ALBAX vs. AWSHX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

ALBAX (Alger Growth & Income Fund) and AWSHX (American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A) are both Large Cap Blend Equities funds. Over the past 10 years, ALBAX returned 15.46%/yr vs 12.84%/yr for AWSHX. Their correlation of 0.89 suggests significant overlap in exposure. ALBAX charges 0.98%/yr vs 0.58%/yr for AWSHX.

Performance

ALBAX vs. AWSHX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in Alger Growth & Income Fund (ALBAX) and American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

In the year-to-date period, ALBAX achieves a 13.85% return, which is significantly higher than AWSHX's 5.89% return. Over the past 10 years, ALBAX has outperformed AWSHX with an annualized return of 15.46%, while AWSHX has yielded a comparatively lower 12.84% annualized return.

ALBAX

• 1D: 0.62%
• 1M: 5.05%
• YTD: 13.85%
• 6M: 12.67%
• 1Y: 35.27%
• 3Y*: 22.73%
• 5Y*: 15.07%
• 10Y*: 15.46%

AWSHX

• 1D: 0.39%
• 1M: 2.81%
• YTD: 5.89%
• 6M: 6.02%
• 1Y: 17.56%
• 3Y*: 18.25%
• 5Y*: 11.92%
• 10Y*: 12.84%

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

ALBAX vs. AWSHX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
ALBAX Alger Growth & Income Fund	13.85%	19.89%	21.81%	22.60%	-14.12%	30.79%	15.22%	28.92%	-4.72%	20.18%
AWSHX American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A	5.89%	17.20%	19.02%	17.21%	-8.45%	28.44%	7.69%	24.86%	-6.16%	20.03%

Correlation

The correlation between ALBAX and AWSHX is 0.90, indicating a strong positive relationship between their price movements. Combining them offers limited diversification - they tend to fall together during downturns.

	Correlation
Correlation (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	0.90
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.93
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.94
Correlation (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.95
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 3, 1997	0.89

The correlation between ALBAX and AWSHX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.89 to 0.95 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

ALBAX vs. AWSHX — Risk / Return Rank

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

ALBAX

ALBAX Risk / Return Rank: 89
ALBAX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 90
ALBAX Sortino Ratio Rank: 87
ALBAX Omega Ratio Rank: 82
ALBAX Calmar Ratio Rank: 90
ALBAX Martin Ratio Rank: 94

AWSHX

AWSHX Risk / Return Rank: 38
AWSHX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 38
AWSHX Sortino Ratio Rank: 37
AWSHX Omega Ratio Rank: 37
AWSHX Calmar Ratio Rank: 34
AWSHX Martin Ratio Rank: 45

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.

ALBAX vs. AWSHX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for Alger Growth & Income Fund (ALBAX) and American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX). 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.

	ALBAX	AWSHX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	3.01	1.78	+1.23
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	4.12	2.53	+1.59
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.54	1.32	+0.22
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	4.60	2.19	+2.42
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	20.90	9.46	+11.44
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

ALBAX vs. AWSHX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current ALBAX Sharpe Ratio is 3.01, which is higher than the AWSHX Sharpe Ratio of 1.78. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of ALBAX and AWSHX, calculated using daily returns over the previous 12 months. A higher Sharpe Ratio indicates better risk-adjusted performance relative to the risk-free rate.

Sharpe Ratios by Period

	ALBAX	AWSHX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	3.01	1.78	+1.23
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.98	0.85	+0.13
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	0.90	0.79	+0.11
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.67	0.63	+0.04

Drawdowns

ALBAX vs. AWSHX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum ALBAX drawdown since its inception was -40.56%, smaller than the maximum AWSHX drawdown of -53.95%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for ALBAX and AWSHX.

Drawdown Indicators

	ALBAX	AWSHX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-40.56%	-53.95%	+13.39%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-7.86%	-8.37%	+0.51%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-17.65%	-14.66%	-2.99%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-22.06%	-18.64%	-3.42%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	-34.26%	-34.65%	+0.39%
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	0.00%	0.00%	0.00%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.34%	-6.41%	-0.93%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	1.73%	1.93%	-0.20%

Volatility

ALBAX vs. AWSHX - Volatility Comparison

Alger Growth & Income Fund (ALBAX) has a higher volatility of 3.06% compared to American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A (AWSHX) at 2.41%. This indicates that ALBAX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than AWSHX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	ALBAX	AWSHX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	3.06%	2.41%	+0.65%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	9.22%	7.89%	+1.33%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	12.05%	10.31%	+1.74%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	15.51%	14.10%	+1.41%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	17.25%	16.33%	+0.92%

ALBAX vs. AWSHX - Expense Ratio Comparison

ALBAX has a 0.98% expense ratio, which is higher than AWSHX's 0.58% expense ratio.

Dividends

ALBAX vs. AWSHX - Dividend Comparison

ALBAX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 0.80%, less than AWSHX's 9.55% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
ALBAX Alger Growth & Income Fund	0.80%	0.74%	1.08%	0.98%	1.24%	4.17%	2.55%	5.00%	6.75%	2.35%	1.56%	3.75%
AWSHX American Funds Washington Mutual Investors Fund Class A	9.55%	10.08%	10.06%	6.14%	6.31%	6.05%	3.06%	6.19%	4.36%	7.26%	6.37%	6.25%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both ALBAX and AWSHX in my portfolio?

ALBAX and AWSHX have a correlation of 0.90, meaning they provide meaningful diversification benefit when combined. Depending on your allocation goals, holding both could reduce overall portfolio risk.

Which is riskier, ALBAX or AWSHX?

ALBAX has higher volatility (3.06%) compared to AWSHX (2.41%). In terms of maximum drawdown, ALBAX dropped -40.56% vs AWSHX's -53.95%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

ALBAX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (3.01 vs 1.78), meaning it's delivered slightly more return per unit of risk over the trailing 12 months. However, this ranking shifts over time - use the Risk/Return Score above for a more comprehensive view that combines Sharpe, Sortino, and other measures used by quantitative funds.