Kiplinger's Mutual Fund Guide for 2026

At long last, the market story of the year — at least the good news — didn't center on U.S. stocks. Instead, foreign markets topped the charts, lifted in part by a weakening dollar.

The MSCI All Country World Index ex USA — representing all markets except the U.S. — returned 32% in 2025, a whopping 14 percentage points ahead of the 18% gain in the S&P 500. European stocks led with a 35% return, but other developed regions and emerging markets were close behind. The MSCI Emerging Markets index gained 34%; Asian stocks climbed 30%.

Here at home, 2025 was tarnished mostly by uncertainty surrounding the impact of tariffs. That fueled a lot of market volatility, starting with an early spring downturn that brought the S&P 500 to near-bear-market territory, but the index recovered after that.

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Artificial intelligence chatter, particularly about massive spending on AI infrastructure, dominated business headlines, and communications services and tech stocks continued to lead S&P 500 sector returns. But market gains broadened, albeit only a bit. Financials, industrials, utilities and even the health care sector each posted better than 15% returns in 2025.

The good times expanded to shares in small companies, eventually. The Russell 2000 index of small-cap stocks finished 2025 with a 13% gain overall, but that doesn't tell the whole story. The benchmark started the year badly, falling 21% through early April—that's a bear market. But from its nadir, the index rallied 42%, outpacing large- and midsize-company stocks on the rebound.

How we compiled the Kiplinger mutual fund guide

Here, we show the top-performing stock mutual funds in 11 categories, using information from Morningstar, the financial data firm.

Only funds with a minimum investment of $10,000 or less are included. We removed funds that are only available to institutional investors or that are sold only to certain advisory clients of specific investment management firms. In those instances when two individual-investor share classes of a particular fund ranked among the winners, in most cases we chose to include the share class of the top-performing fund.

Many of the top-ranked funds, you'll notice, are A-share classes, which typically charge a front-end load. In truth, most (but not all) are available at major online brokers for no sales charge, load or transaction fee.

A few funds aren't available through a brokerage firm. Instead, you must buy shares the old-fashioned way, from the mutual fund directly. Some of the funds are closed to new investors, which we've noted.

It's important to note that these lists are not recommendations from Kiplinger. We report the top-performing stock funds in these categories as a service for readers who would like to see how certain broad categories of funds performed over the past one, three, five and 10 years. Use the tables as a starting point for your own research; again, they are not investment suggestions.

All data is through December 31. Funds marked with an asterisk are closed to new investors; those with a double asterisk are closed to all investors.

Large-cap stock mutual funds

The reign of growth continues.

Nothing says mid-2020s investing success like high-growth stocks. Three funds from growth shop Fred Alger Management make the one-year winners list, including Focus Equity (ALAFX), a winner in all four time periods. Capital Appreciation (ACAAX) and Spectra (SPECX) also place on the three-year honor roll.

Common threads: longtime co-managers Patrick Kelly and Ankur Crawford, with Alger CEO Dan Chung on two of the funds. Nvidia (NVDA) and Microsoft (MSFT) are the top two holdings for all three funds.

Fidelity Blue Chip Growth (FBGRX), a member of the Kiplinger 25, the list of our favorite no-load mutual funds, places twice; manager Sonu Kalra has nearly half the fund's assets in tech stocks.

Kip 25 fund Primecap Odyssey Growth (POGRX) bounced back from near the bottom of its category to notch fourth place among one-year winners. With nearly 44% of assets in health care and industrial stocks, the fund's top holding is drugmaker Eli Lilly (LLY).

Mid-cap stock mutual funds

Multiple ways to win.

Four of the funds here are three-peat winners, ranking in the top 10 for three of the four time periods. The eclectic list includes mid-cap blend fund Tarkio (TARKX), which has its biggest stake in industrials and scored well in 2025 with GE Aerospace (GE) and spin-off GE Vernova (GEV).

Marsico Midcap Growth Focus (MXXIX) — note that the fund's record prior to 2022 belongs to another manager — and Hodges (HDPMX) skew toward "growthier" fare. The Marsico fund owns GE Vernova as well (the top holding at last count), but it also won big in 2025 with tech company Amphenol (APH) and Rolls-Royce Holdings (RYCEY).

Hodges profited from bets on Palantir Technologies (PLTR) and bitcoin miner TeraWulf (WULF).

FullerThaler Behavioral Unconstrained Equity (FTZAX) seeks to capitalize on behavioral biases that may cause the market to over- or underreact to information. Top holdings include Ross Stores (ROST) and Union Pacific (UNP). Each of the four funds runs a trim portfolio, with fewer than 40 stocks at last count.

Small-cap mutual funds

Smalls catch a big wave.

The smallest of small caps fared best in 2025. Several funds with hefty exposure to the stocks of micro-size companies outperformed, including Jacob Small Cap Growth (JSCGX), Driehaus Micro Cap Growth (DMCRX) — closed to new investors — and Needham Aggressive Growth (NEAGX). These are high-volatility funds, but the risk can pay off: Needham Aggressive Growth is the only fund to rank among the top 10 in all four time periods.

Oberweis Small-Cap Opportunities (OBSOX), a Kip 25 fund, earns a spot on the 10-year table. Manager Ken Farsalas leads the strategy, which focuses on taking advantage of stock-price in­efficiencies after a company appreciably beats analysts' earnings expectations. The fund is volatile, but no more so than the typical small growth fund.

Hood River Capital Management, a firm with an investment process that focuses on market inefficiencies, has two funds in 2025's top 10, but one, Hood River Small-Cap Growth (HRSRX), is closed to new investors.

Hybrid mutual funds

A multi-asset strategy.

Funds that hold stocks, bonds and cash fit in here. Think target-date funds, which shift the asset mix over time; or allocation funds, which hold a static blend of stocks and bonds; or convertible funds, which invest in hybrid securities such as bonds that can be exchanged for common shares.

That said, funds with unusual asset mixes can also slip into this category. Kinetics Global (WWWEX), for instance, holds roughly 65% of its assets in stocks and 35% in cash; a bitcoin exchange-traded fund is the top holding.

Funds with hefty foreign-stock stakes did well in 2025, including Thornburg Investment Income Builder (TIBAX) — 60% in non-U.S. stocks — and Templeton Global Dynamic Income (TAGBX), at 43%.

Value Line Capital Appreciation (VALIX) has proven it has staying power — it ranks well over three and 10 years. The balanced fund holds 68% in stocks and leans on the firm's "Timeliness Ranking System" to choose securities; the rest of the portfolio sits in bonds and cash.

Large-cap foreign stock mutual funds

A good year to explore abroad.

Some one-year winners, including Wasatch International Value (WAIVX) and Vaughan Nelson International (ADVJX), were helped by a hefty slug of European stocks, the best-performing broad region in 2025. Note that both funds feature new managers with less than two-year tenures.

Colin McQueen has run T. Rowe Price International Value (TRIGX) since 2019, and his three- and five-year records rank among the winners. The fund's expenses are below average, too.

Fidelity International Value (FIVLX) is a five-year winner; it has outpaced its peers in eight of the past 11 calendar years. WCM Focused International Growth (WCMRX) sports an above-average expense ratio, but it ranks well over three and 10 years, with a trim portfolio of 30 to 40 stocks in industry-leading foreign firms.

Finally, despite a draggy turn from 2021 through 2023, Vanguard International Growth's (VWIGX) 10-year record ranks among the top 1% of its peers.

Small- and mid-cap foreign stock mutual funds

Keeping up with bigger brethren.

Small-company stocks in foreign developed and emerging countries fared well in 2025. The MSCI ACWI Ex USA Small Index logged a 29% gain.

Causeway International Small Cap (CVISX) did better than that but didn't finish among the top 10. It wins instead over longer hauls with a focus on low valuations, superior growth, quality and momentum, among other factors.

Oakmark International Small Cap (OAKEX) stands out over five years, despite some middling calendar-year returns. Fidelity International Small Cap Opportunities (FSCOX), a 10-year winner, is run by Jed Weiss, a solid manager who also runs a foreign large-cap growth fund that is in the Kiplinger 25.

Brown Capital Management International Small Company (BCSVX), on the 10-year list, is another Kip 25 member. The fund's managers focus on "exceptional" small growth companies that deliver must-have products or services and sport increasing sales or profits.

Global stock mutual funds

Globetrotting pays off.

Global funds invest all over the world, including the U.S. Vanguard Global Capital Cycles (VGPMX) tops the one-, five- and 10-year tables. The fund invests in developed and emerging countries, favoring com­panies with business models that cannot be easily replicated.

It also holds at least 25% in precious metals and mining securities — basic materials stocks made up one-third of the portfolio, at last report. The fund tilts heavily overseas, too. More than 70% of assets are invested in non-U.S. stocks.

Causeway Global Value (CGVVX) is more evenly divided between U.S. and foreign stocks and across sectors. It wins a spot in the one-year table, but the fund boasts solid long-term returns, too.

Fidelity Worldwide (FWWFX) shines over five and 10 years, in part because of an above-average exposure (66%) to U.S. stocks. That hurt its relative performance in 2025, but the fund's 16% return still kept pace with the typical global stock fund.

Diversified emerging market stock mutual funds

This rally is for real.

Buoyed by a weakening dollar and strong economic growth, emerging markets stocks celebrated their best calendar year since 2017, rising 33%.

Pzena Emerging Markets Value (PZVEX), which makes the five- and 10-year lists, sifts among the cheapest stocks to find companies capable of a turnaround. China, South Korea and Brazil are its top country exposures.

Artisan Developing World (ARTYX), on the 10-year table, is more growth-focused, investing in large firms that generate positive free cash flow (money left after operating expenses and spending to maintain or upgrade property and equipment).

The outsize one-year return in Nomura Emerging Markets (DEMAX) gives us pause. It comes thanks to 15% stakes each in two Korean firms that rose four- and fivefold in 2025. It's likely the reason the fund ranks well over the past three and 10 years, too. The fund has been significantly more volatile than its peers over the past decade.

Regional and single-country mutual funds

Asia, no matter how you slice it.

Winners in this group include funds that focus on a specific country or region. But funds that invest in Asia — developed or emerging, across the region or in a single country — dominate the tables.

Japan-focused funds Matthews Japan (MJFOX) and Fidelity Pacific Basin (FPBFX) rank well in the three-year table, in part because the period encompasses the 2024 record high set by the Nikkei index after 34 years.

India funds, including Wasatch Emerging India (WAINX), stand out over five and 10 years. Regional funds can lessen the risk of investing in a single-country market, and they have done well, too.

Matthews Asia Innovators (MATFX) holds stocks in China, Taiwan, India and South Korea.

Closer to home, the manager behind long-term winner Fidelity Canada (FICDX), who took the helm in 2018, can claim responsibility for its five-year record, but not its 10-year results. Royal Bank of Canada (RY) and Shopify (SHOP), based in Ottawa, are its top holdings.

Sector-specific mutual funds

The golden touch.

Gold was great in 2025 — the precious metal jumped more than 60%, and the shares of the companies that mine it fared even better. The result? Every fund that ranked in the top 10 for one-year returns specialized in gold or precious metals.

And several of those funds now make the 10-year top 10: OCM Gold Atlas (OCMAX), Franklin Gold and Precious Metals (FKRCX), and Rydex Precious Metals (RYPMX).

The run-up in gold has reordered the dominance by tech and energy funds in years past. At the end of 2024, those funds topped sector returns for all four periods.

Although many of the funds have departed the top rankings this year, energy still dominates the five-year table, and tech funds make up more than half of the 10-year list.

Fidelity Select Semi­conductors (FSELX) is the best-performing sector fund for the three- and 10-year periods and ranks third on the five-year list. It first bought Nvidia (now nearly 24% of assets) in 2007.

Alternative mutual funds

Portfolio diversifiers packing a punch.

These strategies are a motley crew of approaches, but they all aim to hedge against a market downturn and offer portfolio diversification.

Some capitalize on stock-price swings that occur before, during or after a merger or spin-off; others use hedging techniques to limit losses. Fees are high: The average expense ratio for funds in this category is 2.01%.

Funds that shine over short and long stretches include AQR Equity Market Neutral (QMNNX), which buys stocks its managers believe will outperform — such as Novartis (NVS) and Walmart (WMT), recently — and sells short stocks that they think will underperform, Nike (NKE) and Starbucks (SBUX).

Gabelli Enterprise Mergers & Acquisitions (EMAAX) invests in stocks of global firms involved in takeovers, liquidations and other corporate moves. AQR Diversifying Strategies (QDSNX) tactically invests in a mix of six alternative AQR funds (including several that pepper the winners tables). It ranks in the top 10 over one, three and five years.

Note: This item first appeared in Kiplinger's Personal Finance Magazine, a monthly, trustworthy source of advice and guidance. Subscribe to help you make more money and keep more of the money you make here.

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