Certificates of deposit (CDs) have been perceived as a valuable option for investors seeking a lower-risk means to activate their cash on the sidelines.
CDs allow investors to put their funds into an interest-accruing savings account for a specific period of time. As such, CDs can be seen as a “set and forget” strategy for mobilizing cash into monthly income distributions.
Over the last few years, CDs have seen trillions of dollars in investment inflows. S&P Global notes that in 2023, CD balances at U.S. banks reached their highest level in roughly 10 years.
The reason CDs have seen such strong inflows is fairly straightforward. Given that CD rates usually follow the federal funds rate, investors have been able to harness good returns in this high-rate environment.
This chart highlights how CD rates closely align with the Fed’s rate regimen. Once the Fed began cutting rates in March 2022, CD rates steadily grew until the Fed stopped raising rates. Ever since, CD rates have remained around 5%.
However, the good times for CDs could be coming to an end soon. The Fed has already cut rates by 50 basis points, and many expect a quarter-point rate reduction on November 7th as well. Looking ahead, each of the subsequent rate cuts from the Fed are likely going to tear into the returns for CD strategies.
Benefit From Rate Cuts With CPSN
While some risk mitigation strategies like CDs can flounder in a rate-cut environment, Calamos Structured Protection ETFs can set investors up for success. One such example is the Calamos S&P 500® Structured Alt Protection ETF – November (CPSN), which was released on November 1, 2024.
CPSN gives investors access to upside participation from the S&P 500 up to a cap. This large-cap exposure comes alongside complete capital protection across a one-year outcome period, save for fees and expenses.
Much like CDs, CPSN can be a risk-mitigated means to help investors put their cash to work. However, unlike CD rates, large-cap equities can provide strong results and upside growth in a rate-cut environment.
CPSN comes online as the sixth Calamos Structured Protection ETF to provide exposure to the S&P 500. A leading provider in Structured Protection ETFs, Calamos Investments is continuing to roll out new products on a monthly basis. To learn more about the next Calamos funds, visit www.calamos.com/protection.
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Disclosure Information
Before investing, carefully consider the fund’s investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses. Please see the prospectus and summary prospectus containing this and other information which can be obtained by calling 1-866-363-9219. Read it carefully before investing.
An investment in the Fund(s) is subject to risks, and you could lose money on your investment in the Fund(s). There can be no assurance that the Fund(s) will achieve its investment objective. Your investment in the Fund(s) is not a deposit in a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) or any other government agency. The risks associated with an investment in the Fund(s) can increase during times of significant market volatility. The Fund(s) also has specific principal risks, which are described below. More detailed information regarding these risks can be found in the Fund’s prospectus.
*The Calamos Russell 2000 Structured Alt Protection ETFs are currently reflected in an initial SEC filing under the name Calamos Capital Protected Russell 2000 ETFs.
Investing involves risks. Loss of principal is possible. The Funds face numerous market trading risks, including authorized participation concentration risk, cap change risk, capital protection risk, capped upside risk, cash holdings risk, clearing member default risk, correlation risk, derivatives risk, equity securities risk, investment timing risk, large-capitalization investing risk, liquidity risk, market maker risk, market risk, non-diversification risk, options risk, premium-discount risk, secondary market trading risk, sector risk, tax risk, trading issues risk, underlying ETF risk and valuation risk. For a detailed list of fund risks see the prospectus.
There are no assurances the Fund will be successful in providing the sought-after protection. The outcomes that the Fund seeks to provide may only be realized if you are holding shares on the first day of the Outcome Period and continue to hold them on the last day of the Outcome Period, approximately one year. There is no guarantee that the Outcomes for an Outcome Period will be realized or that the Fund will achieve its investment objective. If the Outcome Period has begun and the Underlying ETF has increased in value, any appreciation of the Fund by virtue of increases in the Underlying ETF since the commencement of the Outcome Period will not be protected by the sought-after protection, and an investor could experience losses until the Underlying ETF returns to the original price at the commencement of the Outcome Period.
Fund shareholders are subject to an upside return cap (the “Cap”) that represents the maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the funds’ for the Outcome Period, before fees and expenses. If the Outcome Period has begun and the Fund has increased in value to a level near to the Cap, an investor purchasing at that price has little or no ability to achieve gains but remains vulnerable to downside risks. Additionally, the Cap may rise or fall from one Outcome Period to the next. The Cap, and the Fund’s position relative to it, should be considered before investing in the Fund. The Fund’s website, www.calamos.com, provides important Fund information as well information relating to the potential outcomes of an investment in a Fund on a daily basis.
Additional Information
These Funds are designed to provide point-to-point exposure to the price return of the Reference Asset via a basket of Flex Options. As a result, the ETFs are not expected to move directly in line with the Reference Asset during the interim period.
Investors purchasing shares after an outcome period has begun may experience very different results than fund’s investment objective. Initial outcome periods are approximately 1-year beginning on the fund’s inception date. Following the initial outcome period, each subsequent outcome period will begin on the first day of the month the fund was incepted. After the conclusion of an outcome period, another will begin.
FLEX Options Risk The Fund will utilize FLEX Options issued and guaranteed for settlement by the Options Clearing Corporation (OCC). In the unlikely event that the OCC becomes insolvent or is otherwise unable to meet its settlement obligations, the Fund could suffer significant losses. Additionally, FLEX Options may be less liquid than standard options. In a less liquid market for the FLEX Options, the Fund may have difficulty closing out certain FLEX Options positions at desired times and prices. The values of FLEX Options do not increase or decrease at the same rate as the reference asset and may vary due to factors other than the price of reference asset.
Shares are bought and sold at market price, not net asset value (NAV), and are not individually redeemable from the fund. NAV represents the value of each share’s portion of the fund’s underlying assets and cash at the end of the trading day. Market price returns reflect the midpoint of the bid/ask spread as of the close of trading on the exchange where fund shares are listed.
100% capital protection is over a one-year period before fees and expenses. All caps are pre-determined.
Cap Range – Maximum percentage return an investor can achieve from an investment in the Fund if held over the Outcome Period. Cap range depicted is the high and low cap rate over the past 15 trading days. Actual cap delivered by the Fund may be different.
Protection Level – Amount of protection the Fund is designed to achieve over the Days Remaining.
Outcome Period – Number of days in the Outcome Period.
Nasdaq® and Nasdaq-100 are registered trademarks of Nasdaq, Inc. (which with its affiliates is referred to as the “Corporations”) and are licensed for use by Calamos Advisors LLC. The Fund has not been passed on by the Corporations as to their legality or suitability. The Fund is not issued, endorsed, sold, or promoted by the Corporations. The Corporations make no warranties and bear no liability with respect to the Fund(s).
STRUCTURED ALT PROTECTION ETF and STRUCTURED PROTECTION ETF are trademarks of Calamos Investments LLC.
Calamos Financial Services LLC, Distributor