MARKET COMEBACK: The Dow Jones industrial average this week climbed to a record level, surpassing the previous high reached nearly five and a half years ago.

TOP FUNDS RECORDS: Some stock mutual funds recovered to their October 2007 levels in just a couple years, thanks to strong performance during the financial crisis and its aftermath.

SOMETHING IN COMMON: One thing stands out among these top funds: Nearly all limited their losses in 2008. Twenty of the top 30 large-cap funds posted losses of less than 30 percent that year, compared with the market's 38 percent plunge.