CHY vs SCHD
Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund vs Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF
Which is better, CHY or SCHD?
Convertibles against Large Cap Value.
SCHD has a lower expense ratio. SCHD led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window.
MarketXLS is not an investment adviser. This comparison is generated automatically from market data and is for information only. A Best mark means the better reading on that one measure, not a recommendation to buy.
Side-by-Side Comparison
| Metric | CHY | SCHD |
|---|---|---|
| Expense Ratio | 1.84% | 0.06%Best |
| AUM | $1.5B | $112.1B |
| Dividend Yield | 3.97% | 3.00% |
| Holdings | 620 | 103 |
| YTD Return | +17.06% | +24.59%Best |
| 1Y Return | +24.60% | +28.14%Best |
| 3Y Return (annualized) | +13.74% | +15.58%Best |
| 5Y Return (annualized) | +4.77% | +9.90%Best |
| Volatility (annualized) | 19.7% | 13.6%Best |
| Max Drawdown | -60.1% | -33.4%Best |
| $10,000 over 5 years | $12,624 | $16,032Best |
| Fund Family | Calamos Investments | Charles Schwab Asset Management |
| Category | Convertible | Equity |
| Style | Convertibles | Large Cap Value |
| Inception | May 28, 2003 | Oct 20, 2011 |
Not shown on this pair: Top 10 Weight.
Volatility and max drawdown are measured over the window both funds cover: Oct 20, 2011 to Sep 10, 2026 (14.9 years).
CHY vs SCHD growth
Month-end closes. Both lines start at 0% in the first month shown, so the gap between them is the difference in growth across that window. The full view covers the 14.9 years both funds cover.
CHY vs SCHD Performance
Calamos Convertible and High Income Fund (CHY) is an ETF from Calamos Investments and Schwab US Dividend Equity ETF (SCHD) is an ETF from Charles Schwab Asset Management. Over the past year CHY returned +24.60% while SCHD returned +28.14%. Year to date, CHY is up 17.06% versus a gain of 24.59% for SCHD.
Over three years, CHY compounded at +13.74% per year against +15.58% for SCHD; over five years the annualized figures are +4.77% and +9.90% respectively. Across the full 15-year window we track, SCHD has the edge at +11.34% annualized vs +4.33%.
Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Risk: Volatility and Drawdowns
CHY has been the more volatile fund, with annualized monthly volatility of 19.7% compared with 13.6% for SCHD. Lower volatility generally means a smoother ride, though it often comes with lower long-run returns.
The deepest peak-to-trough decline in our data was -60.1% for CHY and -33.4% for SCHD. Drawdown depth is what each fund did in the worst stretch of the window measured above.
The two funds' monthly returns correlate at 0.67. They move together some of the time, and apart the rest.
Fees and Cost Over Time
CHY charges 1.84% per year while SCHD charges 0.06%. On a $10,000 position that is $184 vs $6 annually, a gap of $178 per year that compounds over a long holding period. On income, CHY currently yields 3.97% against 3.00% for SCHD.
Holdings Overlap
At least 0.7% of SCHD's money is in holdings CHY also owns.
Only one direction is shown: for CHY, our book for it lists positions totalling 120.2% of the fund, which is what a leveraged book looks like and is not a denominator we can divide by.
We cannot see either book well enough to say how much of this pair is duplicated.
The two holdings books were reported 304 days apart, CHY as of Oct 31, 2025 and SCHD as of Aug 31, 2026, so some of the difference between them is the time between the two reports rather than the funds.
1 positions in common, counted across the 512 positions we hold weights for in CHY and 100 in SCHD, against full books of 620 and 103.
Top Shared Holdings
| Stock | Weight in CHY | Weight in SCHD | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| ARESAres Management Corp Common Stock | 0.89% | 0.74% | 0.15% |
You are not choosing between two funds in isolation.
Whichever of CHY and SCHD you pick has to sit alongside everything else you own. Add the rest and see what the combination actually holds.
Free for up to 10 holdings. No account needed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which is cheaper, CHY or SCHD?
CHY has an expense ratio of 1.84% while SCHD charges 0.06%. SCHD is the cheaper option, by $178 a year on a $10,000 investment.
Which performed better, CHY or SCHD?
Over the past year CHY returned +24.60% vs +28.14% for SCHD, so SCHD leads on 1-year performance. Over the longest common window we track (15 years), CHY annualized +4.33% vs +11.34% for SCHD. Past performance does not guarantee future results. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which is riskier, CHY or SCHD?
CHY has been the more volatile fund at 19.7% annualized versus 13.6% for SCHD. Worst drawdown: CHY -60.1% vs SCHD -33.4%.
Should I hold both CHY and SCHD?
CHY and SCHD have a monthly-return correlation of 0.67, so their returns are far enough apart for the mix to behave differently from either one alone. This is information, not a recommendation.
Which pays a higher dividend, CHY or SCHD?
CHY yields 3.97% while SCHD yields 3.00%, so CHY currently pays the higher dividend yield.
Is SCHD better than CHY?
SCHD has a lower expense ratio. SCHD led over 1Y, 3Y, 5Y and the full window. Which one suits a particular account depends on what it is for. This is information, not a recommendation.