2017 RANKING & REVIEWS
BEST LARGE CAP MUTUAL FUNDS
Discovering Top Large Cap Mutual Funds for Investing in 2017
Whether you are an expert investor or a beginner, keeping an eye on the investment categories each year is an important step toward choosing where your money will go. If you are interested in learning about or investing in large cap mutual funds this year, keep reading.
This is your guide to six of the top large cap mutual funds in 2017. We will guide you through three of the best large cap growth funds, two of the best large cap value funds, and one of the best large cap mutual funds in the core category.
Award Emblem: Best Large Cap Mutual Funds
We will start off with a list of important terms and definitions (including a large cap fund definition) in order to fully understand this list of top large cap mutual funds.
Then, we will break down some of the important numbers for each of these best large cap mutual funds.
In no time, you will have a better understanding of some of the top large cap mutual funds that are available to you this year. You will also gain a clearer understanding of what large cap mutual funds actually are.
See Also: Top Military Credit Cards | Ranking | Best Credit Cards for Military (Active & Veterans)
AdvisoryHQ’s List of the Top 6 Best Large Cap Growth Funds & Large Cap Value Funds
List is sorted alphabetically (click any of the fund names below to go directly to the detailed review section for that fund):
- Delaware Pooled Trust Large Cap Value Equity Portfolio
- Fidelity® Contrafund® Fund
- Parnassus Endeavor Fund Investor Shares
- VALIC Company I Nasdaq-100 Index Fund
- Vanguard Equity-Income Fund
- Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund Investor Shares
Image Source: Pixabay
Top 6 Best Large Cap Mutual Funds | Brief Comparison & Ranking
Top Large | Growth, | Year-to-Date Return | Ticker Abbreviation |
| Delaware Pooled Trust Large Cap Value Equity Portfolio | Large cap | 8.47% | DPDEX |
| Fidelity® Contrafund® Fund | Large cap | 2.21% | FCNTX |
| Parnassus Endeavor Fund Investor Shares | Large cap | 11.18% | PARWX |
| VALIC Company I Nasdaq-100 Index Fund | Large cap | 5.17% | VCNIX |
| Vanguard Equity Income Fund | Large cap | 7.57% | VEIPX |
| Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund Investor Shares | Large cap | 4.70% | VPMCX |
Table: Top 6 Best Large Cap Growth Funds and Value Funds | Above list is sorted alphabetically
What Is a Large Cap Fund? A Large Cap Fund Definition
Before we go into showcasing the best large cap growth funds or value funds, it is important to understand what a large cap fund really is.
First off, the “cap” in best large cap mutual funds stands for capitalization. There are three sizes of market capitalization:
- Small Cap Fund: These funds are mostly made up of companies capitalizing less than one billion dollars. They are typically considered higher risk.
- Mid Cap Fund: These funds are mostly made up of companies capitalizing between one billion dollars and eight billion dollars. These are often the most popular choice.
- Large Cap Fund: These funds are often made up of companies capitalizing more than eight billion dollars. Choosing from the top large cap mutual funds often lead to a good long-term investment.
Other Important Definitions for Understanding the Top Large Cap Mutual Funds
Beyond the Large Cap Fund Definition, there are a few more terms that are important to be defined in order to fully understand the best large cap mutual funds.
Mutual Fund: Investopedia defines mutual fund well: “An investment vehicle made up of a pool of funds collected from many investors for the purpose of investing in securities such as stocks, bonds, money market instruments and similar assets.” Essential mutual funds are a collection of other funds. This provides safe diversification.
Large Cap Growth Funds vs. Large Cap Value Funds vs. Large Cap Core Funds:
All three of these large cap fund categories are types of mutual funds.
- Growth Funds: Above average rates of growth for both sales and earnings; high valuation. Pro: The best large cap growth funds should yield big. Con: Fund may be overvalued and therefore lose earnings while still costing high dollar.
- Value Funds: Under average rates of growth for both sales and earnings; lower valuation. Pro: The best large cap value funds may be undervalued and therefore can make a big earning for little money. Con: Fund may be correctly valued and not earn much.
- Core Funds: These funds, like blend funds, do not fit well into either growth or value fund categories. They are middle of the road. Pro: Typically, the best large cap mutual funds in core are cheaper than growth and safer than value. Con: May not earn as much as either.
Large Cap ETF vs. Large Cap Mutual Funds: A type of large cap fund that is similar but still different from a mutual fund is a large cap ETF (exchange traded fund). ETFs can be traded anytime during the day, and therefore fluctuate. Mutual funds are priced after the markets close.
Don’t Miss: Top SunTrust Credit Cards | Reviews | SunTrust Cash, Business, Travel, Rewards & Secured Cards
All-in-One Change Management Tools
Top Rated Toolkit for Change Managers.
Get Your Change Management Tool Today...
AdvisoryHQ’s Selection Methodology
What methodology does AdvisoryHQ use in selecting and finalizing the credit cards, financial products, firms, services, and products that are ranked on its various top-rated lists?
Please click here “AdvisoryHQ’s Ranking Methodologies” for a detailed review of AdvisoryHQ’s selection methodologies for ranking top-rated credit cards, financial accounts, firms, products, and services.
Detailed Review – Top Ranking Best Large Cap Mutual Funds
Below, please find a detailed review of each large cap fund on our list of best large cap value funds. We have highlighted some of the factors that allowed these large cap mutual funds to score so highly in our selection ranking.
Delaware Pooled Trust Large Cap Value Equity Portfolio Review
We will start our list of the best large cap mutual funds with our first of the large cap value funds: the Delaware Pooled Trust Large Cap Value Equity Portfolio.
As one of the best large cap value funds, it is important to take a look at the NAV (net asset value) of this fund over its lifetime.
- 1 year = 11.05%
- 3 years = 9.18%
- 5 years = 14.96%
- 10 years = 7.14%
- Lifetime = 9.97%
The average large cap value funds have an expense ration of 0.80%; however, this large cap fund has a lower expense ratio of only 0.65%. This drop makes it one of the best large cap funds for saving money on expense costs.
Its top four sectors include healthcare, energy, financials, and information technology.
Fidelity® Contrafund® Fund Review
Next up on our list is one of the best large cap growth funds: the Fidelity® Contrafund® Fund.
Image Source: Fidelity Investments
As one of the best large cap growth funds on our list, here are the average annual total returns:
- 1 year = 1.42%
- 3 years = 7.11%
- 5 years = 13.10%
- 10 years = 7.83%
- Lifetime = 12.21%
The average large cap growth funds have an expense ratio of 0.82%, but as one of the top large growth mutual funds, this Fidelity account’s expense ratio is only 0.71%. This is only a slight drop, but it will still add up to save you money.
Its top four sectors include information technology, consumer discretionary, financials, and health care.
Parnassus Endeavor Fund Investor Shares Review
Now, we have the only core large cap fund (blend of growth and value) on our list of the best large cap mutual funds: the Parnassus Endeavor Fund Investor Shares.
As one of the top large cap mutual funds, here are the average annual total returns over the lifetime of this fund:
- 1 year = 17.55%
- 3 years = 14.61%
- 5 years = 18.48%
- 10 years = 11.90%
- Lifetime = 11.95%
The average large cap mutual funds in the blend category have a 0.46% expense ratio; however, Parnassus does have a higher expense ratio: 0.98% gross and 0.95% net. Keep in mind the returns are significantly higher than most other of the top large cap mutual funds.
Its top four sectors include information technology, short-term investments, financials, and industrials.
Related: Top Barclaycard Credit Card Offers | Ranking | Reviews of Barclaycard Travel, Rewards, & Cashback Cards
VALIC Company I Nasdaq-100 Index Fund Review
Next up is another one of our best large cap growth funds: the VALIC Company I Nasdaq-100 Index Fund.
Image Source: Morningstar
As one of the top large growth mutual funds, here are the average total returns over the lifetime of this fund:
- 1 year = 8.58%
- 3 years = 13.33%
- 5 years = 18.06%
- 10 years = 11.10%
- 15 years = 8.02%
The average large cap growth funds have an expense ratio of 0.82%, but this fund is definitely one of the best large cap growth funds for expense ratios at 0.53%.
Its top four sectors include technology, consumer cyclical, health care, and consumer defensive.
Vanguard Equity-Income Fund Review
Up next on our list of the best large cap mutual funds is another one of the large cap value funds: the Vanguard Equity-Income Fund.
As one of the best large cap value funds, here is the list of the average annual returns over the lifetime of this fund:
- 1 year = 10.26%
- 3 years = 8.61%
- 5 years = 13.76%
- 10 years = 7.41%
- Lifetime = 10.09%
The average large cap value funds have an expense ration of 0.80%, but as one of the best large cap value funds, this Vanguard fund is only 0.26%. This savings can add up quickly compared to the average, making it one of the top large cap mutual funds.
Its top four sectors include financials, information technology, industrials, and health care.
Popularity Article: Top BB&T Credit Cards | Reviews | BBT Bank Credit Cards Review
Free Wealth & Finance Software - Get Yours Now ►
Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund Investor Shares Review
The last large cap fund happens to be one more of the best large cap growth funds: the Vanguard PRIMECAP Fund Investor Shares.
As one of the top large growth mutual funds, here is the list of the average total returns over the lifetime of this fund:
- 1 year = 12.50%
- 3 years = 11.81%
- 5 years = 17.57%
- 10 years = 9.17%
- 15 years = 9.19%
The average large cap growth funds have an expense ratio of 0.82%, yet this Vanguard fund is one of the best large cap growth funds at only 0.39%. This is a significant drop, making it one of the best large cap funds to save money on expenses.
Its top four sectors include technology, health care, industrials, and consumer cyclical.
Conclusion – 6 Top Large Cap Mutual Funds
You have now had a full explanation of all things large cap mutual funds: you know the large cap fund definition, the difference between large cap ETFs and mutual funds, and the difference between the best large cap growth funds, value funds, and core funds.
You also have a rundown of some of the best large cap mutual funds on the market in 2017. Now the best thing to do is to do your own research.
Learn more about each of these top large cap mutual funds to see which may be the perfect choice for your investment. Each website we linked you to will give you a detailed look at all the facts and figures for each of these best large cap funds.
Then you will be able to decide which of these best large cap mutual funds will be the right choice for you in 2017!
AdvisoryHQ (AHQ) Disclaimer:
Reasonable efforts have been made by AdvisoryHQ to present accurate information, however all info is presented without warranty. Review AdvisoryHQ’s Terms for details. Also review each firm’s site for the most updated data, rates and info.
Note: Firms and products, including the one(s) reviewed above, may be AdvisoryHQ's affiliates. Click to view AdvisoryHQ's advertiser disclosures.
