4 Large-Cap Blend Mutual Funds For Best Returns

Investors looking for exposure to both value and growth stocks, while seeking returns at a lower level of risk, may consider large-cap blend mutual funds. Large-cap funds offer more stability than mid or small caps and are thus safer. Generally, companies with market capitalization of more than $10 billion are considered large cap. However, due to their significant international exposure, large-cap companies run the risk of being hit by global woes.

Blend funds – also called “hybrid funds” – owe their origin to the graphical representation of their equity style box. In addition to diversification, blend funds offer a great mix of growth and value investment.

Below we share with you four top-ranked large-cap blend mutual funds. Each has earned a Zacks Mutual Fund Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and is expected to outperform its peers in the future. Investors can click here to see the complete list of large-cap blend funds, their Zacks Rank and past performance.

American Century Equity Growth Fund Investor BEQGX seeks growth of capital for the long run. BEQGX invests the lion’s share of its assets in equity securities. The portfolio manager applies quantitative management techniques in a two-step process to select stocks. The portfolio manager ranks stocks of U.S. companies which have market capitalization of more than $2 billion and then uses a quantitative model to build a portfolio of stocks from that ranking. American Century Equity Growth Fund Investor has returned 16.5% over the last one-year period.

BEQGX has an expense ratio of 0.67% compared with the category average of 0.99 %.

Fidelity Advisor Diversified Stock Fund O FDESX heavily invests in both U.S. as well as non-U.S. issuers. FDESX invests in either "growth" or "value" stocks or in both. The fund seeks appreciation of capital. Fidelity Advisor Diversified Stock Fund O has returned 19.6% over the last one-year period.

As of April 2017, FDESX held 166 issues, with 3.52% of its assets invested in Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL).

Strategic Advisers Core Fund FCSAX allocates assets among affiliated equity funds and non-affiliated equity funds that participate in Fidelity's FundsNetwork, and non-affiliated ETFs and sub-advisers. FCSAX invests in underlying funds that establish long and short positions in equity securities and may use derivatives to obtain significant amounts of long or short exposure. The fund seeks growth of capital. Strategic Advisers Core Fundhas returned 18.2% over the last one-year period.

Benjamin Ram is the fund manager of FCSAX since 2011.

DFA US Large Company DFUSX seeks total investment return similar to that of the S&P 500 Index. DFUSX invests a minimum of 95% of its assets in securities of companies listed on the S&P 500 Index and tries to maintain a similar company weight. The fund may also invest in derivatives including futures contracts and options on futures contracts for the adjustment of market exposure. DFA US Large Company has returned 17.4% over the last one-year period.

DFUSX has an expense ratio of only 0.08% compared with the category average of 0.99%.

To view the Zacks Rank and past performance of all large-cap blend Mutual Funds, investors can click here to see the complete list of funds.

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