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Class Z Prospectus | Alger Health Sciences Fund
Alger Health Sciences Fund
Investment Objective

Alger Health Sciences Fund seeks long-term capital appreciation.

Fund Fees and Expenses

This table describes the fees and expenses that you may pay if you buy and hold shares of the Fund.

Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment)
Shareholder Fees
Class Z Prospectus
Alger Health Sciences Fund
Alger Health Sciences Fund Class Z
Shareholder Fees (fees paid directly from your investment) none
Annual Fund Operating Expenses (expenses that you pay each year as a percentage of the value of your investment)
Annual Fund Operating Expenses
Class Z Prospectus
Alger Health Sciences Fund
Alger Health Sciences Fund Class Z
Management Fees 0.81%
Distribution and/or Service (12b-1) Fees none
Other Expenses 0.55%
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses 1.36%
Expense Reimbursement 0.37% [1]
Total Annual Fund Operating Expenses After Expense Reimbursement 0.99%
[1] Fred Alger Management, Inc. has contractually agreed to reimburse Fund expenses (excluding interest, taxes, brokerage and extraordinary expenses) through February 28, 2017 to the extent necessary to limit the annual operating expenses of the Fund's Class Z Shares to .99% of the class's average net assets. The expense reimbursement cannot be terminated. Fred Alger Management, Inc. may recoup reimbursed expenses during the one-year term of the expense reimbursement contract if the expense ratio falls below the stated limitation at the time of the reimbursement.
Example

The following example is intended to help you compare the cost of investing in the Fund with the cost of investing in other mutual funds. The example assumes that you invest $10,000 in the Fund for the time periods indicated, that your investment has a 5% return each year and that the Fund's operating expenses remain the same.

Although your actual costs may be higher or lower, based on these assumptions you would pay the following expenses whether or not you redeemed your shares at the end of each period:
Expense Example
1 Year
3 Years
5 Years
10 Years
Class Z Prospectus | Alger Health Sciences Fund | Alger Health Sciences Fund Class Z | USD ($) 101 394 709 1,603
Portfolio Turnover

The Fund pays transaction costs, such as commissions, when it buys and sells securities (or "turns over" its portfolio). A higher portfolio turnover rate may indicate higher transaction costs and may result in higher taxes when Fund shares are held in a taxable account. These costs, which are not reflected in annual fund operating expenses or in the example, affect the Fund's performance. During the most recent fiscal year, the Fund's portfolio turnover rate was 133.92% of the average value of its portfolio.

Principal Investment Strategy

Fred Alger Management, Inc. believes companies undergoing Positive Dynamic Change offer the best investment opportunities. Positive Dynamic Change refers to companies realizing High Unit Volume Growth or companies undergoing Positive Lifecycle Change. High Unit Volume Growth companies are traditional growth companies experiencing, for example, significantly growing demand or market dominance. Positive Lifecycle Change companies are, for example, companies benefitting from regulatory change, a new product introduction or management change.


Under normal circumstances, the Fund invests at least 80% of its net assets, plus any borrowings for investment purposes, in equity securities of companies of any market capitalization that are engaged in the health sciences sector. A company will be considered to be engaged in the health sciences sector if it derives at least 50% of its earnings or revenues from, or devotes at least 50% of its assets to, activities in any area of the health sciences sector, including health care services, pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and supplies and applied research and development. Such companies include, but are not limited to:


  hospitals, clinical test laboratories, convalescent and mental health care facilities, home care providers, and companies that supply services to any of the foregoing;


  companies involved in pharmaceuticals, biotechnology, biochemistry and diagnostics; and


  producers and manufacturers of medical, dental and optical supplies and equipment.


The Fund can leverage, that is, borrow money to buy additional securities. By borrowing money, the Fund has the potential to increase its returns if the increase in the value of the securities purchased exceeds the cost of borrowing, including interest paid on the money borrowed.


The Fund can also invest in private equity investments, which are securities for which there is no readily available market.


The Fund can invest in foreign securities.

Principal Risks

Equity Securities Risk – As with any fund that invests in stocks, your investment will fluctuate in value, and the loss of your investment is a risk of investing. The Fund's price per share will fluctuate due to changes in the market prices of its investments. Also, the Fund's investments may not grow as fast as the rate of inflation and stocks tend to be more volatile than some other investments you could make, such as bonds.


Investment Style Risk – Prices of growth stocks tend to be higher in relation to their companies' earnings and may be more sensitive to market, political and economic developments than other stocks, making their prices more volatile. An investment in the Fund may be better suited to investors who seek long-term capital growth and can tolerate fluctuations in their investment's value.


The following risks may also apply:


  Smaller Cap Securities Risk – investing in companies of all capitalizations involves the risk that smaller issuers in which the Fund invests may have limited product lines or financial resources, or lack management depth. It may also be difficult or impossible to liquidate a security position at a time and price acceptable to the Fund because of the potentially less frequent trading of stocks of smaller market capitalization.


  Leverage Risk – the cost of borrowing money to leverage may exceed the returns for the securities purchased or the securities purchased may actually go down in value; thus, the Fund's net asset value could decrease more quickly than if it had not borrowed.


  Concentration Risk – since the Fund concentrates its investments in the health sciences sector, the value of the Fund's shares may be more volatile than mutual funds that do not similarly concentrate their investments. Furthermore, because many of the industries in the health sciences sector are subject to substantial government regulation, changes in applicable regulations could adversely affect companies in those industries. In addition, the comparative rapidity of product development and technological advancement in many areas of the sector may be reflected in greater volatility of the stocks of companies operating in those areas.


  Liquidity Risk – the sale or transfer of private equity investments may be limited or prohibited by contract or law. Private equity securities are generally fair valued as they are not traded frequently. The Fund may be required to hold such positions for several years, if not longer, regardless of valuation, which may cause the Fund to be less liquid.


  Foreign Securities Risk – the Fund's performance will be influenced by political, social and economic factors affecting investments in foreign companies. Special risks associated with investments in foreign companies include exposure to currency fluctuations, less liquidity, less developed or less efficient trading markets, lack of comprehensive company information, political instability and differing auditing and legal standards.


An investment in the Fund is not a deposit of a bank and is not insured or guaranteed by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation or any other government agency.

Performance

The following bar chart and the table beneath it provide some indication of the risks of investing in the Fund by showing changes in the Fund's performance from year to year and by showing how the Fund's average annual returns for the indicated periods compare with those of an appropriate benchmark of market performance. Class Z Shares were not offered prior to May 28, 2015. Performance shown is that of the Fund's Class A Shares. Performance in the bar chart does not reflect the effect of the sales charge imposed on purchases of Class A Shares of the Fund. If the bar chart reflected the applicable sales charges, returns would be less than those shown. Remember that the Fund's past performance (before and after taxes) is not necessarily an indication of how it will perform in the future. Updated performance information is available on the Fund's website www.alger.com.

Annual Total Return for Class A Shares as of December 31 (%)
Bar Chart
Best Quarter:
Q2 2009 12.90%
  Worst Quarter:
Q4 2008 -16.20%
 
Average Annual Total Return as of December 31, 2015
Average Annual Returns - Class Z Prospectus - Alger Health Sciences Fund
Average Annual Returns, 1 Year
Average Annual Returns, 5 Years
Average Annual Returns, 10 Years
Average Annual Returns, Since Inception
Average Annual Returns, Inception Date
Alger Health Sciences Fund Class A (3.01%) 14.60% 9.28% 11.44% May 01, 2002
After Taxes on Distributions | Alger Health Sciences Fund Class A (7.15%) 10.82% 7.11% 10.04%  
After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares | Alger Health Sciences Fund Class A 0.51% 11.01% 7.09% 9.62%  
S&P 500 Index (reflects no deduction for fees, expenses or taxes) 1.38% 12.57% 7.31% 6.88% May 01, 2002

In the foregoing table, after-tax returns are calculated using the historical highest individual federal marginal income tax rates and do not reflect the impact of state and local taxes. Actual after-tax returns depend on an investor's tax situation and may differ from those shown. The after-tax returns shown may not be relevant to investors who hold their Fund shares through tax-deferred arrangements, such as 401(k) plans or individual retirement accounts. A "Return After Taxes on Distributions and Sale of Fund Shares" may sometimes be higher than the other two return figures; this happens where there is a capital loss on redemptions, giving rise to a tax benefit to the shareholder.