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Calamos Leverages Equity Options Heritage With New ETF

BY | ETF Database
9:05 am ET 08/04/26 | 11 VIEWS
On Tuesday, August 4, Calamos Investments expanded its collection of alternative ETF offerings with the launch of the Calamos Active Hedged Equity ETF (CHDG). An active equity options ETF, CHDG looks to provide compelling total return while mitigating volatility.Key Takeaways: Calamos Investments has debuted the Calamos Active Hedged Equity ETF (CHDG), a new alternative fund for its growing lineup. CHDG blends core S&P 500 equity exposure with opportunistic options trading to mitigate volatility and pursue higher total return Crucially, this new ETF leverages a longstanding Calamos approach that has been offered via mutual fund for over a decade. “Investors want to preserve the wealth they’ve built and manage volatility in their portfolios. With CHDG, we are proud to bring our sophisticated, institutional-grade risk management capabilities to investors who prefer the ETF wrapper,” noted John Koudounis, president and CEO of Calamos Investments. “This launch builds on nearly five decades of options expertise, continuing our tradition of innovation in derivatives since John P. Calamos, Sr. founded this firm in 1977.” CHDG’s investment approach focuses on blending S&P 500 exposure with flexible options hedging. The fund starts with its core S&P 500 equity sleeve, which serves as the bedrock for its portfolio. From there, the Calamos team uses options trading to opportunistically position CHDG to take advantage of market dynamics. Active options trading in this manner can help out in a few different ways. See More: First Calamos Autocallable ETF Celebrates 1-Year AnniversaryThe Power of OptionsGiven how reactive the market has been as of late, options trading can be very helpful on both an offensive and defensive basis. Investors can use this approach to take advantage of market movements, or leverage its flexibility for risk management. And considering that worries over inflation and the Fed’s rate regimen will likely not abate any time soon, opportunistic options trading could be a valuable strategy. CHDG may be a new fund to the market, but it employs a time-tested Calamos strategy. Calamos has been running the Calamos Hedged Equity Mutual Fund (CIHEX) for well over a decade at this point. CIHEX has offered a highly similar approach to this new ETF, but through the mutual fund wrapper. Calamos offers a wide variety of different alternative funds that have accrued significant attention from the broader investment community. As just one example, the Calamos Autocallable Income ETF (CAIE ) has about $1.2 billion in net assets, as of August 3, 2026. For more news, information, and analysis, visit the Alternatives Content Hub.

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