At a glance
CANQ charges 0.95% a year. It has $6.7M in assets; it paid 4.68% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, monthly. Over the past year it returned −1.1% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%).
The short version
Calamos Alternative Nasdaq & Bond ETF (CANQ) is a multi-asset fund from Calamos that, as its name says, pairs exposure to the Nasdaq stock market with bonds. It pays monthly, with a 4.68% yield based on its payouts over the 12 months to October 27, 2026. It is also small, with about $6.7 million in net assets. It launched in February 2024 and charges 0.95% a year.
Price history
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CANQ -1.1% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CANQ price data to Oct 27, 2026 | +1.7% | -1.1% | — | — | — | +12.0% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, CANQ returned -1.1%.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2025 (+11.7%); its best was 2025 (+11.7%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 12.8% (Feb 14, 2025 to Apr 8, 2025), recovered by Jun 30, 2025.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data |
|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | +1.7% |
| 2025 | +11.7% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Before this security existed |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Before this security existed |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.9900 | |
| 2025 | $1.4900 |
How it works
Calamos classifies CANQ as a multi-asset fund, and its name gives the two parts: exposure to the Nasdaq stock market, and bonds. The fund launched on February 13, 2024. Neither the prospectus nor a holdings list was available for this page. So we can't confirm how Calamos splits money between stocks and bonds, which securities it holds, or how often it rebalances. The ticker also didn't appear in the SEC's public ticker lists. That can happen after a fund is renamed or closed, so its status is worth confirming with Calamos.
Those details matter because funds that blend stocks and bonds get their stock exposure in different ways. Some own shares directly. Others use options, which are contracts giving the right to buy or sell an index at a set price. Options can limit both gains and losses, or cap the upside. The bond side could be short-term Treasuries or riskier corporate debt. The prospectus explains which approach applies and how the monthly payouts are funded.
The price record gives clues, not proof. Over the year to October 27, 2026, the fund's volatility (a measure of how widely its price swings) was 11.6%. Its beta, a measure of how much it moves with the stock market, was 0.84. That means it tended to move in the same direction as stocks, but somewhat less.
What it really costs
- CANQ charges 0.95% a year.
In a retirement portfolio
With about $6.7 million in net assets, less than three years of history and a 0.95% expense ratio, it fits better as a small side position than as a core holding.
CANQ launched on February 13, 2024, so it has no record from the 2008 financial crisis, the 2020 COVID crash or the 2022 bear market. Its only full calendar year, 2025, returned 11.7%, which makes it both its worst and best year so far. Its deepest peak-to-trough drop was 12.8%, from February 14 to April 8, 2025. It recovered by June 30, 2025, about 2.7 months after the low. A retiree who had to sell near that low would have locked in the loss, and a short, fairly mild test like that says little about a long bear market. The monthly payouts, a 4.68% yield over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, could help cover spending without selling shares in a down stretch. But the 0.95% expense ratio comes out of returns every year.
Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want monthly payouts from one fund; it yielded 4.68% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026.
- Those wanting Nasdaq-linked exposure blended with bonds that moved less than the market, with a one-year beta of 0.84 as of October 27, 2026.
- Investors willing to study the prospectus and hold a small, newer Calamos fund as a side position next to broader core funds.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors: the 0.95% expense ratio is a steady drag, and the fund lost 1.1% over the year to October 27, 2026.
- Anyone wanting a long track record: launched in February 2024, it has one full calendar year of results and missed the 2008, 2020 and 2022 downturns.
- Those wary of very small funds: with about $6.7 million in net assets, it may face wider trading spreads and a higher risk of closure.
Close alternatives
Matched by legacy category (no holdings report for this fund).
No close alternatives found.
Questions investors ask
Does CANQ pay monthly dividends?
Yes. CANQ pays distributions monthly. Over the 12 months to October 27, 2026, it paid about $1.37 per share, a yield of 4.68%. The fund blends stock and bond exposure, so its payouts may come from interest, dividends or other sources, and the mix can change. Funds must report when a payout includes sources other than income, such as a return of the investor's own money. The issuer's distribution notices are worth reading before counting on the income.
What does CANQ invest in?
CANQ is a multi-asset fund. Its name says it combines exposure to the Nasdaq stock market with bonds. A detailed holdings list and the prospectus weren't available for this page, so we can't name its largest positions or its exact split between stocks and bonds. The fund's page at Calamos and its prospectus show what it holds, and whether it uses derivatives such as options to get its stock exposure.
What is CANQ's expense ratio?
CANQ's expense ratio is 0.95%. That means 0.95% of the fund's assets goes to running costs each year, taken out before returns reach shareholders. That is a real drag on a fund that returned -1.1% over the year to October 27, 2026. No group of similar funds was available to compare it with, so the fees of other funds that blend stocks and bonds are worth checking alongside it.
How has CANQ performed since it launched?
CANQ returned 11.7% in 2025, its only full calendar year, and 1.7% in 2026 through October 27. Over the year ending October 27, 2026, it lost 1.1%. Its Sharpe ratio, a measure of return for the risk taken, was -0.44 over that year, meaning it earned less than cash would have. Its deepest drop was 12.8%, from February 14 to April 8, 2025, and it had fully recovered by June 30, 2025.
Is CANQ good for retirement income?
It may play a limited role. CANQ pays monthly, and its yield was 4.68% over the 12 months to October 27, 2026. But it is small, with about $6.7 million in net assets, and charges 0.95% a year. It launched only in February 2024, so it has never been through a long bear market. Sponsors sometimes close small funds. For those reasons, it fits better as a small side position than as a core income holding.