ALAFX vs. SWLGX

Last updated Apr 1, 2026

Compare and contrast key facts about Alger Focus Equity A Fund (ALAFX) and Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth Index Fund (SWLGX).

ALAFX is an actively managed fund by Alger. It was launched on Nov 8, 1993. SWLGX is a passively managed fund by Charles Schwab that tracks the performance of the Russell 1000 Growth Index. It was launched on Dec 20, 2017.

Performance

ALAFX vs. SWLGX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Alger Focus Equity A Fund (ALAFX) and Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth Index Fund (SWLGX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

ALAFX vs. SWLGX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ALAFX Alger Focus Equity A Fund	-13.66%	39.65%	51.72%	44.15%	-35.95%	20.00%	45.73%	33.84%	1.33%	-0.22%
SWLGX Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth Index Fund	-13.06%	18.55%	33.30%	42.67%	-29.17%	27.55%	38.43%	36.30%	-1.59%	-0.60%

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both investments are quite close, with ALAFX having a -13.66% return and SWLGX slightly higher at -13.06%.

ALAFX

• 1D: -1.70%
• 1M: -9.07%
• YTD: -13.66%
• 6M: -14.20%
• 1Y: 35.99%
• 3Y*: 31.99%
• 5Y*: 14.69%
• 10Y*: 18.24%

SWLGX

• 1D: -0.46%
• 1M: -8.63%
• YTD: -13.06%
• 6M: -12.07%
• 1Y: 14.45%
• 3Y*: 19.67%
• 5Y*: 11.90%
• 10Y*: —

*Multi-year figures are annualized to reflect compound growth (CAGR)

ALAFX vs. SWLGX - Expense Ratio Comparison

ALAFX has a 0.95% expense ratio, which is higher than SWLGX's 0.04% expense ratio.

ALAFX

Alger Focus Equity A Fund

SWLGX

Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth Index Fund

Return for Risk

ALAFX vs. SWLGX — Risk / Return Rank

Compare risk-adjusted metric ranks to identify better-performing investments over the past 12 months.

ALAFX

ALAFX Risk / Return Rank: 73
ALAFX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 74
ALAFX Sortino Ratio Rank: 77
ALAFX Omega Ratio Rank: 69
ALAFX Calmar Ratio Rank: 78
ALAFX Martin Ratio Rank: 67

SWLGX

SWLGX Risk / Return Rank: 28
SWLGX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 29
SWLGX Sortino Ratio Rank: 33
SWLGX Omega Ratio Rank: 31
SWLGX Calmar Ratio Rank: 25
SWLGX Martin Ratio Rank: 23

The rank (0–100) shows how this investment's returns compare to the risk taken. Higher = better. Based on the past 12 months of data, combining Sharpe, Sortino, and other metrics used by quantitative funds and institutional investors.

ALAFX vs. SWLGX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Alger Focus Equity A Fund (ALAFX) and Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth Index Fund (SWLGX). 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.

	ALAFX	SWLGX	Difference
Sharpe ratio Return per unit of total volatility	1.31	0.66	+0.65
Sortino ratio Return per unit of downside risk	1.89	1.10	+0.79
Omega ratio Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.25	1.15	+0.10
Calmar ratio Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.84	0.72	+1.12
Martin ratio Return relative to average drawdown	6.30	2.51	+3.79
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ALAFX vs. SWLGX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ALAFX Sharpe Ratio is 1.31, which is higher than the SWLGX Sharpe Ratio of 0.66. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ALAFX and SWLGX, offering insights into how both investments have performed under varying market conditions. These values are calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ALAFX	SWLGX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.31	0.66	+0.65
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.57	0.56	+0.01
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.77	—	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.79	0.68	+0.11

Correlation

The correlation between ALAFX and SWLGX is 0.96, 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

ALAFX vs. SWLGX - Dividend Comparison

ALAFX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 9.16%, more than SWLGX's 0.52% yield.

	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018
ALAFX Alger Focus Equity A Fund	9.16%	7.91%	0.00%	0.10%	0.06%	14.09%	6.28%	1.98%	5.41%
SWLGX Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth Index Fund	0.52%	0.46%	0.52%	0.67%	0.93%	1.76%	0.67%	0.96%	1.03%

Drawdowns

ALAFX vs. SWLGX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ALAFX drawdown since its inception was -43.65%, which is greater than SWLGX's maximum drawdown of -32.69%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ALAFX and SWLGX.

Drawdown Indicators

	ALAFX	SWLGX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-43.65%	-32.69%	-10.96%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-17.58%	-16.16%	-1.42%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-43.65%	-32.69%	-10.96%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-43.65%	—	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-17.58%	-16.16%	-1.42%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.75%	-7.13%	-0.62%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	5.14%	4.62%	+0.52%

Volatility

ALAFX vs. SWLGX - Volatility Comparison

Alger Focus Equity A Fund (ALAFX) has a higher volatility of 7.56% compared to Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth Index Fund (SWLGX) at 5.38%. This indicates that ALAFX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SWLGX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ALAFX	SWLGX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	7.56%	5.38%	+2.18%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	16.38%	11.82%	+4.56%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	27.14%	22.31%	+4.83%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	26.07%	21.47%	+4.60%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	23.85%	22.78%	+1.07%