Fred Alger Management, an investment management company, released its “Alger Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund” second-quarter 2026 investor letter.
A copy of the letter can be downloaded here
U.S. equities experienced a strong recovery in Q2 2026, with the S&P 500 Index gaining 15.2%, marking its best quarter since 2020. A ceasefire between the United States and Iran and accelerated investment in artificial intelligence (AI) regained market optimism in the quarter, leading the Information Technology and Industrials sectors upward, and Energy and Utilities lagged because of falling oil and gas prices. In June, the Federal Reserve maintained steady interest rates, but the meeting had a hawkish tone.
As AI transitions into its agentic phase, opportunities are identified within sectors adopting the technology. The Weatherbie Specialized Growth Fund’s Class A shares outperformed the Russell 2500 Growth Index in the quarter. The Industrials and Information Technology sectors contributed to the relative performance, whereas Financials and Consumer Discretionary sectors detracted.