Best Mutual Funds 2026: See The Benchmark-Beating Funds In Every Category

The best mutual funds are an important option for meeting your retirement planning or other financial objectives. With about 7,500 funds available, choosing the ones that are right for you can be the tough part.

The 11th annual IBD Best Mutual Funds Awards — more than a decade of winning funds — can help you figure out which funds to buy or sell. We looked at all the mutual funds with at least a 10-year track record.

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Each award-winning fund had to outperform its benchmark for the past one, three, five and 10 years. This demonstrates its ability to outperform in both the short term and long haul across bull and bear markets.

Among funds at least 10 years old, that's a feat only 14% of eligible funds can claim.

This year, 536 funds qualified for recognition.

If you don't see funds you own, you might look for new and better options.

The table below shows the top five best mutual funds in each category based on 10-year return, except in small-cap index funds, where only one fund was an award winner. This year, no midcap funds or value funds qualified, but we look at how that trend is changing and what investors can do to be ahead of the curve on value funds.

For more details, read about how the managers of the best mutual funds beat their benchmarks.

Best U.S. Diversified Stock Mutual Funds

See all 36 of the Best U.S. Diversified Stock Mutual Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: S&P 500 | | 17.88% | 23.01% | 14.42% | 14.82% | | | | Fidelity Series Growth Company | FCGSX | 25.80 | 36.34 | 16.36 | 21.66 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.00% | | Fidelity Growth Company Fund | FDGRX | 24.34 | 35.93 | 15.33 | 20.67 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.69 | | Fidelity Series Blue Chip Growth | FSBDX | 20.30 | 38.29 | 15.29 | 20.40 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.00 | | Alger Focus Equity I | ALGRX | 39.97 | 45.23 | 18.62 | 20.17 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.95 | | Fidelity Blue Chip Growth | FBGRX | 19.91 | 37.62 | 14.50 | 19.53 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.61 |

Best Growth Funds

See all 23 of the Best Growth Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: S&P 500 | | 17.88% | 23.01% | 14.42% | 14.82% | | | | Fidelity Series Growth Company | FCGSX | 25.80 | 36.34 | 16.36 | 21.66 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.00% | | Fidelity Growth Company Fund | FDGRX | 24.34 | 35.93 | 15.33 | 20.67 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.69 | | Fidelity Series Blue Chip Growth | FSBDX | 20.30 | 38.29 | 15.29 | 20.40 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.00 | | Alger Focus Equity I | ALGRX | 39.97 | 45.23 | 18.62 | 20.17 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.95 | | Fidelity Blue Chip Growth | FBGRX | 19.91 | 37.62 | 14.50 | 19.53 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.61 |

Best Blend Funds

See the 13 Best Blend Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: S&P 500 | | 17.88% | 23.01% | 14.42% | 14.82% | | | | Permanent Portfolio Aggressive Growth I | PAGRX | 36.92 | 40.02 | 20.43 | 18.31 | US Fund Large Blend | 1.21% | | Federated Hermes MDT All Cap Core IS | QIACX | 20.24 | 24.86 | 17.04 | 16.25 | US Fund Large Blend | 0.74 | | Fidelity Series All-Sector Equity | FSAEX | 19.75 | 25.63 | 15.41 | 15.77 | US Fund Large Blend | 0.00 | | Fidelity Series Large Cap Stock | FGLGX | 28.44 | 26.86 | 19.08 | 15.71 | US Fund Large Blend | 0.00 | | Fidelity Mega Cap Stock | FGRTX | 26.86 | 26.44 | 18.36 | 15.63 | US Fund Large Blend | 0.58 |

Best Large-Cap Funds

See all 35 of the Best Large-Cap Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: S&P 500 | | 17.88% | 23.01% | 14.42% | 14.82% | | | | Fidelity Series Growth Company | FCGSX | 25.80 | 36.34 | 16.36 | 21.66 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.00% | | Fidelity Growth Company Fund | FDGRX | 24.34 | 35.93 | 15.33 | 20.67 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.69 | | Fidelity Series Blue Chip Growth | FSBDX | 20.30 | 38.29 | 15.29 | 20.40 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.00 | | Alger Focus Equity I | ALGRX | 39.97 | 45.23 | 18.62 | 20.17 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.95 | | Fidelity Blue Chip Growth | FBGRX | 19.91 | 37.62 | 14.50 | 19.53 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.61 |

Best Small-Cap Fund

See more on the Best Small-Cap Fund for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: S&P 500 | | 17.88% | 23.01% | 14.42% | 14.82% | | | | Needham Aggressive Growth Retail | NEAGX | 26.51 | 25.79 | 14.69 | 17.07 | US Fund Small Growth | 1.67% |

Best Sector Funds

See all 27 of the Best Sector Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: S&P 500 | | 17.88% | 23.01% | 14.42% | 14.82% | | | | Fidelity Select Semiconductors | FSELX | 42.90 | 54.01 | 30.40 | 30.28 | US Fund Technology | 0.62% | | Fidelity Advisor Semiconductors I | FELIX | 45.24 | 54.23 | 30.43 | 30.21 | US Fund Technology | 0.69 | | Rydex Electronics Inv | RYSIX | 42.04 | 37.16 | 19.30 | 24.13 | US Fund Technology | 1.38 | | OCM Gold Investor | OCMGX | 166.69 | 50.73 | 20.55 | 23.42 | US Fund Equity Precious Metals | 2.38 | | Aegis Value I | AVALX | 67.07 | 27.41 | 25.77 | 22.82 | US Fund Natural Resources | 1.45 |

Best International Stock Funds

See all 89 of the Best International Stock Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: MSCI EAFE NR USD | | 31.22% | 17.22% | 8.92% | 8.18% | | | | Kopernik Global All-Cap I | KGGIX | 64.79 | 23.06 | 14.65 | 15.98 | US Fund Foreign Small/Mid Value | 1.00% | | Vanguard Global Capital Cycles Investor | VGPMX | 65.92 | 24.53 | 19.90 | 15.06 | US Fund Global Large-Stock Value | 0.44 | | Timothy Plan Israel Common Values A | TPAIX | 56.27 | 23.24 | 13.27 | 13.66 | US Fund Miscellaneous Region | 1.71 | | Nomura Emerging Markets Instl | DEMIX | 87.02 | 32.80 | 10.35 | 13.52 | US Fund Diversified Emerging Mkts | 1.18 | | Artisan Global Equity Investor | ARTHX | 45.55 | 23.91 | 9.68 | 12.85 | US Fund Global Large-Stock Growth | 1.35 |

Best U.S. Taxable Bond Funds

See all 287 of the Best U.S. Taxable Bond Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: Bloomberg US Agg Bond TR USD | | 7.30% | 4.66% | -0.36% | 2.01% | | | | Virtus Convertible Inst | ANNPX | 22.37 | 14.82 | 5.33 | 12.37 | US Fund Convertibles | 0.71% | | Franklin Convertible Securities A | FISCX | 13.54 | 13.08 | 5.50 | 12.11 | US Fund Convertibles | 0.81 | | Lord Abbett Convertible I | LCFYX | 22.28 | 14.31 | 3.02 | 11.73 | US Fund Convertibles | 0.89 | | Fidelity Convertible Securities | FCVSX | 18.38 | 14.53 | 6.96 | 11.38 | US Fund Convertibles | 0.64 | | Columbia Convertible Securities A | PACIX | 19.58 | 13.58 | 4.12 | 11.20 | US Fund Convertibles | 1.07 |

Best Municipal Bond Funds

See all 27 of the Best Municipal Bond Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: Bloomberg Municipal TR USD | | 4.25% | 3.88% | 0.80% | 2.34% | | | | Colorado BondShares A Tax-Exempt | HICOX | 5.27 | 6.88 | 4.09 | 4.58 | US Fund Muni Single State Interm | 0.59% | | PIMCO Fixed Income Shares TE | FXIEX | 5.53 | 6.92 | 2.56 | 3.80 | US Fund High Yield Muni | 0.00 | | American High-Income Municipal Bond A | AMHIX | 4.31 | 6.14 | 2.15 | 3.53 | US Fund High Yield Muni | 0.66 | | AB High Income Municipal Advisor | ABTYX | 4.36 | 5.19 | 1.01 | 3.17 | US Fund High Yield Muni | 0.87 | | AB Municipal Bond Inflation Strategy Adv | AUNYX | 4.94 | 4.22 | 2.94 | 3.04 | US Fund Muni National Short | 0.50 |

Best International Bond Funds

See all 63 of the Best International Bond Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: Bloomberg Global Aggregate TR USD | | 8.17% | 3.98% | -2.15% | 1.26% | | | | Eaton Vance Emerging Markets Dbt Opps R6 | EELDX | 17.42 | 14.55 | 7.45 | 8.13 | US Fund Emerging Markets Bond | 0.73% | | American Beacon DevelopingWldIncFd-R5Cl | AGEIX | 19.19 | 16.05 | 8.22 | 7.89 | US Fund Emerging Markets Bond | 1.09 | | GMO Emerging Country Debt III | GMCDX | 22.34 | 17.72 | 6.15 | 7.12 | US Fund Emerging Markets Bond | 0.60 | | Franklin Emerging Market Debt Opps | FEMDX | 15.69 | 14.31 | 6.70 | 6.96 | US Fund Emerging Markets Bond | 1.00 | | Nuveen Emerging Markets Debt R6 | TEDNX | 13.83 | 11.64 | 3.38 | 6.05 | US Fund Emerging Markets Bond | 0.61 |

Best Index Funds

See the seven Best Index Funds for 2026.

| Fund | | --- | Symbol | 1-year total return | 3-year total return | 5-year total return | 10-year total return | Morningstar category | Annual report net expense ratio | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Benchmark: S&P 500 TR USD | | 17.88% | 23.01% | 14.42% | 14.82% | | | | Victory NASDAQ-100 Index | USNQX | 20.58 | 32.67 | 14.82 | 19.17 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.42% | | VALIC Company I NASDAQ-100 Index | VCNIX | 20.42 | 32.58 | 14.73 | 19.06 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.42 | | Shelton Nasdaq-100 Index Investor | NASDX | 20.78 | 32.75 | 14.95 | 18.99 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.52 | | Voya Russell Large Cap Growth Idx Port I | IRLNX | 18.12 | 32.40 | 16.24 | 18.65 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.43 | | Nuveen Large Cap Gr Idx R6 | TILIX | 18.50 | 31.09 | 15.26 | 18.06 | US Fund Large Growth | 0.05 |

Sources: IBD, Morningstar Direct

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