THISX vs. SHSSX

Last updated Jun 4, 2026

THISX (T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund Class I) and SHSSX (Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional) are both Health & Biotech Equities funds. THISX is actively managed, while SHSSX is passively managed. Over the past 5 years, THISX returned 5.65%/yr vs 4.00%/yr for SHSSX. Their correlation of 0.93 suggests significant overlap in exposure. THISX charges 0.67%/yr vs 0.84%/yr for SHSSX.

Performance

THISX vs. SHSSX - Performance Comparison

The chart below illustrates the hypothetical performance of a $10,000 investment in T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund Class I (THISX) and Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional (SHSSX). The values are adjusted to include any dividend payments, if applicable.

Returns By Period

The year-to-date returns for both stocks are quite close, with THISX having a -5.14% return and SHSSX slightly lower at -5.37%.

THISX

• 1D: -2.18%
• 1M: -0.75%
• YTD: -5.14%
• 6M: -5.50%
• 1Y: 17.65%
• 3Y*: 10.17%
• 5Y*: 5.65%
• 10Y*: —

SHSSX

• 1D: -1.67%
• 1M: 0.03%
• YTD: -5.37%
• 6M: -5.86%
• 1Y: 13.01%
• 3Y*: 5.98%
• 5Y*: 4.00%
• 10Y*: 9.37%

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

THISX vs. SHSSX - Yearly Performance Comparison

	2026 (YTD)	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017
THISX T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund Class I	-5.14%	17.92%	16.75%	3.17%	-12.11%	13.62%	30.35%	38.29%	1.20%	26.96%
SHSSX Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional	-5.37%	16.13%	4.00%	3.86%	-5.72%	12.17%	19.54%	25.63%	8.24%	23.69%

Correlation

The correlation between THISX and SHSSX is 0.94, 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	0.94
Correlation (3Y) Calculated over the trailing 3-year period	0.91
Correlation (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.92
Correlation (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history since Jan 4, 2017	0.93

The correlation between THISX and SHSSX has been stable across timeframes, ranging from 0.91 to 0.94 - a consistent structural relationship.

Return for Risk

THISX vs. SHSSX — Risk / Return Rank

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

THISX

THISX Risk / Return Rank: 16
THISX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 17
THISX Sortino Ratio Rank: 18
THISX Omega Ratio Rank: 16
THISX Calmar Ratio Rank: 16
THISX Martin Ratio Rank: 14

SHSSX

SHSSX Risk / Return Rank: 13
SHSSX Sharpe Ratio Rank: 13
SHSSX Sortino Ratio Rank: 13
SHSSX Omega Ratio Rank: 12
SHSSX Calmar Ratio Rank: 15
SHSSX Martin Ratio Rank: 11

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.

THISX vs. SHSSX - Risk-Adjusted Trends Comparison

This table presents a comparison of risk-adjusted performance metrics for T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund Class I (THISX) and Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional (SHSSX). 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.

	THISX	SHSSX	Difference
Sharpe ratio: Return per unit of total volatility	1.18	0.96	+0.22
Sortino ratio: Return per unit of downside risk	1.78	1.49	+0.29
Omega ratio: Gain probability vs. loss probability	1.21	1.17	+0.04
Calmar ratio: Return relative to maximum drawdown	1.43	1.35	+0.08
Martin ratio: Return relative to average drawdown	4.13	3.38	+0.74
Data is calculated on a 1-year rolling basis and updated daily. The trend shows the change in the indicator over the past month.

THISX vs. SHSSX - Sharpe Ratio Comparison

The current THISX Sharpe Ratio is 1.18, which is comparable to the SHSSX Sharpe Ratio of 0.96. The chart below compares the historical Sharpe Ratios of THISX and SHSSX, 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

	THISX	SHSSX	Difference
Sharpe Ratio (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	1.18	0.96	+0.22
Sharpe Ratio (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period	0.31	0.28	+0.03
Sharpe Ratio (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period	—	0.57	—
Sharpe Ratio (All Time) Calculated using the full available price history	0.64	0.69	-0.04

Drawdowns

THISX vs. SHSSX - Drawdown Comparison

The maximum THISX drawdown since its inception was -28.97%, smaller than the maximum SHSSX drawdown of -35.40%. Use the drawdown chart below to compare losses from any high point for THISX and SHSSX.

Drawdown Indicators

	THISX	SHSSX	Difference
Max Drawdown Largest peak-to-trough decline	-28.97%	-35.40%	+6.43%
Max Drawdown (1Y) Largest decline over 1 year	-12.78%	-9.83%	-2.95%
Max Drawdown (3Y) Largest decline over 3 years	-15.80%	-15.95%	+0.15%
Max Drawdown (5Y) Largest decline over 5 years	-27.53%	-17.90%	-9.63%
Max Drawdown (10Y) Largest decline over 10 years	—	-28.34%	—
Current Drawdown Current decline from peak	-8.12%	-8.10%	-0.02%
Average Drawdown Average peak-to-trough decline	-7.18%	-5.98%	-1.20%
Ulcer Index Depth and duration of drawdowns from previous peaks	4.42%	3.91%	+0.51%

Volatility

THISX vs. SHSSX - Volatility Comparison

T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund Class I (THISX) has a higher volatility of 4.89% compared to Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional (SHSSX) at 4.16%. This indicates that THISX's price experiences larger fluctuations and is considered to be riskier than SHSSX based on this measure. The chart below showcases a comparison of their rolling one-month volatility.

Volatility by Period

	THISX	SHSSX	Difference
Volatility (1M) Calculated over the trailing 1-month period	4.89%	4.16%	+0.73%
Volatility (6M) Calculated over the trailing 6-month period	11.97%	10.40%	+1.57%
Volatility (1Y) Calculated over the trailing 1-year period	15.46%	13.76%	+1.70%
Volatility (5Y) Calculated over the trailing 5-year period, annualized	18.44%	14.37%	+4.07%
Volatility (10Y) Calculated over the trailing 10-year period, annualized	19.97%	16.54%	+3.43%

THISX vs. SHSSX - Expense Ratio Comparison

THISX has a 0.67% expense ratio, which is lower than SHSSX's 0.84% expense ratio.

Dividends

THISX vs. SHSSX - Dividend Comparison

THISX's dividend yield for the trailing twelve months is around 12.92%, more than SHSSX's 10.47% yield.

Position	TTM	2025	2024	2023	2022	2021	2020	2019	2018	2017	2016	2015
SHSSX Health Sciences Opportunities Fund Class Institutional	10.47%	9.90%	8.68%	3.82%	7.20%	8.96%	4.18%	3.87%	8.44%	3.59%	2.33%	12.29%
THISX T. Rowe Price Health Sciences Fund Class I	12.92%	12.25%	26.10%	5.20%	1.76%	7.62%	7.25%	12.58%	6.70%	7.55%	0.00%	0.00%

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I hold both THISX and SHSSX in my portfolio?

With a correlation of 0.94, THISX and SHSSX move almost identically. Holding both adds very little diversification - you're essentially doubling your position in the same market segment. Choosing one is usually more capital-efficient.

Which is riskier, THISX or SHSSX?

THISX has higher volatility (4.89%) compared to SHSSX (4.16%). In terms of maximum drawdown, THISX dropped -28.97% vs SHSSX's -35.40%.

Which has better risk-adjusted returns?

THISX currently has the higher Sharpe Ratio (1.18 vs 0.96), 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.