ALARX vs. SHSAX
Compare and contrast key facts about Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund (ALARX) and BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSAX).
ALARX is managed by Alger. It was launched on Nov 8, 1993. SHSAX is managed by BlackRock. It was launched on Dec 20, 1999.
Performance
ALARX vs. SHSAX - Performance Comparison
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ALARX vs. SHSAX - Yearly Performance Comparison
| 2026 (YTD) | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ALARX Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund | -10.15% | 31.75% | 49.44% | 42.82% | -36.88% | 18.38% | 41.50% | 33.13% | -0.82% | 31.11% |
SHSAX BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio | -4.62% | 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, ALARX achieves a -10.15% return, which is significantly lower than SHSAX's -4.62% return. Over the past 10 years, ALARX has outperformed SHSAX with an annualized return of 16.80%, while SHSAX has yielded a comparatively lower 9.98% annualized return.
ALARX
- 1D
- 4.97%
- 1M
- -4.89%
- YTD
- -10.15%
- 6M
- -11.34%
- 1Y
- 32.72%
- 3Y*
- 30.55%
- 5Y*
- 12.82%
- 10Y*
- 16.80%
SHSAX
- 1D
- 2.49%
- 1M
- -6.01%
- YTD
- -4.62%
- 6M
- 4.34%
- 1Y
- 8.48%
- 3Y*
- 6.77%
- 5Y*
- 4.48%
- 10Y*
- 9.98%
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ALARX vs. SHSAX - Expense Ratio Comparison
ALARX has a 1.12% expense ratio, which is higher than SHSAX's 1.09% expense ratio.
Return for Risk
ALARX vs. SHSAX — Risk / Return Rank
ALARX
SHSAX
ALARX vs. SHSAX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison
This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund (ALARX) 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.
| ALARX | SHSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe ratioReturn per unit of total volatility | 1.25 | 0.41 | +0.84 |
Sortino ratioReturn per unit of downside risk | 1.85 | 0.68 | +1.17 |
Omega ratioGain probability vs. loss probability | 1.25 | 1.08 | +0.16 |
Calmar ratioReturn relative to maximum drawdown | 1.82 | 0.72 | +1.10 |
Martin ratioReturn relative to average drawdown | 6.03 | 1.68 | +4.36 |
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
| ALARX | SHSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Sharpe Ratio (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 1.25 | 0.41 | +0.84 |
Sharpe Ratio (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period | 0.46 | 0.32 | +0.15 |
Sharpe Ratio (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period | 0.68 | 0.61 | +0.08 |
Sharpe Ratio (All Time)Calculated using the full available price history | 0.47 | 0.73 | -0.26 |
Correlation
The correlation between ALARX and SHSAX is 0.71, 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
ALARX vs. SHSAX - Dividend Comparison
ALARX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 7.77%, less than SHSAX's 11.15% yield.
| TTM | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
ALARX Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund | 7.77% | 6.99% | 13.06% | 8.09% | 3.90% | 19.40% | 16.62% | 10.34% | 12.39% | 6.75% | 0.00% | 7.71% |
SHSAX BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio | 11.15% | 10.63% | 9.18% | 3.84% | 7.44% | 9.20% | 4.34% | 3.89% | 8.56% | 3.53% | 2.43% | 12.58% |
Drawdowns
ALARX vs. SHSAX - Drawdown Comparison
The maximum ALARX drawdown since its inception was -68.32%, which is greater than SHSAX's maximum drawdown of -35.49%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ALARX and SHSAX.
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Drawdown Indicators
| ALARX | SHSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Max DrawdownLargest peak-to-trough decline | -68.32% | -35.49% | -32.83% |
Max Drawdown (1Y)Largest decline over 1 year | -18.65% | -9.87% | -8.78% |
Max Drawdown (5Y)Largest decline over 5 years | -46.86% | -17.99% | -28.87% |
Max Drawdown (10Y)Largest decline over 10 years | -46.86% | -28.36% | -18.50% |
Current DrawdownCurrent decline from peak | -14.61% | -7.37% | -7.24% |
Average DrawdownAverage peak-to-trough decline | -21.07% | -6.17% | -14.90% |
Ulcer IndexDepth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks | 5.61% | 4.23% | +1.38% |
Volatility
ALARX vs. SHSAX - Volatility Comparison
Alger Capital Appreciation Institutional Fund (ALARX) has a higher volatility of 9.23% compared to BlackRock Health Sciences Opportunities Portfolio (SHSAX) at 5.41%. This indicates that ALARX'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
| ALARX | SHSAX | Difference | |
|---|---|---|---|
Volatility (1M)Calculated over the trailing 1-month period | 9.23% | 5.41% | +3.82% |
Volatility (6M)Calculated over the trailing 6-month period | 17.21% | 10.01% | +7.20% |
Volatility (1Y)Calculated over the trailing 1-year period | 27.96% | 16.45% | +11.51% |
Volatility (5Y)Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized | 27.79% | 14.22% | +13.57% |
Volatility (10Y)Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized | 24.70% | 16.54% | +8.16% |