AHSAX vs. SHSAX
Compare and contrast key facts about Alger Health Sciences Fund (AHSAX) and BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSAX).
AHSAX is managed by Alger. It was launched on Apr 30, 2002. SHSAX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Dec 20, 1999.
Performance
AHSAX vs. SHSAX - Performance Comparison
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AHSAX vs. SHSAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AHSAX Alger Health Sciences Fund | -5.75% | 10.14% | 1.17% | -4.26% | -17.04% | 3.26% | 30.99% | 22.02% | 5.71% | 33.06% |
SHSAX BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio | -6.94% | 15.85% | 3.73% | 3.59% | -5.94% | 11.88% | 19.44% | 25.27% | 7.93% | 24.74% |
Returns By Period
In the year-to-date period, AHSAX achieves a -5.75% return, which is significantly higher than SHSAX's -6.94% return. Over the past 10 years, AHSAX has underperformed SHSAX with an annualized return of 8.21%, while SHSAX has yielded a comparatively higher 9.71% annualized return.
AHSAX
- 1D
- 0.28%
- 1M
- -8.71%
- YTD
- -5.75%
- 6M
- 7.29%
- 1Y
- 14.55%
- 3Y*
- 2.02%
- 5Y*
- -2.34%
- 10Y*
- 8.21%
SHSAX
- 1D
- 0.28%
- 1M
- -9.11%
- YTD
- -6.94%
- 6M
- 3.97%
- 1Y
- 4.06%
- 3Y*
- 5.89%
- 5Y*
- 4.02%
- 10Y*
- 9.71%
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AHSAX vs. SHSAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
AHSAX has a 1.05% expense ratio, which is lower than SHSAX's 1.09% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
AHSAX vs. SHSAX — Risk / Return Rank
AHSAX
SHSAX
AHSAX vs. SHSAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Alger Health Sciences Fund (AHSAX) and BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSAX). Risk-adjusted metrics are performance indicators that assess an investment's returns in relation to its risk, enabling a more accurate comparison of different investment options.
| AHSAX | SHSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 0.91 | 0.28 | +0.63 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.35 | 0.50 | +0.85 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.17 | 1.06 | +0.10 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.50 | 0.40 | +1.10 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 4.92 | 0.94 | +3.97 |
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month. | |||
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Sharpe Ratios by Period
| AHSAX | SHSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 0.91 | 0.28 | +0.63 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | -0.10 | 0.28 | -0.38 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.35 | 0.59 | -0.24 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.31 | 0.72 | -0.41 |
Correlation
The correlation between AHSAX and SHSAX is 0.89, which is considered to be high. That indicates a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Having highly-correlated positions in a portfolio may signal a lack of diversification, potentially leading to increased risk during market downturns.
Dividends
AHSAX vs. SHSAX - Dividend Comparison
AHSAX has not paid dividends to shareholders, while SHSAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 11.43%.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
AHSAX Alger Health Sciences Fund | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 27.18% | 11.68% | 6.98% | 7.82% | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
SHSAX BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio | 11.43% | 10.63% | 9.18% | 3.84% | 7.44% | 9.20% | 4.34% | 3.89% | 8.56% | 3.53% | 2.43% | 12.58% |
Drawdowns
AHSAX vs. SHSAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum AHSAX drawdown since its inception was -46.23%, which is greater than SHSAX's maximum drawdown of -35.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for AHSAX and SHSAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| AHSAX | SHSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -46.23% | -35.49% | -10.74% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -9.67% | -9.87% | +0.20% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -45.04% | -17.99% | -27.05% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -45.04% | -28.36% | -16.68% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -31.45% | -9.62% | -21.83% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -14.61% | -6.17% | -8.44% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 2.95% | 4.20% | -1.25% |
Volatility
AHSAX vs. SHSAX - Volatility Comparison
Alger Health Sciences Fund (AHSAX) has a higher volatility of 4.84% compared to BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSAX) at 4.60%. This indicates that AHSAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SHSAX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.
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Volatility by Period
| AHSAX | SHSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 4.84% | 4.60% | +0.24% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 11.50% | 9.72% | +1.78% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 16.42% | 16.30% | +0.12% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 24.29% | 14.18% | +10.11% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 23.37% | 16.53% | +6.84% |