Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund
CSQFinancial Services · Stock · monthly payer
Forward Yield
7.78%
Annual Dividend
$1.62
Payout Ratio
20%
5-Yr Growth
2.4%
Ex-Date
Sep 14, 2026
Frequency
Monthly
Summary
As of September 2026, Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund (CSQ) yields 7.78% ($1.62 per share annually), with a blended fair-value estimate of $23.96 — +15% upside, so it screens as undervalued. Dividend safety grade: A (86/100). 1 years of dividend growth.
Is CSQ a good dividend stock?
YesCalamos Strategic Total Return Fund (CSQ) pays a monthly dividend yielding 7.78% ($1.62/yr), with 1 year of growth and a dividend-safety grade of A. It scores well across payout coverage, growth history and safety — a dependable income holding.
Advantages
- Comfortable payout ratio (20%)
- Top-tier dividend safety score
Risks
- Cut its dividend in 2010
Key Data
- Dividend Yield
- 7.78%
- Payout Ratio
- 20%
- Annual Dividend
- $1.62
- 5-Yr Avg Growth
- 2.4%
- Ex-Dividend Date
- Sep 14, 2026
- Years of Growth
- 1
- Frequency
- monthly
- Beta
- —
- Market Cap
- $3.3B
- P/E Ratio
- 3.1
- 5-Yr Total Return
- 18%
- 52-Week Range
- $16.41 – $21.17
- Dividend Safety
- A · 86/100
- Ever Cut?
- Yes (2010)
Frequently Asked Questions
CSQ Price — Last 12 Months
Daily close
Price Return
1 Year
+8%
3 Years
+48%
5 Years
+18%
52-Week Range
$16.41 – $21.17
Price change over each period (excludes dividends). Past performance doesn't guarantee future results.
What is CSQ worth?
Undervaluedlow confidenceOur blended fair-value estimate for Calamos Strategic Total Return Fund is $23.96 per share, versus a market price of $20.83. That implies 15% of upside — a margin of safety of about 13%.
Fair Value
$23.96
Current Price
$20.83
Upside
+15%
Margin of Safety
13%
How we get there
Dividend discount
Discounts the future dividend stream back to today.
At today's price, the market is pricing in about 40.0% annual free-cash-flow growth. We model 2.1% — so the price already assumes faster growth than we think is likely.
Assumptions: 9.3% discount rate (CAPM), 2.1% stage-1 growth, 2.5% terminal growth, $6.62 EPS, $1.62 annual dividend. Updated weekly.
Fair-value estimates are model output for educational purposes only — not investment advice or a price target.
CSQ Dividend Safety Score
Very Safe
SmarterDividends' proprietary score, backtested against which dividends were actually cut over 15+ years (0.78 AUC). It blends a validated cut-risk model (growth streak, cut history) with current payout, cash-flow and debt. Higher is safer · not investment advice.
Dividend Growth
Total dividends per share by year
Dividend History
| Ex-Date | Pay Date | Amount | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 14, 2026 | — | $0.1350 | regular |
| Jul 14, 2026 | — | $0.1350 | regular |
| Jun 12, 2026 | — | $0.1230 | regular |
| May 14, 2026 | — | $0.1230 | regular |
| Apr 14, 2026 | — | $0.1230 | regular |
| Mar 13, 2026 | — | $0.1230 | regular |
| Feb 13, 2026 | — | $0.1230 | regular |
| Dec 30, 2025 | — | $0.1230 | regular |
| Dec 12, 2025 | — | $0.1030 | regular |
| Nov 14, 2025 | — | $0.1030 | regular |
| Oct 15, 2025 | — | $0.1030 | regular |
| Sep 15, 2025 | — | $0.1030 | regular |
| Aug 14, 2025 | — | $0.1030 | regular |
| Jul 14, 2025 | — | $0.1030 | regular |
Income Calculator
At $1.62 / yr per share
