardless of how long you have held the Shares.
Distributions in excess of a Fund's current and accumulated earnings and profits, if any, are treated as a tax-free return of capital to the extent of your basis in the Shares, and as capital gain thereafter. A distribution will reduce the Fund's NAV per Share and may be taxable to you as ordinary income or long-term capital gains even though, from an investment standpoint, the distribution may constitute a return of capital.
By law, a Fund may be required to withhold a percentage of your distributions and proceeds if you have not provided your taxpayer identification number or social security number.
Taxes on Share Sales
Any capital gain or loss you realize upon a sale of Shares generally is treated as long-term capital gain, taxable at the rates mentioned above for individual shareholders, or loss if you held the Shares for more than one year and as short-term capital gain or loss if you held the Shares for one year or less. The ability to deduct capital losses may be limited.
Taxes on Purchase and Redemption of Creation Units
An AP who exchanges securities for Creation Units generally will recognize a gain or a loss. The gain or loss will be equal to the difference between the market value of the Creation Units at the time and the exchanger's aggregate basis in the securities surrendered and the cash component paid. A person who exchanges Creation Units for securities generally will recognize a gain or loss equal to the difference between the exchanger's basis in the Creation Units and the aggregate market value of the securities received and the cash redemption amount. The Internal Revenue Service, however, may assert that a loss realized upon an exchange of securities for Creation Units cannot be deducted currently under the rules governing "wash sales," or on the basis that there has been no significant change in economic position. Persons exchanging securities should consult their own tax advisors with respect to whether wash sale rules apply and when a loss might be deductible.
Any capital gain or loss realized upon redemption of Creation Units generally is treated as long-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for more than one year and as a short-term capital gain or loss if the Shares have been held for one year or less.
DISTRIBUTION PLANS AND INTERMEDIARY COMPENSATION
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees
The Trust has adopted a distribution plan for the Fund pursuant to Rule 12b-1 under the Investment Company Act. Under the 12b-1 Plan, each Fund is authorized to pay fees for distribution related expenses and/or for providing services to shareholders of up to 0.25% of the Fund’s average daily net assets each year.
No 12b-1 fees are currently paid by the Funds, and there are no current plans to impose these fees.
However, in the event the Board of Trustees approves charging 12b-1 fees in the future, because Rule 12b-1 fees are paid out of Fund assets and are ongoing fees, over time they will increase the cost of your investment in the Funds and may cost you more than other types of sales charges.
Additional Payments to Intermediaries
Shares of the Funds are sold primarily through intermediaries, such as brokers, dealers, investment advisors, banks, trust companies, pension plan consultants, retirement plan administrators and insurance companies.
Principal and its affiliates may, out of their own resources, pay amounts to intermediaries that support the distribution or marketing of shares of the Funds or provide services to Fund shareholders.
In some cases, Principal, the Distributor, or their respective affiliates will provide payments or reimbursements in connection with the costs of conferences and seminars, and educational, training and marketing efforts related to the Fund. Such activities may be sponsored by intermediaries, Principal, or the Distributor. Additional costs paid or reimbursed may include travel, lodging, entertainment, meals and small gifts. In some cases, Principal or the Distributor will also provide payment or reimbursement for expenses associated with transactions ("ticket") charges and general marketing expenses.
For more information, see the SAI.

19



The payments described in this prospectus may create a conflict of interest by influencing your Financial Professional or your intermediary to recommend a Fund over another investment. Ask your Financial Professional or visit your intermediary's website for more information about the total amounts paid to them by Principal and its affiliates, and by sponsors of other investment companies your Financial Professional may recommend to you.
Your intermediary may charge you additional fees other than those disclosed in this prospectus. Ask your Financial Professional about any fees and commissions they charge.
FUND ACCOUNT INFORMATION
Continuous Offering
The method by which Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are created and traded may raise certain issues under applicable securities laws. Because new Creation Unit Aggregations of Shares are issued and sold by the Fund on an ongoing basis, a "distribution," as such term is used in the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the "Securities Act"), may occur at any point. Broker-dealers and other persons are cautioned that some activities on their part may, depending on the circumstances, result in their being deemed participants in a distribution in a manner which could render them statutory underwriters and subject them to the prospectus delivery requirement and liability provisions of the Securities Act.
For example, a broker-dealer firm or its client may be deemed a statutory underwriter if it takes Creation Unit Aggregations after placing an order with the Distributor, breaks them down into constituent Shares and sells such Shares directly to customers, or if it chooses to couple the creation of a supply of new Shares with an active selling effort involving solicitation of secondary market demand for Shares. A determination of whether one is an underwriter for purposes of the Securities Act must take into account all the facts and circumstances pertaining to the activities of the broker-dealer or its client in the particular case, and the examples mentioned above should not be considered a complete description of all the activities that could lead to a characterization as an underwriter.
Broker-dealer firms also should note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are effecting transactions in Shares, whether or not participating in the distribution of Shares, generally are required to deliver a prospectus. This is because the prospectus delivery exemption in Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act is not available in respect of such transactions as a result of Section 24(d) of the 1940 Act. As a result, broker-dealer firms should note that dealers who are not "underwriters" but are participating in a distribution (as contrasted with engaging in ordinary secondary market transactions), and thus dealing with the Shares that are part of an overallotment within the meaning of Section 4(a)(3)(C) of the Securities Act, will be unable to take advantage of the prospectus delivery exemption provided by Section 4(a)(3) of the Securities Act. For delivery of prospectuses to exchange members, the prospectus delivery mechanism of Rule 153 under the Securities Act only is available with respect to transactions on a national exchange.
Reservation of Rights
The Trust reserves the right to amend or terminate a Fund, as well as certain terms related to a Fund, described in this prospectus. Shareholders will be notified of any such action to the extent required by law.
Householding
Householding is an option available to certain investors. Householding is a method of delivery, based on the preference of the individual investor, in which a single copy of certain shareholder documents can be delivered to investors who share the same address, even if their accounts are registered under different names. Householding is available through certain broker-dealers. If you are interested in enrolling in householding and receiving a single copy of certain shareholder documents, please contact your broker-dealer. If you are currently enrolled in householding and wish to change your householding status, please contact your broker-dealer.
Multiple Translations
This prospectus may be translated into other languages. In the event of any inconsistencies or ambiguity as to the meaning of any word or phrase in a translation, the English text will prevail.
Financial Statements
Shareholders will receive annual financial statements for the Funds, audited by the Funds’ independent registered public accounting firm. Shareholders will also receive a semiannual financial statement that is unaudited.

20



Section 12(d)(1)
Section 12(d)(1) of the 1940 Act restricts investments by investment companies in the securities of other investment companies. However, registered investment companies are permitted to invest in a Fund beyond the limits set forth in Section 12(d)(1) subject to certain terms and conditions set forth in an SEC exemptive order issued to the Trust, including that such investment companies enter into an agreement with the Trust on behalf of a Fund prior to exceeding the limits imposed by Section 12(d)(1).
Underlying Indices
The Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index (NQGMOI)
The Nasdaq Global Millennials Opportunity Index is designed to provide exposure to companies within the Nasdaq Global Index that are considered to be driven by Millennials.  Index eligibility is limited to specific security types only. The security types eligible for the index include common stocks, ordinary shares, depositary receipts, shares of beneficial interest and REITs. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, a security must be a component of the Nasdaq Global Index, and each security must be classified as having high or medium exposure to Millennials, which is determined through a qualitative assessment of a company’s business strategy, target market, products manufactured and services provided.
If a security is not a component of the Nasdaq Global Index but is listed on an eligible global exchange, then that security may also be eligible if it meets all other eligibility criteria.
The Index is evaluated once per year in March and securities must have a minimum market cap of $200M in order to be included. 
Securities are ranked based upon the following two factors: quality growth and value. Every security receives a rank based upon their scores for these two factors. Each of these two factors are then combined and equally weighted.  Securities must receive either high or medium exposure to Millennials in order to be included in the two factor analysis. 
Securities of companies having high exposure to Millennials receive 70% of the weight of the index. High exposure securities are broken down into two groups: large cap (40% index weight) and small-mid-cap (30% index weight) and weighted as follows:
High exposure, large cap securities in the top 50% of the two factor ranking receive 24% index weight;
High exposure, large cap securities in the bottom 50% of the two factor ranking receive 16% index weight;
High exposure, small-mid cap securities in the top 50% of the two factor ranking receive 18% index weight; and
High exposure, small-mid cap securities in the bottom 50% of the two factor ranking receive 12% index weight. 
Securities of companies having medium exposure to Millennials receive 30% of the weight of the index. In order to receive a weight in the index, medium exposure securities must be ranked in the top 50% of the two factor ranking with respect to their large or small-mid-cap counterparts. 
Medium exposure, large cap securities in the top 50% of the two factor ranking receive 20% index weight;
Medium exposure, small-mid cap securities in the top 50% of the two factor ranking receive 10% index weight. 
As described above, there are six eligible buckets of securities. Securities within each of the six assigned buckets are equally weighted.
1.
Large cap, high exposure to Millennials, top 50% of the two factor ranking system (24% index weight)
2.
Large cap, high exposure to Millennials, bottom 50% of the two factor ranking system (16% index weight)
3.
Small-mid-cap, high exposure to Millennials, top 50% of the two factor ranking system (18% index weight)
4.
Small-mid-cap, high exposure to Millennials, bottom 50% of the two factor ranking system (12% index weight)
5.
Large cap, medium exposure to Millennials, top 50% of the two factor ranking system (20% index weight)
6.
Small-mid-cap, medium exposure to Millennials, top 50% of the two factor ranking system (10% index weight)
The Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index (NQGHCIN)
The Nasdaq US Healthcare Innovators Index is designed to provide exposure to non-mega cap US Health Care companies within the Nasdaq US Benchmark Index that are "non-earners," which refers to early-stage companies that are not yet consistently profitable. Index eligibility is limited to specific security types only. The security types eligible for the index include common stocks, ordinary shares, depositary receipts, shares of beneficial interest and REITs. To be eligible for inclusion in the Index, a security must be a component of the Nasdaq US Benchmark Index and each security must be classified as Health Care according to the Industry Classification Benchmark (ICB).
Securities are ranked based upon their market cap and liquidity. Those securities not ranked in the top 150 securities of the Nasdaq US Benchmark Index by market cap are deemed eligible. If in the index in the prior period, those securities with a rank in the top 80% by average daily dollar trading volume (ADDTV) of the Nasdaq US

21



Benchmark Index are deemed eligible. For new securities to be eligible they must satisfy a liquidity threshold, using a 3-month ADDTV, of being in the Top 70% most liquid names with Nasdaq US Benchmark Index. Lastly, securities considered to be non-earners by means of having negative earnings over the prior 4, prior 8 or future 4 quarters at least half of the time are deemed eligible. The index is evaluated semi-annually in April and October and employs a modified market cap weighting methodology. Final eligible securities receive a maximum weight of 3% and all excess weight is distributed proportionally across the remaining index securities.
Other Information
Nasdaq®, Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index and Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index, are registered trademarks of NASDAQ, Inc. (which with its affiliates is referred to as the “Corporations”) and are licensed for use by Principal. The Funds are not sponsored, endorsed, sold or promoted by the Corporations. The Corporations have not passed on the legality or suitability of, or the accuracy or adequacy of descriptions and disclosures relating to, the Funds. The Corporations make no representation or warranty, express or implied to the owners of the Funds or any member of the public regarding the advisability of investing in securities generally or in the Funds particularly, or the ability of the Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index and Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index to track general stock market performance. The Corporations' only relationship to Principal Management Corporation (“Licensee”) is in the licensing of the Nasdaq®, and certain trade names of the Corporations and the use of the Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index and Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index which are determined, composed and calculated by NASDAQ without regard to Licensee or the Funds. NASDAQ has no obligation to take the needs of the Licensee or the owners of the Funds into consideration in determining, composing or calculating the Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index and Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index. The Corporations are not responsible for and have not participated in the determination of the timing of, prices at, or quantities of the Funds to be issued or in the determination or calculation of the equation by which the Funds is to be converted into cash. The Corporations have no liability in connection with the administration, marketing or trading of the Funds.
The Corporations do not guarantee the accuracy and/or uninterrupted calculation of Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index® and Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index® or any data included therein. The Corporations make no warranty, express or implied, as to results to be obtained by Licensee, owners of the product(s), or any other person or entity from the use of the Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index® and Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index® or any data included therein. The Corporations make no express or implied warranties, and expressly disclaim all warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose or use with respect to the Nasdaq Global Millennial Opportunity Index® and Nasdaq U.S. Healthcare Innovators Index® or any data included therein. Without limiting any of the foregoing, in no event shall the Corporations have any liability for any lost profits or special, incidental, punitive, indirect, or consequential damages, even if notified of the possibility of such damages.

22



ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Additional information about the Fund is available in the Statement of Additional Information dated November 1, 2015 as amended and restated February 24, 2016, updated March 21, 2016, and amended and restated July 19, 2016, updated August 19, 2016, which is incorporated by reference into this prospectus. Additional information about each Fund’s investments is available in the Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports to shareholders. In each Fund’s annual report, you will find a discussion of the market conditions and investment strategies that significantly affected the Fund’s performance during the last fiscal year. The Statement of Additional Information and each Fund’s annual and semi-annual reports can be obtained free of charge by writing Principal Exchange Traded Funds, c/o ALPS Distributors, Inc., 1290 Broadway, Suite 1100, Denver, CO 80203. In addition, the Fund makes its Statement of Additional Information and annual and semi-annual reports available, free of charge, on our website www.PrincipalETFs.com. To request this and other information about the Fund and to make shareholder inquiries, telephone 1-800-787-1621.
Information about the Fund (including the Statement of Additional Information) can be reviewed and copied at the Securities and Exchange Commission’s Public Reference Room in Washington, D.C. Information on the operation of the Public Reference Room may be obtained by calling the Commission at 1-202-551-8090. Reports and other information about the Fund are available on the EDGAR Database on the Commission’s internet site at www.sec.gov. Copies of this information may be obtained, upon payment of a duplicating fee, by electronic request at the following e-mail address: publicinfo@sec.gov, or by writing the Commission’s Public Reference Section, 100 F Street, N.E., Washington, D.C. 20549-1520.
The Fund has entered into a management agreement with Principal Management Corporation (“Principal”). The Fund and/or Principal, on behalf of the funds, enter into contractual arrangements with various parties, including, among others, the funds’ sub-advisors, distributor, transfer agent and custodian, who provide services to the funds. These arrangements are between the Fund and/or Principal and the applicable service provider. Shareholders are not parties to, or intended to be third-party beneficiaries of, any of these arrangements. Such arrangements are not intended to create in any individual shareholder or group of shareholders any right, including the right to enforce such arrangements against the service providers or to seek any remedy thereunder against Principal or any other service provider, either directly or on behalf of the Fund or any individual series (or fund).
This prospectus provides information that you should consider in determining whether to purchase shares of a fund. This prospectus, the Statement of Additional Information, or the contracts that are exhibits to the Fund’s registration statement are not intended to give rise to any agreement or contract between the Fund and/or any fund and any investor, or give rise to any contract or other rights in any individual shareholder, group of shareholders or other person other than any rights conferred explicitly by federal or state securities laws that may not be waived.
The U.S. government does not insure or guarantee an investment in any Funds.
Shares of the Funds are not deposits or obligations of, or guaranteed or endorsed by, Principal Bank or any other financial institution, nor are shares of the Funds federally insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Federal Reserve Board, or any other agency.












Principal Exchange-Traded Funds SEC File 333-201935

23