Key Differentiators
- One Team, One Process
- In-depth Capital Structure Analysis
- Rigorous Top-Down and Fundamental Analysis
- Opportunistic, Flexible Approach
- Broader Opportunity Set
Strategy Summary
Strategy: Market neutral Benchmark: Barclays Capital U.S. Government/Credit Bond index
Inception: September 1990 Fund AUM: $2.3 billion As of 12/31/11
Investment Team
Chief Investment Officers
John P. Calamos, Sr. Chairman, CEO, Co-CIO
Nick P. Calamos President of Investments, Co-CIO
Research Team*
2 Co-Heads of Research & Investments
5 Senior Strategy Sector Analysts
3 Senior Sector Analysts
8 Intermediate Analysts
12 Junior Analysts
Portfolio Analytics*
7 Portfolio Specialists
Infrastructure & Execution*
9 Trading
4 Risk Management Specialists
14 Investment IT
*Information is as of 12/31/11.
Convertible arbitrage is an investment strategy that generally involves a long position on a convertible security and a short position on the issuing company's common stock. Covered call writing is an options strategy whereby an investor holds a long position in an asset and writes (sells) call options on that same asset in an attempt to generate increased income from the asset.
Characteristics |
Risk/Reward Statistics for the 10-Year Period |
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Calamos Market Neutral Income Fund (A Shares)
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Assets in Fund
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$2.3 billion
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# of Holdings
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321
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Portfolio Turnover % (1-Year)
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102.5%
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SEC Yield (A Shares)
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0.62%
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Calamos Market Neutral Income Fund (A Shares) |
S&P 500 index |
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| Alpha |
2.03% |
N/A |
| Beta |
0.26 |
1.00 |
| Std. Deviation |
5.38% |
16.09% |
| Sharpe Ratio |
0.22 |
-0.26 |
| Info Ratio |
0.33 |
N/A |
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Fund Overview The Market Neutral Income Fund employs two different strategies that we believe complement the fund's investment objective. To best understand how the fund performed, we have addressed the environment for both strategies below.
Covered Call Writing Strategy The 11.82% return of the S&P 500 Index supported the covered call strategy as the value of the portfolio’s equity basket increased up to the strike prices of the calls written against it. After holding up a bit better than the S&P 500 in the third quarter, the equity basket holdings slightly underperform the S&P 500 for the fourth quarter.
Last quarter, the Treasury hedge position was closed after the spread between 2- and 10-year treasuries hit 151 basis points. In October, the spread widened to 211 basis points and the position was re-initiated. At the end of the quarter, the 2-year Treasury was at 0.26% and the 10-year Treasury was at 1.98%. This represented a spread of 172 basis points and resulted in a 39 point decline in spreads from the peak seen in October. The tightening of spreads contributed positively to the Treasury hedge portion of the covered call strategy.
Convertible Arbitrage Volatility supports the embedded option value contained in the convertible and can provide trading profits from hedge rebalancing (gamma capture). The decline in volatility during the quarter hampered performance in this regard.
The near-zero fed funds rate (0.08%) at the end of the fourth quarter continued to provide some headwind to the convertible arbitrage strategy. The low interest rate environment has meant that the fund has not received short interest credit from the proceeds of the short sale of common stock in the portfolio. Additionally, with interest rates at historic lows, coupon yields on convertibles and other interest bearing securities were also low.
During the quarter, high yield credit spreads tightened 80 basis points over 10-year Treasurys, according to J.P. Morgan Research. Tightening credit spreads typically increase the bond value of convertibles, especially those with speculative grades. While the portfolio is underweight the most speculative (CCC rated) issues, tightening spreads were a positive contributor to the convertible arbitrage strategy.
Strategy Vehicles
| Institutional Mutual Fund* |
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| Minimum $1 million |
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*The offering price for Class I shares is the NAV per share with no initial sales charge. There is no contingent deferred sales charge or distribution or service fees with respect to Class I shares. The minimum initial investment required to purchase each Fund's Class I shares is $1 million. Class I shares are offered primarily for direct investment by investors through certain tax-exempt retirement plans (including 401(k) plans, 457 plans, employer-sponsored 403(b) plans, profit sharing and money purchase pension plans, defined benefit plans and non-qualified deferred compensation plans) and by institutional clients, provided such plans or clients have assets of at least $1 million. Class I shares also may be offered to certain other entities or programs, including, but not limited to, investment companies, under certain circumstances.
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