CGO Calamos Global Total Return Fund

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   11

October, the Fund distributed $0.1000 per share. For the month of October, the Fund reduced its distribution per share and distributed $0.0800 per share, resulting in a current annualized distribution rate of 10.53% of market price as of October 31, 2022.

Both the Fund’s distribution rate and level remained attractive and competitive because low-but-rising interest rates limited yield opportunities in much of the marketplace. For example, as of October 31, 2022, the dividend yield of S&P 500 Index stocks averaged approximately 1.69%. Although higher than a year ago, yields within the US government bond market were also still relatively low at the end of the annual period, with the 10-year US Treasury yielding 4.10%.

What factors influenced performance over the reporting period?

Global stocks and convertible securities struggled in the annual period as markets traversed a global landscape characterized by higher inflation, rising interest rates, and heightened geopolitical tension. Looking ahead, investors and companies alike have lowered expectations given the risks presented by rising interest rates, inflation, the war in Ukraine, supply chain disruptions, and high commodity prices. Although Covid-19 has largely transitioned from a pandemic to an endemic phase, lockdowns in China, resulting in markedly lower economic growth expectations, still threaten the course of more normal economic activity globally. In addition, Federal Reserve activities are expected to result in further rate increases well into 2023, after it raised short-term levels six times in 2022 through early November, bringing the target rate to 3.75%–4.00%.

Pursuant to our risk-managed equity objective, the Fund navigated volatile markets while employing an active blend of common stocks, convertibles, high yield bonds and options. That said, declines in the global equity markets contributed to the Fund’s negative performance over the annual period. Moreover, the Fund’s return trailed the comparator index over the annual period because of lagging individual security selection, an overweight in equities, and an underweight in bonds. Moreover, our holdings in global companies with cyclical and secular growth characteristics trailed the more narrow, defensive market sectors and industries that held up relatively better amid the broad sell-off across markets.

SINCE INCEPTION MARKET PRICE AND NAV HISTORY THROUGH 10/31/22

Performance data quoted represents past performance, which is no guarantee of future results. Current performance may be lower or higher than the performance quoted. The principal value of an investment will fluctuate so that your shares, when sold, may be worth more or less than their original cost. Returns at NAV reflect the deduction of the Fund’s management fee, debt leverage costs and all other applicable fees and expenses. You can obtain performance data current to the most recent month end by visiting www.calamos.com.

12   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   13

high-quality global businesses that sustain strong balance sheets and demonstrate less reliance on demand in Europe. We have a modest weight in Japan, owning multiple companies with better earnings momentum and more attractive business models. We own positions in emerging markets within key demand areas such as interactive media, retail, semiconductors, and high-quality financials.

Our largest allocation is in the US, based on the reasonably positive economic backdrop and wider opportunity set. Outside the US, we own several companies backed by leading business models and positioned to benefit from rising global demand. Our exposure outside of North America was approximately 40% at the end of the period.

The average credit quality of the portfolio is BB. This is typical for the Fund because our credit process tends to guide us away from the most speculative corporate securities. That said, we recognize that opportunities are available for lower credit securities to enhance performance.

We are cognizant of rising interest rates and inflation. Although the Fund invests primarily in equities, the weighted average duration of the bonds in our portfolio is only 2.3 years as of October 31, 2022. This relatively low duration average is expected to mitigate the volatility that our fixed income securities might incur in a rising rate environment.

Although leverage was not beneficial over the annual period, we believe in the prudent use of leverage as a means of enhancing total return and supporting the Fund’s distribution rate. As of October 31, 2022, our amount of leveraged assets was approximately 31%.

What are your closing thoughts for Fund shareholders?

Global markets continue to confront a set of complex crosscurrents. We are analyzing many aspects of economic activity alongside evolving policy actions, corporate earnings, and geopolitical factors. With persistent global inflation and tighter monetary policy, financial markets reflect uncertainty, and we expect global volatility will continue until these risks resolve. Within this complicated environment, we seek to identify ways to capitalize on volatility, including a range of opportunities at the thematic, regional, and market-cap levels. We believe that our active, risk-managed investment approach and long-term perspective positions us to take advantage of the volatility and opportunities in global markets.

We are mindful that markets will experience volatility, and we remain closely attuned to the risks. As markets navigate geopolitical risks, monetary policy, and inflation, we believe the Fund’s focus on providing lower-volatility global equity market participation over full market cycles will serve it well.

We believe that fiscal and monetary policy, especially rate hikes, are likely to remain important factors that affect the corporate refinancing of debt. Geopolitical factors may also spur market volatility as we continue into next year. With increased volatility, active management is imperative to both manage risk and optimize opportunities. Our exposure to convertible bonds, approximately 22% (percent of net assets) as of October 31, 2022, should allow us to participate in an upswing in equities in a risk-managed manner while not incurring the volatility of longer-duration bonds in a rising rate environment.

14   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

The Fund’s Investment Objective, Principal INVESTMENT Strategies and Principal Risks

Investment Objective

The Fund’s investment objective is to provide total return through a combination of capital appreciation and current income.

Principal Investment Strategies

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest primarily in a portfolio of common and preferred stocks, convertible securities and income producing securities such as investment grade and below investment grade (high yield/high risk) debt securities. The Fund, under normal circumstances, will invest at least 50% of its managed assets in equity securities (including securities that are convertible into equity securities). The Fund may invest up to 100% of its managed assets in securities of foreign issuers, including debt and equity securities of corporate issuers and debt securities of government issuers, in developed and emerging markets. Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 40% of its managed assets in securities of foreign issuers. The Fund will invest in the securities of issuers of several different countries throughout the world, in addition to the United States. “Managed assets” means the total assets of the Fund (including any assets attributable to any leverage that may be outstanding) minus the sub of accrued liabilities (other than debt representing financial leverage). For this purpose, the liquidation preference on the preferred shares will not constitute a liability.

Calamos will dynamically allocate the Fund’s investments among multiple asset classes (rather than maintaining a fixed or static allocation), seeking to obtain an appropriate balance of risk and reward on a long-term basis through all market cycles using multiple strategies and combining them to seek to achieve favorable risk adjusted returns.

The Fund will attempt to keep a consistent balance between risk and reward over the course of different market cycles, through various combinations of stocks, bonds, and/or convertible securities, to achieve what Calamos believes to be an appropriate blend for the then current market. As the market environment changes, portfolio securities may change in an attempt to achieve a relatively consistent risk level over time. At some points in a market cycle, one type of security may make up a substantial portion of the Fund’s portfolio, while at other times certain securities may have minimal or no representation, depending on market conditions.

The Fund may also seek to generate income from option premiums by writing (selling) options (with an aggregate notional value of up to 33% of the value of the Fund’s managed assets). The Fund will opportunistically employ a strategy of writing options. The extent of option writing activity will depend upon market conditions and Calamos’ ongoing assessment of the attractiveness of writing options on the Fund’s equity holdings. The Fund’s derivative activities are principally focused on the following derivatives: interest rate swaps, convertible securities, synthetic convertible instruments, options on individual securities, index options and forward currency exchange contracts (“forward contracts”). However, the Fund reserves the right to invest in other derivative instruments to the extent it is consistent with the Fund’s investment objective and restrictions. The Fund may write (sell) call options (i) on a portion of the equity securities (including equity securities obtainable by the Fund through the exercise of its rights with respect to convertible securities it owns) in the Fund’s portfolio and (ii) on broad-based securities indices (such as the Standard and Poor’s 500® Index (“S&P 500”) or the MSCI EAFE® Index (“MSCI EAFE”), which is an index of international equity stocks) or certain ETFs (exchange traded funds) that trade like common stocks but seek to replicate such market indices.

Under normal circumstances, the Fund will invest at least 50% of its managed assets in equity securities (including securities that are convertible into equity securities). The Fund may invest in preferred stocks and convertible securities of any rating, including below investment grade. Equity securities, such as common stock, generally represent an ownership interest in a company. Therefore, the Fund participates in the financial success or failure of any company in which it has an equity interest. The price of equity securities, particularly common stocks, are sensitive to general movements in the stock market. A drop in the stock market may depress the price of equity securities held by the Fund.

The Fund may invest in debt securities, including debt securities of US and foreign corporate issuers (also known as corporate bonds). Holders of corporate bonds, as creditors, have a prior legal claim over common and preferred stockholders as to both income and assets of the issuer for the principal and interest due them and may have a prior claim over other creditors if liens or mortgages are involved. Interest on corporate bonds may be fixed or floating, or the securities may be zero coupon fixed income securities which pay no interest. Corporate bonds contain elements of both interest rate risk and credit risk. The market value of a corporate bond generally may be expected to rise and fall inversely with changes in interest rates and may also be affected by the credit rating of the issuer, the issuer’s performance and perceptions of the issuer in the marketplace.

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   15

16   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

Principal Risks

Management Risk. Calamos’ judgment about the attractiveness, relative value or potential appreciation of a particular sector, security or investment strategy may prove to be incorrect.

Portfolio Selection Risk. The value of your investment may decrease if the investment adviser’s judgment about the attractiveness, value or market trends affecting a particular security, issuer, industry or sector or about market movements is incorrect.

Equity Securities Risk. Equity investments are subject to greater fluctuations in market value than other asset classes as a result of such factors as the issuer’s business performance, investor perceptions, stock market trends and general economic conditions. Equity securities are subordinated to bonds and other debt instruments in a company’s capital structure in terms of priority to corporate income and liquidation payments. The Fund may invest in preferred stocks and convertible securities of any rating, including below investment grade.

Below investment grade securities or comparable unrated securities are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to pay interest and principal and are susceptible to default or decline in market value due to adverse economic and business developments. The market values for below investment grade securities tend to be very volatile, and these securities are generally less liquid than investment- grade debt securities. For these reasons, your investment in the Fund is subject to the following specific risks:

•increased price sensitivity to changing interest rates and to a deteriorating economic environment;

•greater risk of loss due to default or declining credit quality;

•adverse company specific events are more likely to render the issuer unable to make interest and/or principal payments; and

•if a negative perception of the below investment grade market develops, the price and liquidity of below investment grade securities may be depressed. This negative perception could last for a significant period of time.

Emerging Markets Risk. Emerging market countries may have relatively unstable governments and economies based on only a few industries, which may cause greater instability. The value of emerging market securities will likely be particularly sensitive to changes in the economies of such countries. These countries are also more likely to experience higher levels of inflation, deflation or currency devaluations, which could adversely affect the value of the Fund’s investments and hurt those countries’ economies and securities markets.

Foreign Securities Risk. Investments in non-US issuers may involve unique risks compared to investing in securities of US issuers. These risks are more pronounced to the extent that the Fund invests a significant portion of its non-US investments in one region or in the securities of emerging market issuers. These risks may include:

•less information may be available about non-US issuers or markets due to less rigorous disclosure or accounting standards or regulatory practices in foreign jurisdictions;

•many non-US markets are smaller, less liquid and more volatile. In a changing market, Calamos may not be able to sell the Fund’s portfolio securities at times, in amounts and at prices it considers reasonable;

•an adverse effect of currency exchange rate changes or controls on the value of the Fund’s investments;

•the economies of non-US countries may grow at slower rates than expected or may experience a downturn or recession;

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   17

18   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

The Fund’s use of derivative instruments involves investment risks and transaction costs to which the Fund would not be subject absent the use of these instruments and, accordingly, may result in losses greater than if they had not been used. The use of derivative instruments may have risks including, among others, leverage risk, duration mismatch risk, correlation risk, liquidity risk, interest rate risk, volatility risk, credit risk, management risk and counterparty risk. Derivatives also involve the risk of mispricing or improper valuation and the risk that changes in the value of a derivative may not correlate perfectly with an underlying asset, interest rate or index. Suitable derivative transactions may not be available in all circumstances and there can be no assurance that the Fund will engage in these transactions to reduce exposure to other risks when that would be beneficial.

Furthermore, the skills needed to employ derivatives strategies are different from those needed to select portfolio securities and, in connection with such strategies, the Fund makes predictions with respect to market conditions, liquidity, currency movements, market values, interest rates and other applicable factors, which may be inaccurate. Thus, the use of derivative instruments may require the Fund to sell or purchase portfolio securities at inopportune times or for prices below or above the current market values, may limit the amount of appreciation the Fund can realize on an investment or may cause the Fund to hold a security that it might otherwise want to sell. Tax rules governing the Fund’s transactions in derivative instruments may also affect whether gains and losses recognized by the Fund are treated as ordinary or capital, accelerate the recognition of income or gains to the Fund, defer losses to the Fund, and cause adjustments in the holding periods of the Fund’s securities, thereby affecting, among other things, whether capital gains and losses are treated as short-term or long-term. These rules could therefore affect the amount, timing and/or character of distributions to shareholders. In addition, there may be situations in which the Fund elects not to use derivative instruments that result in losses greater than if they had been used.

Amounts paid by the Fund as premiums and cash or other assets held in margin accounts with respect to the Fund’s derivative instruments would not be available to the Fund for other investment purposes, which may result in lost opportunities for gain.

Derivative instruments can be illiquid, may disproportionately increase losses and may have a potentially large impact on Fund performance.

Risks Associated with Options. There are several risks associated with transactions in options. For example, there are significant differences between the securities markets and options markets that could result in an imperfect correlation among these markets, causing a given transaction not to achieve its objectives. A decision as to whether, when and how to use options involves the exercise of skill and judgment, and even a well-conceived transaction may be unsuccessful to some degree because of market behavior or unexpected events. The Fund’s ability to utilize options successfully will depend on Calamos’ ability to predict pertinent market movements, which cannot be assured.

The Fund may sell options on individual securities and securities indices. All call options sold by the Fund must be “covered.” Even though the Fund will receive the option premium to help protect it against loss, a call option sold by the Fund exposes the Fund during the term of the option to possible loss of opportunity to realize appreciation in the market price of the underlying security or instrument and may require the Fund to hold a security or instrument that it might otherwise have sold. In addition, a loss on a call option sold may be greater than the premium received. The Fund may purchase and sell put options on individual securities and securities indices. In selling put options, there is a risk that the Fund may be required to buy the underlying security at a disadvantageous price above the market price.

Currency Risk. To the extent that the Fund invests in securities or other instruments denominated in or indexed to foreign currencies, changes in currency exchange rates bring an added dimension of risk. Currency fluctuations could negatively impact investment gains or add to investment losses. Although the Fund may attempt to hedge against currency risk, the hedging instruments may not always perform as the Fund expects and could produce losses. Suitable hedging instruments may not be available for currencies of emerging market countries. The Fund’s investment adviser may determine not to hedge currency risks, even if suitable instruments appear to be available.

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   19

20   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

In response to recent political and military actions undertaken by Russia, the US and the EU have instituted sanctions against certain Russian individuals, including politicians, and Russian corporate and banking entities. These sanctions and any additional sanctions or other intergovernmental actions that may be undertaken against Russia in the future may result in the devaluation of Russian currency, a downgrade in the country’s credit rating, the ability to freely trade sanctioned companies, a decline in the value and liquidity of Russian securities, and/or other adverse consequences to the Russian economy. Such actions could result in a freeze of Russian securities, impairing the ability of a fund to buy, sell, receive, or deliver those securities. Retaliatory action by the Russian government could involve the seizure of US and/or European residents’ assets, and any such actions are likely to impair the value and liquidity of such assets.

Any or all of these potential results could have an adverse/recessionary effect on Russia’s economy and may have an impact on economies of other European countries and globally as well. All of these factors could have a negative effect on the performance of funds that have significant exposure to Russia or to European issuers or countries.

In addition, policy and legislative changes in the United States and in other countries are changing many aspects of financial regulation. The impact of these changes on the markets, and the practical implications for market participants, may not be fully known for some time. Widespread disease and virus epidemics, such as the coronavirus outbreak, could likewise be highly disruptive, adversely affecting individual companies, sectors, industries, markets, currencies, interest and inflation rates, credit ratings, investor sentiment, and other factors affecting the value of the Fund’s investments.

Market Disruption Risk. Certain events have a disruptive effect on the securities markets, such as terrorist attacks, war and other geopolitical events, earthquakes, storms and other disasters. The Fund cannot predict the effects of similar events in the future on the US economy or any foreign economy.

Market Discount Risk. The Fund’s common shares have traded both at a premium and at a discount relative to NAV. Common shares of closed-end investment companies frequently trade at a discount from NAV, but in some cases trade above NAV. The risk of the Fund’s common shares trading at a discount is a risk separate from the risk of a decline in the Fund’s NAV as a result of investment activities. The Fund’s NAV may be reduced immediately following this offering by the offering costs for common shares or other securities, which will be borne entirely by all common shareholders. The Fund’s common shares are designed primarily for long-term investors, and you should not purchase common shares if you intend to sell them shortly after purchase.

Whether shareholders will realize a gain or loss upon the sale of the Fund’s common shares depends upon whether the market value of the shares at the time of sale is above or below the price the shareholder paid, taking into account transaction costs for the shares, and is not directly dependent upon the Fund’s NAV. Because the market value of the Fund’s common shares will be determined by factors such as the relative demand for and supply of the shares in the market, general market conditions and other factors beyond the control of the Fund, the Fund cannot predict whether its common shares will trade at, below or above the Fund’s NAV, or below or above the public offering price for the common shares.

Leverage Risk. The Fund has issued indebtedness and preferred shares and may borrow money or issue debt securities as permitted by the 1940 Act. As of October 31, 2022, the Fund has leverage in the form of borrowings under the Amended and Restated Liquidity Agreement (the “SSB Agreement”) between the Fund and State Street Bank and Trust Company (“SSB”) and outstanding MRP Shares. Leverage is the potential for the Fund to participate in gains and losses on an amount that exceeds the Fund’s investment. The borrowing of money or issuance of debt securities and preferred shares represents the leveraging of the Fund’s common shares. As a non-fundamental policy, the Fund may not issue preferred shares or borrow money and/or issue debt securities with an aggregate

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   21

Leverage creates risks which may adversely affect the return for the holders of common shares, including:

•the likelihood of greater volatility in the net asset value and market price of the Fund’s common shares;

•fluctuations in the dividend rates on any preferred shares borne by the Fund or in interest rates on borrowings and short-term debt;

•increased operating costs, which are effectively borne by common shareholders, may reduce the Fund’s total return; and

•the potential for a decline in the value of an investment acquired with borrowed funds, while the Fund’s obligations under such borrowing or preferred shares remain fixed.

In addition, the rights of lenders and the holders of preferred shares and debt securities issued by the Fund will be senior to the rights of the holders of common shares with respect to the payment of dividends or to the payment of assets upon liquidation. Holders of preferred shares have voting rights in addition to and separate from the voting rights of common shareholders. The holders of preferred shares or debt, if any, on the one hand, and the holders of the common shares, on the other, may have interests that conflict in certain situations.

Leverage is a speculative technique that could adversely affect the returns to common shareholders. Leverage can cause the Fund to lose money and can magnify the effect of any losses. To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with funds received from leverage exceeds the cost of leverage, the Fund’s return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or capital appreciation from the securities purchased with such funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage or if the Fund incurs capital losses, the return of the Fund will be less than if leverage had not been used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to common shareholders as dividends and other distributions will be reduced or potentially eliminated.

The Fund will pay, and common shareholders will effectively bear, any costs and expenses relating to any borrowings and to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of preferred shares or debt securities. Such costs and expenses include the higher management fee resulting from the use of any such leverage, offering and/or issuance costs, and interest and/or dividend expense and ongoing maintenance. These conditions may, directly or indirectly, result in higher leverage costs to common shareholders.

Certain types of borrowings may result in the Fund being subject to covenants in credit agreements, including those relating to asset coverage, borrowing base and portfolio composition requirements and additional covenants that may affect the Fund’s ability to pay dividends and distributions on common shares in certain instances. The Fund may also be required to pledge its assets to the lenders in connection with certain types of borrowings. The Fund may be subject to certain restrictions on investments imposed by guidelines of and covenants with rating agencies which may issue ratings for the preferred shares or short-term debt instruments issued by the Fund. These guidelines and covenants may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act. The Board reserves the right to change the amount and type of leverage that the Fund uses, and reserves the right to implement changes to the Fund’s borrowings that it believes are in the long-term interests of the Fund and its shareholders, even if such changes impose a higher interest rate or other costs or impacts over the intermediate, or short-term time period. There is no guarantee that the Fund will maintain leverage at the current rate, and the Board reserves the right to raise, decrease, or eliminate the Fund’s leverage exposure.

Because Calamos’ investment management fee is a percentage of the Fund’s managed assets, Calamos’ fee will be higher if the Fund is leveraged and Calamos will have an incentive to be more aggressive and leverage the Fund. Consequently, the Fund and Calamos may have differing interests in determining whether to leverage the Fund’s assets. Any additional use of leverage by the Fund effected through new, additional or increased credit facilities or the issuance of preferred shares would require approval by the Board of Trustees of the Fund.

Effects of Leverage. The SSB Agreement provides for credit availability for the Fund, such that it may borrow up to $55 million. As of October 31, 2022, the Fund had utilized $26 million of the $55 million available under the SSB Agreement $3 million of borrowings outstanding, and $23 million in structural leverage consisting of collateral received from SSB in connection with securities on loan),

22   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

The Fund’s MRP Shareholders are entitled to receive monthly cash dividends, at a currently effective dividend rate per annum for each series of MRP Shares as follows (subject to adjustment as described in the Fund’s prospectus): 4.00% for Series B MRP Shares, 4.24% for Series C MRP Shares, 2.45% for Series D MRP Shares, and 2.68% for Series E MRP Shares.

To cover the interest expense on the borrowings under the SSB Agreement (including “net income” payments made with respect to borrowings offset by collateral for securities on loan) and the dividend payments associated with the MRP Shares, based on rates in effect on October 31, 2022, the Fund’s portfolio would need to experience an annual return of 1.08% (before giving effect to expenses associated with senior securities).

Leverage is a speculative technique that could adversely affect the returns to common shareholders. Leverage can cause the Fund to lose money and can magnify the effect of any losses. To the extent the income or capital appreciation derived from securities purchased with funds received from leverage exceeds the cost of leverage, the Fund’s return will be greater than if leverage had not been used. Conversely, if the income or capital appreciation from the securities purchased with such funds is not sufficient to cover the cost of leverage or if the Fund incurs capital losses, the return of the Fund will be less than if leverage had not been used, and therefore the amount available for distribution to common shareholders as dividends and other distributions will be reduced or potentially eliminated.

​The Fund will pay, and common shareholders will effectively bear, any costs and expenses relating to any borrowings and to the issuance and ongoing maintenance of preferred shares, including the MRP Shares, or debt securities. Such costs and expenses include the higher management fee resulting from the use of any such leverage, offering and/or issuance costs, and interest and/or dividend expense and ongoing maintenance.

Certain types of borrowings may result in the Fund being subject to covenants in credit agreements, including those relating to asset coverage, borrowing base and portfolio composition requirements and additional covenants that may affect the Fund’s ability to pay dividends and distributions on common shares in certain instances. The Fund may also be required to pledge its assets to the lenders in connection with certain types of borrowings. The Fund may be subject to certain restrictions on investments imposed by guidelines of and covenants with rating agencies for the preferred shares or short term debt instruments issued by the Fund. These guidelines and covenants may impose asset coverage or portfolio composition requirements that are more stringent than those imposed by the 1940 Act.

The following table illustrates the hypothetical effect on the return to a holder of the Fund’s common shares of the leverage obtained by us (and utilized on October 31, 2022). The purpose of this table is to assist you in understanding the effects of leverage. As the table shows, leverage generally increases the return to common shareholders when portfolio return is positive and greater than the cost of leverage and decreases the return when the portfolio return is negative or less than the cost of leverage. The figures appearing in the table are hypothetical and actual returns may be greater or less than those appearing in the table.

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   23

•if interest rates go up, the value of debt securities in the Fund’s portfolio generally will decline;

•during periods of declining interest rates, the issuer of a security may exercise its option to prepay principal earlier than scheduled, forcing the Fund to reinvest in lower yielding securities. This is known as call or prepayment risk. Debt securities frequently have call features that allow the issuer to repurchase the security prior to its stated maturity. An issuer may redeem an obligation if the issuer can refinance the debt at a lower cost due to declining interest rates or an improvement in the credit standing of the issuer;

•during periods of rising interest rates, the average life of certain types of securities may be extended because of slower than expected principal payments. This may lock in a below market interest rate, increase the estimated period until the security is paid in full and reduce the value of the security. This is known as extension risk;

•rising interest rates could result in an increase in the cost of the Fund’s leverage and could adversely affect the ability of the Fund to meet asset coverage requirements with respect to leverage;

•variable rate securities generally are less sensitive to interest rate changes but may decline in value if their interest rates do not rise as much, or as quickly, as interest rates in general. When the Fund holds variable rate securities, a decrease in market interest rates will adversely affect the income received from such securities and the net asset value (“NAV”) of the Fund’s shares; and

•to the extent the Federal Reserve Board continues to raise interest rates, there is a risk that interest rates across the financial system may also rise. Increases in volatility and interest rates in the fixed-income market may expose the Fund to heightened interest rate risk.

Many financial instruments use or may use a floating rate based on LIBOR, which is the offered rate for short-term Eurodollar deposits between major international banks. Global efforts are underway to transition away from LIBOR. There remains uncertainty regarding the nature of and the liquidity in any replacement rates. As such, the potential effect of a transition away from LIBOR on the Fund or the financial instruments in which the Fund invests can be difficult to ascertain, and they may vary depending on factors that include, but are not limited to: (i) existing fallback or termination provisions in individual contracts and (ii) whether, how, and when industry participants develop and adopt new reference rates and fallbacks for both legacy and new products and instruments.

High Yield Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in high yield securities of any rating. Investment in high yield securities involves substantial risk of loss. Below investment grade non-convertible debt securities or comparable unrated securities are commonly referred to as “junk bonds” and are considered predominantly speculative with respect to the issuer’s ability to pay interest and principal and are susceptible to default or decline in market value due to adverse economic and business developments. The market values for high yield securities tend to be very volatile, and these securities are less liquid than investment grade debt securities. For these reasons, your investment in the Fund is subject to the following specific risks:

•increased price sensitivity to changing interest rates and to a deteriorating economic environment;

•greater risk of loss due to default or declining credit quality;

•adverse company specific events are more likely to render the issuer unable to make interest and/or principal payments; and

•if a negative perception of the high yield market develops, the price and liquidity of high yield securities may be depressed. This negative perception could last for a significant period of time.

24   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

The secondary market for high yield securities may not be as liquid as the secondary market for more highly rated securities, a factor which may have an adverse effect on the Fund’s ability to dispose of a particular security. There are fewer dealers in the market for high yield securities than for investment grade obligations. The prices quoted by different dealers may vary significantly and the spread between the bid and asked price is generally much larger than for higher quality instruments. Under adverse market or economic conditions, the secondary market for high yield securities could contract further, independent of any specific adverse changes in the condition of a particular issuer, and these instruments may become illiquid. As a result, the Fund could find it more difficult to sell these securities or may be able to sell the securities only at prices lower than if such securities were widely traded. Prices realized upon the sale of such lower rated or unrated securities, under these circumstances, may be less than the prices used in calculating the Fund’s NAV.

Synthetic Convertible Instruments Risk. The value of a synthetic convertible instrument may respond differently to market fluctuations than a convertible instrument because a synthetic convertible instrument is composed of two or more separate securities, each with its own market value. In addition, if the value of the underlying common stock or the level of the index involved in the convertible component falls below the exercise price of the warrant or option, the warrant or option may lose all value.

Geographic Focus Risk. Investments in a particular country or geographic region may be particularly susceptible to political, diplomatic or economic conditions and regulatory requirements. To the extent the Fund focuses its investments in a particular country, region or group of regions, the Fund may be more volatile than a more geographically diversified fund.

Sector Risk. To the extent the Fund invests a significant portion of its assets in a particular sector, a greater portion of the Fund’s performance may be affected by the general business and economic conditions affecting that sector. Each sector may share economic risk with the broader market, however there may be economic risks specific to each sector. As a result, returns from those sectors may trail returns from the overall stock market and it is possible that the Fund may underperform the broader market, or experience greater volatility.

American Depositary Receipts Risk. The stocks of most foreign companies that trade in the US markets are traded as ADRs. US depositary banks issue these stocks. Each ADR represents one or more shares of foreign stock or a fraction of a share. The price of an ADR corresponds to the price of the foreign stock in its home market, adjusted to the ratio of the ADRs to foreign company shares. Therefore while purchasing a security on a US exchange, the risks inherently associated with foreign investing still apply to ADRs.

Duration Risk. Duration measures the time-weighted expected cash flows of a fixed-income security, which can determine its sensitivity to changes in the general level of interest rates. The value of securities with longer durations tend to be more sensitive to interest rate changes than securities with shorter durations. The longer the Fund’s dollar-weighted average duration, the more its value can generally be expected to be sensitive to interest rate changes than a fund with a shorter dollar-weighted average duration.

Inflation Risk. Inflation is the reduction in the purchasing power of money resulting from an increase in the price of goods and services. Inflation risk is the risk that the inflation adjusted or “real” value of an investment in preferred stock or debt securities or the income from that investment will be worth less in the future. As inflation occurs, the real value of the preferred stock or debt securities and the dividend payable to holders of preferred stock or interest payable to holders of debt securities declines.

Maturity Risk. Interest rate risk will generally affect the price of a fixed income security more if the security has a longer maturity. Fixed income securities with longer maturities will therefore be more volatile than other fixed income securities with shorter maturities. Conversely, fixed income securities with shorter maturities will be less volatile but generally provide lower potential returns than fixed income securities with longer maturities. The average maturity of the Fund’s investments may affect the volatility of the Fund’s share price.

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   25

26   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

Other Investment Companies (including ETFs) Risk. Investments in the securities of other investment companies, including ETFs, may involve duplication of advisory fees and certain other expenses. By investing in another investment company or ETF, the Fund becomes a shareholder thereof. As a result, Fund shareholders indirectly bear the Fund’s proportionate share of the fees and expenses indirectly paid by shareholders of the other investment company or ETF, in addition to the fees and expenses Fund shareholders bear in connection with the Fund’s own operations. If the investment company or ETF fails to achieve its investment objective, the value of the Fund’s investment will decline, adversely affecting the Fund’s performance. In addition, closed-end investment company and ETF shares potentially may trade at a discount or a premium and are subject to brokerage and other trading costs, which could result in greater expenses to the Fund. In addition, the Fund may engage in short sales of the securities of other investment companies. When the Fund shorts securities of another investment company, it borrows shares of that investment company which it then sells. The Fund closes out a short sale by purchasing the security that it has sold short and returning that security to the entity that lent the security.

Cash Holdings Risk. To the extent the Fund holds cash positions, the Fund risks achieving lower returns and potential lost opportunities to participate in market appreciation which could negatively impact the Fund’s performance and ability to achieve its investment objective.

Cybersecurity Risk. Investment companies, such as the Fund, and their service providers are exposed to operational and information security risks resulting from cyberattacks, which may result in financial losses to a fund and its shareholders. Cyber-attacks include, among other behaviors, stealing or corrupting data maintained online or digitally, denial of service attacks on websites, “ransomware” that renders systems inoperable until ransom is paid, the unauthorized release of confidential information, or various other forms of cybersecurity breaches. Cyber-attacks affecting the Fund or the Adviser, custodian, transfer agent, distributor, administrator, intermediaries, trading counterparties, and other third-party service providers may adversely impact the Fund or the companies in which the Fund invests, causing the Fund’s investments to lose value or to prevent a shareholder redemption or purchase from clearing in a timely manner.

Forward Currency Exchange Contracts Risk. Forward contracts are contractual agreements to purchase or sell a specified currency at a specified future date (or within a specified time period) at a price set at the time of the contract. The Fund may not fully benefit from, or may lose money on, forward currency exchange transactions if changes in currency exchange rates do not occur as anticipated or do not correspond accurately to changes in the value of the Fund’s holdings.

Futures and Forward Contracts Risk. Futures contracts provide for the future sale by one party and purchase by another of a specific asset at a specific time and price (with or without delivery required). Futures contracts are standardized contracts traded on a recognized exchange. An option on a futures contract gives the purchaser the right, in exchange for a premium, to assume a position in a futures contract at a specified exercise price during the term of the option. Futures and forward contracts are subject to counterparty risk, meaning that the party who issues the derivatives (the clearinghouse or the broker holding the Fund’s position for a futures contract or the counterparty for a forward contract) may experience a significant credit event and may be unwilling or unable to make timely settlement payments or otherwise honor its obligations.

Interest Rate Transactions Risk. The Fund may enter into an interest rate swap, cap or floor transaction to attempt to protect itself from increasing dividend or interest expenses on its leverage resulting from increasing short-term interest rates. A decline in interest rates may result in a decline in the value of the swap or cap, which may result in a decline in the NAV of the Fund.

Depending on the state of interest rates in general, the Fund’s use of interest rate swap or cap transactions could enhance or harm the overall performance of the common shares. To the extent there is a decline in interest rates, the value of the interest rate swap or cap could decline, and could result in a decline in the NAV of the common shares. In addition, if the counterparty to an interest rate swap or cap defaults, the Fund would not be able to use the anticipated net receipts under the swap or cap to offset the dividend or interest payments on the Fund’s leverage or offset certain losses in its portfolio.

Depending on whether the Fund would be entitled to receive net payments from the counterparty on the swap or cap, which in turn would depend on the general state of short-term interest rates at that point in time, such a default could negatively impact the performance of the common shares. In addition, at the time an interest rate swap or cap transaction reaches its scheduled termination date, there is a risk that the Fund would not be able to obtain a replacement transaction or that the terms of the replacement would not be as favorable as on the expiring transaction. If either of these events occurs, it could have a negative impact on the performance of the common shares.

CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT   27

Currently, certain categories of interest rate swaps are subject to mandatory clearing, and more are expected to be cleared in the future. The counterparty risk for cleared derivatives is generally lower than for uncleared OTC derivative transactions because generally a clearing organization becomes substituted for each counterparty to a cleared derivative contract and, in effect, guarantees the parties’ performance under the contract as each party to a trade looks only to the clearing house for performance of financial obligations. However, there can be no assurance that a clearing house, or its members, will satisfy the clearing house’s obligations to the Fund.

Market Impact Risk. The sale of the Fund’s common shares (or the perception that such sales may occur) may have an adverse effect on prices in the secondary market for the Fund’s common shares. An increase in the number of common shares available may put downward pressure on the market price for the Fund’s common shares. These sales also might make it more difficult for the Fund to sell additional equity securities in the future at a time and price the Fund deems appropriate.

Non-US Government Obligation Risk. An investment in debt obligations of non-US governments and their political subdivisions involves special risks that are not present in corporate debt obligations. The non-US issuer of the sovereign debt or the non-US governmental authorities that control the repayment of the debt may be unable or unwilling to repay principal or interest when due, and the Fund may have limited recourse in the event of a default. During periods of economic uncertainty, the market prices of sovereign debt may be more volatile than prices of debt obligations of US issuers.

US Government Security Risk. Some securities issued by US Government agencies or government sponsored enterprises are not backed by the full faith and credit of the US and may only be supported by the right of the agency or enterprise to borrow from the US Treasury. There can be no assurance that the US Government will always provide financial support to those agencies or enterprises.

Rule 144A Securities Risk. The Fund may invest in securities that are issued and sold through transactions under Rule 144A of the Securities Act of 1933. Under the supervision and oversight of the Board, Calamos will determine whether Rule 144A Securities are illiquid. If qualified institutional buyers are unwilling to purchase these Rule 144A Securities, the percentage of the Fund’s assets invested in illiquid securities would increase. Typically, the Fund purchases Rule 144A Securities only if the Fund’s adviser has determined them to be liquid. If any Rule 144A Security held by the Fund should become illiquid, the value of the security may be reduced and a sale of the security may be more difficult.

Tax Risk. The Fund may invest in certain securities, such as certain convertible securities and high yield securities, for which the federal income tax treatment may not be clear or may be subject to re-characterization by the Internal Revenue Service (“IRS”). It could be more difficult for the Fund to comply with certain federal income tax requirements applicable to regulated investment companies if the tax characterization of the Fund’s investments is not clear or if the tax treatment of the income from such investments was successfully challenged by the IRS. In addition, the tax treatment of the Fund may be affected by future interpretations of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended (the “Code”) and changes in the tax laws and regulations, all of which may apply with retroactive effect.

Contingent Liabilities Risk. Entering into derivative contracts in order to pursue the Fund’s various hedging strategies could require the Fund to fund cash payments in the future under certain circumstances, including an event of default or other early termination event, or the decision by a counterparty to request margin in the form of securities or other forms of collateral under the terms of the derivative contract or applicable laws. The amounts due with respect to a derivative contract would generally be equal to the unrealized loss of the open positions with the respective counterparty and could also include other fees and charges. These payments are contingent liabilities and therefore may not appear on the Fund’s balance sheet. The Fund’s ability to fund these contingent liabilities will depend on the liquidity of the Fund’s assets and access to capital at the time, and the need to fund these contingent liabilities could adversely impact the Fund’s financial condition.

28   CALAMOS GLOBAL TOTAL RETURN Fund Annual REPORT

Loan Risk. The Fund may invest in loans which may not be (i) rated at the time of investment, (ii) registered with the SEC or (iii) listed on a securities exchange. There may not be as much public information available regarding these loans as is available for other Fund investments, such as exchange-listed securities. As well, there may not be an active trading market for some loans, meaning they may be illiquid and more difficult to value than other more liquid securities. Settlement periods for loans are longer than for exchange-traded securities, typically ranging between 1 and 3 weeks, and in some cases much longer. There is no central clearinghouse for loan trades, and the loan market has not established enforceable settlement standards or remedies for failure to settle. Because the interest rates of floating-rate loans in which the Fund may invest may reset frequently, if market interest rates fall, the loans’ interest rates will be reset to lower levels, potentially reducing the Fund’s income. Because the adviser may wish to invest in the publicly-traded securities of an obligor, the Fund may not have access to material non-public information regarding the obligor to which other investors have access.

“Covenant-Lite” Loans Risk. Some of the loans in which the Fund may invest may be “covenant-lite” loans, which means the loans contain fewer or no maintenance covenants than other loans and do not include terms which allow the lender to monitor the performance of the borrower and declare a default if certain criteria are breached. The Fund may experience delays in enforcing its rights on its holdings of covenant-lite loans.

Diminished Voting Power and Excess Cash Risk. The voting power of current shareholders will be diluted to the extent that such shareholders do not purchase shares in any future common share offerings or do not purchase sufficient shares to maintain their percentage interest. In addition, if the Fund is unable to invest the proceeds of such offering as intended, our per share distribution may decrease (or may consist of return of capital) and the Fund may not participate in market advances to the same extent as if such proceeds were fully invested as planned.

​Senior Leverage Risk. Preferred shares will be junior in liquidation and with respect to distribution rights to debt securities and any other borrowings. Senior securities representing indebtedness may constitute a substantial lien and burden on preferred shares by reason of their prior claim against the Fund’s income and against the Fund’s net assets in liquidation. The Fund may not be permitted to declare dividends or other distributions with respect to any series of preferred shares unless at such time the Fund meets applicable asset coverage requirements and the payment of principal or interest is not in default with respect to any borrowings.

Ratings and Asset Coverage Risk. To the extent that senior securities are rated, a rating does not eliminate or necessarily mitigate the risks of investing in the Fund’s senior securities, and a rating may not fully or accurately reflect all of the credit and market risks associated with that senior security. A rating agency could downgrade the rating of the Fund’s shares of preferred stock or debt securities, which may make such securities less liquid in the secondary market, though potentially with higher resulting interest rates. If a rating agency downgrades the rating assigned to a senior security, the Fund may alter its portfolio or redeem the senior security. The Fund may voluntarily redeem senior securities under certain circumstances.

Early Redemption Risk. The Fund may voluntarily redeem preferred shares or may be forced to redeem preferred shares to meet regulatory requirements and the asset coverage requirements of the preferred shares. Such redemptions may be at a time that is unfavorable to holders of the preferred shares.

Secondary Market Risk. The market value of exchange-listed preferred shares that the Fund may issue will be determined by factors such as the relative demand for and supply of the preferred shares in the market, general market conditions and other factors beyond the control of the Fund. It may be difficult to predict the trading patterns of preferred shares, including the effective costs of trading. There is a risk that the market for preferred shares may be thinly traded and relatively illiquid compared to the market for other types of securities.