Large-cap blend mutual funds seek to offer value appreciation through capital gains with relatively less volatility by investing in both value and growth stocks. Blend funds, which are also known as “hybrid funds”, owe its origin to a graphical representation of a fund’s equity style box. In addition to diversification, blend funds are great picks for investors looking for a mix of growth and value investment.

Meanwhile, a significant exposure to large-cap stocks makes these blend funds safer options for risk-averse investors, when compared to small-cap and mid-cap funds. Companies with market capitalization above $10 billion are generally considered as large-cap firms. Also, these funds are believed to provide long-term performance history and assure more stability than what mid caps or small caps offer.

Below we share with you three top-rated 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. 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 large-cap blend funds .

VALIC Company I Large Cap Core (VLCCX - MF report) seeks capital appreciation over the long run with the prospect for current income. VLCCX invests the majority of its assets in common stocks of companies having large-size market capitalization. VLCCX invests in securities that are believed to be undervalued with a strong growth potential over the long term. VLCCX may invest a maximum of 20% of its assets in securities of foreign issuers. The VALIC Company I Large Cap Core fund has a three-year annualized return of 12.6%.

Guy W. Pope is the fund manager of VLCCX since 2011.

Hartford Disciplined Equity HLS IB (HBGIX - MF report) maintains a diversified portfolio by investing a major portion of its assets in common stocks of companies across a wide range of sectors. Though HBGIX invests in securities irrespective of market capitalization, HBGIX primarily emphasizes large-cap companies with market capitalization within the range of the S&P 500 Index. HBGIX may invest a maximum of 20% of its assets in securities of foreign firms. The Hartford Disciplined Equity HLS IB fund has a three-year annualized return of 14.7%.

As of February 2016, HBGIX held 73 issues with 2.82% of its assets invested in Microsoft Corp.

Fidelity Fund (FFIDX - MF report) seeks capital growth over the long run. FFIDX primarily focuses on acquiring common stocks of companies located throughout the globe. FFIDX may also invest a notable share of its assets in bonds, which also include lower-quality debt securities. FFIDX uses a “blend” strategy while investing in securities. FFIDX invests in either "growth" stocks or "value" stocks or both. Though FFIDX invests in stocks of companies irrespective of their market cap, it invests a major share of its assets in securities of large-cap companies. The Fidelity Fund has a three-year annualized return of 10.3%.

John D. Avery is the fund manager of FFIDX since 2002.