Data as of .
CAIQ vs NLSI: which paid, and which earned it?
CAIQ and NLSI both write options for income.
What they hold in common
By the books each fund has filed, CAIQ and NLSI hold 0% of their money in the same securities at the same weight.
| Only in CAIQ | Only in NLSI |
|---|---|
| Calamos Tax-Aware Collateral ETF 100.00% | Micron Technology Inc 14.23% |
| F5 Inc 3.90% | |
| Progressive Corp/The 3.80% | |
| Adobe Inc 3.37% | |
| Jack Henry & Associates Inc 3.32% | |
| Universal Health Services Inc 3.23% | |
| Insulet Corp 3.19% | |
| Veeva Systems Inc 3.19% |
Weight overlap is an ETFIQ calculation: for every security both funds hold, the smaller of the two weights, summed. Above 50%, holding both is close to holding one of them twice. Holdings dated Apr 30, 2026 and Jun 30, 2026.
Performance, window by window
| Window | Total return | Cash paid | Against the benchmark | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| CAIQ | NLSI | CAIQ | NLSI | CAIQ | NLSI | |
| 3 months | −0.5% | +15.6% | 4.3% | 1.4% | +1.9 pts | +13.3 pts |
| 6 months | +16.5% | +24.6% | 9.5% | 2.8% | −7.7 pts | +6.6 pts |
| Since launch | +16.7% | +19.3% | 13.7% | 4.0% | −7.0 pts | +7.3 pts |
| CAIQ Calamos Nasdaq Autocallable Income ETF Option income on QQQ, paying monthly | NLSI NEOS Long/Short Equity Income ETF Option income on SPY, paying monthly | |
|---|---|---|
| Issuer | Calamos | NEOS |
| Strategy | option income | option income |
| Benchmark | Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) | S&P 500 (SPY), used as a default proxy |
| Pays | monthly | monthly |
| Payout rate, annualized | 17.9% | 5.1% |
| Expense ratio | 0.74% | 2.89% |
| Cash paid, 1 year | 13.7% (since launch on Nov 20, 2025) | 4.0% (since launch on Dec 10, 2025) |
| Price change, 1 year | +2.1% | +14.6% |
| Total return, 1 year | +16.7% (since launch on Nov 20, 2025) | +19.3% (since launch on Dec 10, 2025) |
| Benchmark return, 1 year | +23.6% | +12.0% |
| Ahead or behind | −7.0 pts | +7.3 pts |
| Return of capital, latest estimate | not published | 100% |
| Age | 302 days | 282 days |
| Net assets | $167m | $5m |
CAIQ in plain words
Over the period since launch on Nov 20, 2025 to Sep 18, 2026, CAIQ paid 13.7% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 2.1%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +16.7%. Nasdaq-100 (QQQ) returned +23.6% over the same days, so a holder was behind by 7.0 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 17.9%, paid monthly.
NLSI in plain words
Over the period since launch on Dec 10, 2025 to Sep 18, 2026, NLSI paid 4.0% of its starting value in cash distributions while its price rose 14.6%. With every distribution reinvested, the fund returned +19.3%. S&P 500 (SPY), used as a default proxy returned +12.0% over the same days, so a holder was ahead by 7.3 pts. At its price on Sep 18, 2026 the latest distribution annualizes to 5.1%, paid monthly. NEOS estimates that 100% of the distribution paid Jul 31, 2026 was a return of capital (19a-1 notice, estimated, a tax characterization rather than a measure of erosion).
Questions people ask
- Which is cheaper, CAIQ or NLSI?
- CAIQ charges 0.74% a year and NLSI charges 2.89%, so CAIQ is cheaper. Fees come from each fund's prospectus.
Other comparisons
Where these figures came from
ETFIQ links to the documents behind every figure. It is not affiliated with any issuer, and a link is not an endorsement.
Cite this page. ETFIQ, CAIQ against NLSI, data as of Sep 18, 2026. https://etfiq.com/compare/income/caiq-vs-nlsi Free to use with attribution; the underlying files are at Open data.