Investor Summary
Fund Strategy
FUND PERFORMANCE AS OF 31st December 2025
| ANNUALIZED SINCE INCEPTION | QUARTERLY | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 7.7% | 3.6% | 6.9% |
| 2025 |
|---|
| 6.9% |
| ANNUALIZED SINCE INCEPTION | QUARTERLY | YTD |
|---|---|---|
| 7.7% | 3.6% | 6.9% |
| 2025 |
|---|
| 6.9% |
The Alger Small Cap Focus Fund outperformed the Russell 2000 Growth Index in Q4 2025, returning 3.62% as U.S. equities ended on firm footing supported by better-than-expected corporate earnings, Federal Reserve easing, and improving trade policy clarity. The fund maintains concentrated exposure to secular growth themes including AI infrastructure, cloud computing, and healthcare diagnostics. Top contributors included molecular diagnostics companies Exact Sciences, Guardant Health, and Natera, which benefited from strong operating results, favorable reimbursement dynamics, and Abbott's acquisition of Exact Sciences for $21 billion. Detractors included AI infrastructure provider Nebius amid broader sector volatility over financing sustainability, biotechnology company uniQure facing regulatory uncertainty, and pharmaceutical packaging supplier Stevanato due to shipment timing concerns. The manager continues positioning for digitization trends, AI productivity gains, and accelerating business spending driven by infrastructure demand and tax incentives, while acknowledging risks from labor market softening, consumer caution, and AI investment scrutiny.
The fund focuses on small cap companies demonstrating promising growth potential, particularly in healthcare diagnostics and AI-enabled technology infrastructure, benefiting from secular digitization trends and accelerating business spending driven by AI adoption.
The manager continues to observe secular themes creating attractive investment opportunities including corporations digitizing operations, cloud computing growth supporting innovation, and AI at an inflection point potentially enabling significant increases in productivity. U.S. business spending appears to be accelerating driven by AI infrastructure demand and tax incentives.
| Date | Letter | Tickers | Keywords | Pitches | Quick Takes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15 2026 | 2025 Q4 | ABT, EXAS, GH, NBIS, NTRA, QURE, STVN | AI, Biotechnology, Diagnostics, growth, healthcare, small cap, technology |
EXAS GH NTRA NBIS QURE STVN |
The market's biggest tailwind was continued investment tied to artificial intelligence, though increasingly accompanied by scrutiny around AI infrastructure bottlenecks, sources of financing, and whether… |
| Oct 14 2025 | 2025 Q3 | NBIS, PTLO, TLN, TPC, WING | Artificial Intelligence, Cloud, Construction, Data centers, infrastructure | TPC | The funds performance was supported by exposure to AI infrastructure through Nebius and Talen Energy, reflecting rising enterprise demand for GPU capacity and energy-intensive data… |
| Jul 17 2025 | 2025 Q2 | CWAN, FSS, NEOG, RBC, TECH, TPC | Construction, earnings, industrials, infrastructure, spending |
TPC RBC FSS NEOG TECH |
The letter emphasizes infrastructure spending and operational execution as key drivers for small-cap performance. Management highlights construction, industrial demand, and public spending tailwinds. The outlook… |
| Mar 31 2025 | 2025 Q1 | AGYS, FTAI, GWRE, NARI, WGS, XMTR | - | - | - |
| Dec 31 2024 | 2024 Q4 | ALAB, CDNA, MOD, NTRA, WING, XMTR | - | - | - |
| Sep 30 2024 | 2024 Q3 | ATEC, CDNA, MOD, PRO, WFRD | - | - | - |
| Aug 2 2024 | 2024 Q2 | AGYS, CABA, KRUS, NTRA, RGEN, WING | - | - | - |
| Apr 15 2024 | 2024 Q1 | APPF, CWAN, NARI, NTRA, WING, XMTR | - | - | - |
| Dec 31 2023 | 2023 Q4 | ATRC, CABA, CFLT, EXTR, NTRA, XMTR | - | - | - |
| Nov 10 2023 | 2023 Q3 | BLFE, CWAN, GWRE, IMVT, INSP, TMDX | - | - | - |
| Jun 30 2023 | 2023 Q2 | 1732020D, INSP, MRCY, NTRA, RGEN, SWAV | - | - | - |
| Mar 31 2023 | 2023 Q1 | CWAN, GTLB, GWRE, HSKA, NTRA, XMTR | - | - | - |
| Dec 31 2022 | 2022 Q4 | CHX, CYRX, INSP, MEDD, RXDX, XMTR | - | - | - |
| Sep 30 2022 | 2022 Q3 | HSKA, MRCY, NTRA, QDEL, RBC, SWAV | - | - | - |
| QUARTER | THEMES | TAGS |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 Q4 |
AIThe extended federal government shutdown added volatility during what was otherwise a risk-on environment, with a mid-quarter shift in market behavior for AI-related equities as the exuberant narrative evolved to one more balanced in assessing the technology's enormous potential against staggering capital spending plans and high expectations. The team initiated a position in Credo Technology as a more diversified way to gain exposure to strong trends in AI-connectivity. |
Connectivity Semiconductors Infrastructure Capital Spending |
CloudCloud computing remains a core portfolio theme with strong positioning in hyperscale providers and infrastructure companies. Microsoft Azure showed 39% growth while Google Cloud exceeded 30% growth, both supported by AI workload adoption. The fund sees continued multi-year demand for cloud infrastructure and services as enterprises accelerate digital transformation. |
Azure Infrastructure Hyperscale Enterprise Growth | |
OncologyGuardant Health, a provider of blood-based diagnostic tests for cancer, was a significant contributor with strong Q3 results. The core oncology business grew revenues 30% with acceleration driven by innovative product enhancements. The company continues to lead the charge in converting oncology testing from tissue to blood, representing a major shift in cancer diagnostics. |
Biotechnology Diagnostics Healthcare Innovation Growth | |
TechnologyHoldings span social media, online search, cloud computing and e-commerce including select Magnificent 7 positions. They also own semiconductor companies at reasonable valuations, including picks and shovels businesses like Applied Materials with strong competitive positions and long track records of value creation. |
Technology Semiconductors Cloud Social Media E-commerce | |
| 2025 Q3 |
Cloud Computing |
|
ConstructionCTR Holdings builds structural frames and handles finishing work in Singapore, primarily on public projects. The Singaporean government provides stable cash flows through reliable payment terms. The company had significant net cash position and substantial signed project backlog when purchased. |
Public Projects Singapore Cash Flow Backlog | |
InfrastructureFiera Capital enhanced capabilities in infrastructure as a segment where they have deep expertise and privileged access to opportunities. This represents a strategic focus area for capital allocation. |
Infrastructure Private Markets Capabilities | |
| 2025 Q2 |
InfrastructureDigital 9 Infrastructure holds telecom infrastructure assets including Arqiva stake. Despite poor 2025 performance, potential capital returns and asset sales could unlock value. Infrastructure assets provide defensive characteristics. |
Telecom Infrastructure Digital Infrastructure |
| Date | Pitch Type | Author | Ticker | Company | Industry | Sub Industry | Bull / Bear | Exchange | Keywords | Action |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 15, 2026 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | NTRA | Natera, Inc. | Health Care | Diagnostics & Research | Bull | NASDAQ | diagnostics, Genomics, growth, Oncology, Reimbursement | Login |
| Jan 15, 2026 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | NBIS | Nebius Group N.V. | Information Technology | IT Services & Cloud Infrastructure | Bull | NASDAQ | AI, cloud, datacenters, GPUs, infrastructure | Login |
| Jan 15, 2026 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | QURE | uniQure N.V. | Health Care | Biotechnology | Bear | NASDAQ | FDA, Genetherapy, Neurology, Regulatory, Volatility | Login |
| Jan 15, 2026 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | STVN | Stevanato Group SpA | Health Care | Health Care Supplies | Bear | New York Stock Exchange | Cyclicality, Glp1, Injectables, Packaging, pharma | Login |
| Oct 14, 2025 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | TPC | Tutor Perini Corporation | Industrials | Construction & Engineering | Bull | NYSE | backlog, construction, engineering, growth, infrastructure, Margins, Public-spending, turnaround | Login |
| Jul 17, 2025 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | TPC | Tutor Perini Corporation | Industrials | Construction & Engineering | Bull | NYSE | backlog, construction, Earningsgrowth, Execution, infrastructure, Margins, Projects | Login |
| Jul 17, 2025 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | RBC | RBC Bearings Incorporated | Consumer Discretionary | Industrial Machinery | Bull | NYSE | Aerospace, aftermarket, Bearings, Defense, engineering, Industrial, Oem | Login |
| Jul 17, 2025 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | FSS | Federal Signal Corporation | Industrials | Industrial Machinery | Bull | NYSE | aftermarket, backlog, Equipment, Industrial, infrastructure, Municipal, Safety | Login |
| Jul 17, 2025 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | NEOG | Neogen Corporation | Health Care | Diagnostics & Research | Bull | NASDAQ | agriculture, Animalsafety, diagnostics, Foodsafety, Genomics, Regulation, turnaround | Login |
| Jul 17, 2025 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | TECH | Bio-Techne Corporation | Health Care | Life Sciences Tools & Services | Bull | NASDAQ | biopharma, diagnostics, innovation, Lifescience, Reagents, research, Tools | Login |
| Jan 15, 2026 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | EXAS | Exact Sciences Corporation | Health Care | Diagnostics & Research | Bull | NASDAQ | diagnostics, M&A, Oncology, Screening, Takeout | Login |
| Jan 15, 2026 | Fund Letters | Amy Zhang | GH | Guardant Health, Inc. | Health Care | Diagnostics & Research | Bull | NASDAQ | diagnostics, growth, Liquidbiopsy, Oncology, Reimbursement | Login |
| TICKER | COMMENTARY |
|---|---|
| ABT | Exact Sciences, which was acquired for a significant premium by Abbot Laboratories in November |
| EXAS | The largest single contributor was Exact Sciences, which was acquired for a significant premium by Abbot Laboratories in November, resulting in an +86% return in the quarter for one of our higher-conviction positions. |
| GH | Guardant Health, a provider of blood-based diagnostic tests for cancer, performed particularly well, driven by strong Q3 results. Its core oncology business grew revenues 30% vs. 20% in the previous quarter, an acceleration driven by innovative product enhancements. Furthermore, its colon cancer screening tests continued to perform well, growing 50% sequentially from Q2. While shares were up significantly in 2025, we remain bullish on the business, as Guardant continues to lead the charge in converting oncology testing from tissue to blood. |
| NBIS | Nebius continues to be viewed more like an AI infrastructure 'off-take' platform than an emerging AI-first cloud platform. The Microsoft agreement signed in September 2025 is a five-year commitment worth ~$17.4B (with options taking total value to ~$19.4B) for internal workloads and is anchored by dedicated capacity delivered from Nebius' new Vineland, New Jersey data center. |
| NTRA | Not owning Natera, Inc. (NTRA) detracted from performance. The stock rose after its earnings announcement, signaling a strong revenue beat. |
| QURE | The FDA walking back on QURE approval after mixed data made me roundtrip the profits of that position. |
| STVN | Pulling back by -22% was Stevanato Group, which manufactures glass packaging for syringes, autoinjectors, and other pharmaceutical needs. Recent revenues and earnings each exceeded expectations, though management was conservative and merely reaffirmed its guidance for the balance of its fiscal year. There may have been some advanced purchasing from customers, though Stevanato's core business grew well, and we added to our position on the weakness. |
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