BOSTON (TheStreet) -- Fidelity Investments is dominating the list of this year's biggest and best-performing mutual funds in the U.S.

Boston-based Fidelity, which has $1.3 trillion in mutual fund assets under management, nailed down the top two spots and five of the top 10, according to data from research firm Morningstar.

Mutual funds that invest in large companies with above-average earnings growth have shined this year, tripling the return of the benchmark

S&P 500 Index

. That may help to silence critics who say some of Fidelity's funds hew too closely to their stated benchmarks, also known pejoratively as closet indexing.

The

Fidelity Growth Company Fund

(FDGRX) - Get Report

led the way with a 16% gain. Given its $35 billion in assets and 301 holdings, manager Steven Wymer is putting in a brilliant performance.

In a league of his own is Fidelity manager William Danoff, who, by dint of running the

Fidelity Contrafund

(FCNTX) - Get Report

and

Fidelity Advisor New Insights Fund

(FNIAX) - Get Report

, is responsible for the oversight of $85 billion. Both funds have risen about 13%.

Danoff started his 21st year as manager of Contrafund. During his tenure, the fund has had a 12.8% annualized return, versus the 8.8% increase of the S&P 500, according to Morningstar.

James Lowell, editor of the independent Fidelity Investor Newsletter, said this year's difficult-to-define investing environment is just right for Fidelity's managers given their experience, stock-picking acumen and support team of analysts. "They've been head and shoulders above their peers," he said.

Another factor is that Fidelity gives its managers a great degree of independence and the latitude to wander from their funds' style box. If they see long-term growth opportunities in small- and mid-cap stocks, they can buy them and not have to worry about selling their ideas to a committee, as is common practice elsewhere.

The funds owe a debt of gratitude to iPad and iPhone maker

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, as its appears in the top two holdings of each. Its 52% gain so far this year provides a generous cushion for their returns.

This article's rankings are based on data provided by Morningstar and includes the 50 largest mutual funds that are the best performers in the large-capitalization growth, value or blend (growth and value) categories, with less than 30% of assets in small- or mid-cap stocks. Industry- and country-specific funds are excluded.

In inverse order, here are the 10 best-performing funds, their key holdings and strategy:

10.

VANGUARD GROWTH INDEX FUND

(VIGRX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 15%

ASSETS

: $18 billion

MANAGER

: Gerard O'Reilly, since 2005

TOP STOCKS

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 4.5%,

Microsoft

(MSFT) - Get Report

, 3.6%, and

IBM

(IBM) - Get Report

, 3.2%

BIG WINNER

:

Cummins

(CMI) - Get Report

, up 129% this year.

STRATEGY

: This passively managed growth index fund is benchmarked to the MSCI U.S. Prime Market Growth Index, a broadly diversified index of growth stocks predominantly made up of large U.S. companies. The top 10 stocks account for 26% of the fund.

Also among its largest holdings are

Cisco

(CSCO) - Get Report

, 2.4% of the fund, and

Wal-Mart

(WMT) - Get Report

, at 2.2%. Among the big winners are engine maker

Cummins

and

Akamai Technologies

(AKAM) - Get Report

, up 113%.

9.

FIDELITY DIVIDEND GROWTH FUND

(FDGFX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 12%

ASSETS

: $8.9 billion

MANAGER

: Lawrence Rakers, since September 2008

TOP STOCKS

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 2.5%,

Wells Fargo

(WFC) - Get Report

, 1.6%, and

JPMorgan Chase

(JPM) - Get Report

, 1.5%.

BIG WINNER

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, up 51%.

STRATEGY

: This fund holds a broadly diverse portfolio spread across 538 stocks, with only 14% of its assets invested in the top 10. That helps protect performance in the event of a broad downside move by the market. It lost 43% in 2008 and gained 51% in 2009.

Among its winners are

Union Pacific

(UNP) - Get Report

, up 49%,

CB Richard Ellis

(CBG)

, up 47%, and

National Oilwell Varco

(NOV) - Get Report

, up 43%.

8.

FIDELITY ADVISOR NEW INSIGHTS

(FNIAX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 13%

ASSETS

: $14 billion

MANAGER

: William Danoff, since July 2003

TOP STOCKS

: Cash, 7.3%,

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 6.8%, and

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

, 5.3%

BIG WINNER

:

Chipotle Mexican Grille

(CMG) - Get Report

, up 174%.

STRATEGY

: The fund has a wide and shallow portfolio, as it includes 514 stocks, and the top 10 holdings make up only 28% of assts.

Berkshire Hathaway

(BRK.A) - Get Report

is the fourth-largest position, at 3% of the fund.

The fund declined 38% in 2008, followed by a 29% gain in 2009. The fast-growing fast-food chain

Chipotle Mexican Grille

, with a market value of only $7.3 billion, may seem like an odd pick, but this is indicative of the freedom given to Fidelity managers.

7.

T. ROWE PRICE BLUE CHIP GROWTH

(TRBCX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 13%

ASSETS

: $11 billion

MANAGER

: Larry Puglia, since June 1993

TOP STOCKS

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 7.6%,

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

, 5.4%, and

Amazon

(AMZN) - Get Report

, 4.7%

BIG WINNER

:

Baidu

(BIDU) - Get Report

, up 163%.

STRATEGY

: The portfolio is made up of 133 stocks, with a third of assets in the top 10 stocks. Consumer services is the largest sector weighting. The top 25 stocks are a white-bread mix of blue-chip, steadily-growing companies that tend to be their industry's leader.

Even

Baidu

(BIDU) - Get Report

, the leading Internet search provider in China, is not out of the mold of the rest of the portfolio.

6.

VANGUARD MORGAN GROWTH INVESTORS

(VMRGX)

RETURN

: 13%

ASSETS

: $8.3 billion

MANAGER

: James Stetler, since 2003; Paul Marrkand, 2005; Kathleen McCarragher, 2007; Ford Draper Jr. and Stephen Knightley, 2008

TOP STOCKS

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 3.6%,

IBM

(IBM) - Get Report

, 3%, and

Cisco

(CSCO) - Get Report

, 2.7%

BIG WINNER

:

Altera

(ALTR) - Get Report

, up 66%.

STRATEGY

: Run under a team concept, each manager brings an area of expertise. The fund holds a whopping 321 stocks, with a mere 23% of its assets in the top 10 stocks, which means its assets are spread thinly over a diverse portfolio. Computer hardware is the largest sector weighting at 26%, followed by industrial materials, 13%.

The big winners are

Altera

(ALTR) - Get Report

, a manufacturer of programmable chips,

Caterpillar

(CAT) - Get Report

, the construction-machinery maker, and

Apple

, of course.

5.

T.ROWE PRICE GROWTH STOCK

(PRGFX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 13%

ASSETS

: $24 billion

MANAGER

: Robert Bartolo, since October 2007

TOP STOCKS

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 7.3%,

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

, 5.1%, and

Amazon

(AMZN) - Get Report

, 4%

BIG WINNER

:

Coach

(COH)

, up 55%.

STRATEGY

: The fund holds 105 stocks, and a third of its assets are in the top 10 holdings. Its turnover is 59%. The biggest sector weighting is telecommunications, at 16%, followed by consumer services, at 15.3%. Along with

Baidu

(BIDU) - Get Report

, the China Internet search engine, and

Apple

, its best stocks are an eclectic group and include:

American Tower

(AMT) - Get Report

, a provider of telecommunications relay towers, up 59%; hotelier

Marriott International

(MAR) - Get Report

, up 51%; luxury-goods retailer

Coach

, up 55%; and coffee-shop chain

Starbucks

(SBUX) - Get Report

, up 44%.

4.

FIDELITY CONTRAFUND

(FCNTX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 13%

ASSETS

: $71 billion

MANAGER

: William Danoff, since September 1990

TOP STOCKS

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 7%,

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

, 5.5%, and

Berkshire Hathaway

, 3.5%

BIG WINNER

:

Discovery Communications

(DISCA) - Get Report

, up 39%.

STRATEGY

: The portfolio is made up of 502 stocks and two bonds, and it has only 30% of its assets in the top 10 holdings, so it's as diverse a fund as you'll find. Turnover is 58%. Computer hardware is the largest sector weighting at 19.3%.

Danoff must love Mexican food as the restaurant chain

Chipotle Mexican Grille

(CMG) - Get Report

is the top performer in both of the funds he manages.

A top fund manager investing in another top investment manager makes for an interesting choice, as

Warren Buffett's

Berkshire Hathaway

, up 22%, is the third-largest holding, at 3.5%.

Danoff has all his investment bases covered, as about 3% of the fund is in gold stocks:

Newcrest Mining

(NCM)

,

Goldcorp

(G) - Get Report

and

Kinross Gold

(KGC) - Get Report

.

3.

CALAMOS GROWTH

(CVGRX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 14%

ASSETS

: $8.3 billion

MANAGER

: John Calamos Sr. and Nick Calamos, both since September 1990; John Calamos Jr. (1994); plus a roster of eight other managers added since then.

TOP STOCKS

:

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

, 4.8%,

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 4.5%, and

Amazon

(AMZN) - Get Report

, 4%

BIG WINNER

:

FS Networks

(FFIV) - Get Report

, up 160%.

STRATEGY

: This fund lists 11 managers who oversee a portfolio of 155 stocks, with 31% of assets in its top 10 stocks. Turnover is 52%. Although its performance has been volatile recently -- it lost 50% in 2008, then returned 53% in 2009 -- its long-term record is stellar. It has a 14.3% annualized return over the past 15 years, making it the top-performing large-growth fund in that period, according to Morningstar.

Three of the top four holdings are big gainers:

Apple

, up 51%,

Amazon

(AMZN) - Get Report

, up 31%, and

Priceline

(PCLN)

, up 89%.

FS Networks

(FFIV) - Get Report

, up 160%, makes products that manage computer networks and security.

2.

FIDELITY BLUE CHIP GROWTH

(FBGRX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 14%

ASSETS

: $13 billion

MANAGER

: Sonu Kalra, since July 2009

TOP STOCKS

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 7%,

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

, 4%, and

Amazon

(AMZN) - Get Report

, 2.6%

BIG WINNER

:

Las Vegas Sands

(LVS) - Get Report

, up 219%.

STRATEGY: This is more than a blue-chip fund, although it hews to its growth-category definition. It carries a huge 275-stock portfolio, with only 26% of its assets in the top 10 stocks. It has its share of blue-chippers, such as

Ford

(F) - Get Report

,

Macy's

(M) - Get Report

and

Coca-Cola

(KO) - Get Report

in its top 25 stocks.

But computer-hardware firms are a favorite, at a 19% sector weighting, and are led by

Qualcomm

(QCOM) - Get Report

, at 2.3%, and

Hewlett-Packard

(HPQ) - Get Report

, at 1.2%. It also mixes it up with new technology picks. One example: a $74 million stake in

Baidu

(BIDU-ADR)

, the No. 1 Internet search engine in China.

The Rat Pack favorite

Las Vegas Sands

(LVS) - Get Report

, a hotel and casino owner with plans for a big gambling complex in Macau, has also done well for this fund with its 219% return this year.

1.

FIDELITY GROWTH COMPANY FUND

(FDGRX) - Get Report

RETURN

: 16%

ASSETS

: $35 billion

MANAGER

: Steven Wymer, since January 1997

TOP STOCKS

:

Apple

(AAPL) - Get Report

, 5.5%,

Salesforce.com

(CRM) - Get Report

, 4%, and

Google

(GOOG) - Get Report

, 3%

BIG WINNER

:

Salesforce.com

, up 263%.

STRATEGY

: This massive fund, with 301 stocks, with only 25% of assets in the top 10 holdings, is as diverse as they come. Setting the tone for the year, the fund's two top holdings are both big winners:

Apple

, up 51%, and

Salesforce.com

. Computer hardware is the largest sector allocation, at 20%, followed by health care, at 17%.

Technology stocks are what helped put this fund in first place and some of the winners are

Red Hat Technologies

(RHT) - Get Report

, up 54%,

VeriFone Systems

(PAY)

, up 147%,

Riverbed Technologies

(RVBD)

, up 204%,

Baidu

(BIDU) - Get Report

, up 166%, and

NetApp

(NTAP) - Get Report

, up 56%.

The fund lost 40% in 2008 but gained back about as much the following year. Still, the mutual fund has suffered outflows of about $2.3 billion, or 7% of its assets, this year, according to Morningstar.

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