Investment Strategy - American Century Mutual Funds, Inc |
Mar. 01, 2026 |
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| BALANCED FUND | |
| Prospectus [Line Items] | |
| Strategy [Heading] | Principal Investment Strategies |
| Strategy Narrative [Text Block] | For the equity portion of the fund, the fund will generally invest in large capitalization companies it believes show business improvement using a proprietary multi-factor model that combines fundamental measures of a stock’s value and growth potential with sustainability (environmental, social, and governance) characteristics. To measure value, the portfolio managers may use ratios of stock price-to-earnings and stock price-to-cash flow. To measure growth, the managers may use the rate of growth of a company’s earnings and cash flow and changes in its earnings estimates. The model also considers price momentum. The team evaluates multiple sustainability characteristics utilizing internal data and research, as well as third party commercial data sources and scoring systems. To the extent such information is available and relevant for a particular company, portfolio managers will consider, among others, a company’s carbon emission profile, energy and water usage, or waste generation (environmental), a company’s employee turnover rates, digital privacy, or worker safety (social), and a company’s corporate leadership, including board chair independence and the independence of audit and compensation committees or shareholder rights such as say on pay (governance). If sustainability characteristics are unavailable or incomplete, a security may still be selected for the portfolio if the portfolio managers believe they can evaluate the security qualitatively, or if the financial metrics and/or remaining sustainability characteristics merit investment. Qualitative review of portfolio securities may include examination of registration statements and other information provided by the company as well as engagement with company management. Each security is evaluated on a sector-specific basis, and the fund seeks to hold securities with the strongest attributes in their respective sectors. Using this process, the portfolio managers attempt to build a portfolio of stocks that provides better returns without taking on significant additional risk, and maintains a stronger sustainability profile than the S&P 500® Index. For the fixed-income portion of the fund, the portfolio managers invest in a diversified portfolio of high- and medium-grade non-money market debt securities. These securities, which may be payable in U.S. or foreign currencies, may include corporate bonds and notes, government securities, bank loans, securities backed by mortgages or other assets and collateralized debt obligations (including collateralized loan obligations). Shorter-term debt securities round out the portfolio. The fund also may invest in derivative instruments such as options, futures contracts, options on futures contracts, and swap agreements (including, but not limited to, credit default swap agreements), or in mortgage- or asset-backed securities, provided that such investments are in keeping with the fund's investment objective. The fund may use foreign currency exchange contracts to shift investment exposure from one currency into another for hedging purposes.
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| GROWTH FUND | |
| Prospectus [Line Items] | |
| Strategy [Heading] | Principal Investment Strategies |
| Strategy Narrative [Text Block] | The portfolio managers look for stocks of companies they believe will increase in value over time. In implementing this strategy, the portfolio managers make their investment decisions based primarily on their analysis of individual companies, rather than on broad economic forecasts. Management of the fund is based on the belief that, over the long term, stock price movements follow growth in earnings, revenues and/or cash flow. The portfolio managers use a variety of analytical research tools and techniques to identify the stocks of larger-sized companies that meet their investment criteria. Under normal market conditions, the fund’s portfolio will primarily consist of securities of companies demonstrating business improvement. Analytical indicators helping to identify signs of business improvement could include accelerating earnings or revenue growth rates, increasing cash flows, or other indications of the relative strength of a company’s business. These techniques help the portfolio managers make decisions about buying or holding the stocks of companies they believe have favorable growth prospects and selling the stocks of companies whose characteristics no longer meet their criteria. Although the portfolio managers intend to invest the fund’s assets primarily in U.S. securities, the fund may invest in securities of foreign companies when these securities meet the portfolio managers’ standards of selection. The fund may write covered calls on a portion of the fund’s holdings in common stock when the portfolio managers believe call premiums are attractive relative to the price of the underlying security.
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| HERITAGE FUND | |
| Prospectus [Line Items] | |
| Strategy [Heading] | Principal Investment Strategies |
| Strategy Narrative [Text Block] | The portfolio managers look for stocks of medium-sized companies they believe will increase in value over time, using an investment strategy developed by the fund’s investment advisor. In implementing this strategy, the portfolio managers make their investment decisions based primarily on their analysis of individual companies, rather than on broad economic forecasts. Management of the fund is based on the belief that durable franchises in a growing industry can sustain above average earnings growth. Under normal market conditions, the fund’s portfolio will primarily consist of securities of companies with attractive returns on invested capital that are demonstrating business improvement. Analytical indicators helping to identify signs of business improvement could include accelerating earnings or revenue growth rates, increasing cash flows, or other indications of the relative strength of a company’s business. These techniques help the portfolio managers make decisions about buying or holding the stocks of companies they believe have favorable growth prospects and selling the stocks of companies whose characteristics no longer meet their criteria. The fund will usually purchase common stocks of companies that are medium-sized at the time of purchase, but it will purchase securities of smaller- and larger-sized companies as well. Also, although the portfolio managers intend to invest the fund’s assets primarily in U.S. securities, the fund may invest in securities of foreign companies when these securities meet the portfolio managers’ standards of selection. The fund may write covered calls on a portion of the fund’s holdings in common stock when the portfolio managers believe call premiums are attractive relative to the price of the underlying security. The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. This may cause higher transaction costs and may affect performance. It may also result in the realization and distribution of capital gains.
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| LARGE CAP EQUITY FUND | |
| Prospectus [Line Items] | |
| Strategy [Heading] | Principal Investment Strategies |
| Strategy Narrative [Text Block] | The fund will generally invest in large capitalization companies it believes show business improvement using a proprietary multi-factor model that combines fundamental measures of a stock’s value and growth potential with sustainability (environmental, social, and governance) characteristics. To measure value, the portfolio managers may use ratios of stock price-to-earnings and stock price-to-cash flow. To measure growth, the managers may use the rate of growth of a company’s earnings and cash flow and changes in its earnings estimates. The model also considers price momentum. The team evaluates multiple sustainability characteristics utilizing internal data and research, as well as third party commercial data sources and scoring systems. To the extent such information is available and relevant for a particular company, portfolio managers will consider, among others, a company’s carbon emission profile, energy and water usage, or waste generation (environmental), a company’s employee turnover rates, digital privacy, or worker safety (social), and a company’s corporate leadership, including board chair independence and the independence of audit and compensation committees or shareholder rights such as say on pay (governance). If sustainability characteristics are unavailable or incomplete, a security may still be selected for the portfolio if the portfolio managers believe they can evaluate the security qualitatively, or if the financial metrics and/or remaining sustainability characteristics merit investment. Qualitative review of portfolio securities may include examination of registration statements and other information provided by the company as well as engagement with company management. Each security is evaluated on a sector-specific basis, and the fund seeks to hold securities with the strongest attributes in their respective sectors. Using this process, the portfolio managers attempt to build a portfolio of stocks that provides better returns without taking on significant additional risk, and maintains a stronger sustainability profile than the S&P 500® Index. Under normal market conditions, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of large capitalization companies. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, and equity-equivalent securities, such as securities convertible into common stock. For purposes of the 80% test, the fund defines large capitalization companies as those that are in the capitalization range of the S&P 500® Index. Although the portfolio managers intend to invest the fund’s assets primarily in U.S. securities, the fund may invest in securities of foreign companies when these securities meet the portfolio managers’ standards of selection. When determining whether to sell a security, the portfolio managers consider among other things, a security’s price, whether a security’s risk parameters outweigh its return opportunities, and general market conditions.
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| Rule 35d-1 Eighty Percent Investment Policy [Text Block] | Under normal market conditions, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in equity securities of large capitalization companies. Equity securities include common stock, preferred stock, and equity-equivalent securities, such as securities convertible into common stock. For purposes of the 80% test, the fund defines large capitalization companies as those that are in the capitalization range of the S&P 500® Index. |
| SELECT FUND | |
| Prospectus [Line Items] | |
| Strategy [Heading] | Principal Investment Strategies |
| Strategy Narrative [Text Block] | The portfolio managers look for stocks of companies they believe will increase in value over time. The portfolio managers make their investment decisions based primarily on their analysis of individual companies, rather than on broad economic forecasts. Management of the fund is based on the belief that, over the long term, stock price movements follow growth in earnings, revenues and/or cash flow. The portfolio managers use a variety of analytical research tools and techniques to identify the stocks of larger-sized companies that meet their investment criteria. Under normal market conditions, the portfolio managers seek securities of companies whose earnings or revenues are not only growing, but growing at an accelerated pace. This includes companies whose growth rates, although still negative, are less negative than prior periods, and companies whose growth rates are expected to accelerate. Among other variables, the portfolio managers will consider a company’s valuation and profitability. Other analytical techniques include evaluating stock price momentum, as well as identifying additional signs of business improvement, such as increasing cash flows, or other indications of the relative strength of a company’s business. In addition to accelerating growth and other signs of business improvement, the fund also considers companies demonstrating price strength relative to their peers. This means that the portfolio managers favor companies whose securities are the strongest performers compared to the overall market. These techniques help the portfolio managers make decisions about buying or holding the stocks of companies they believe have favorable growth prospects and selling the stocks of companies whose characteristics no longer meet their criteria. Although the portfolio managers intend to invest the fund’s assets primarily in U.S. securities, the fund may invest in securities of foreign companies when these securities meet the portfolio managers’ standards of selection. The fund may write covered calls on a portion of the fund’s holdings in common stock when the portfolio managers believe call premiums are attractive relative to the price of the underlying security.
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| SMALL CAP GROWTH FUND | |
| Prospectus [Line Items] | |
| Strategy [Heading] | Principal Investment Strategies |
| Strategy Narrative [Text Block] | Under normal market conditions, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in small cap companies. The portfolio managers consider small cap companies to include those with a market capitalization that does not exceed that of the largest company in the Russell 2000 Growth Index. Though market capitalization will change from time to time, as of December 31, 2025, the market capitalization of the largest company in the Russell 2000 Growth Index was approximately $26.0 billion. The portfolio managers look for stocks of smaller-sized companies they believe will increase in value over time, using an investment strategy developed by the fund’s investment advisor. In implementing this strategy, the portfolio managers make their investment decisions based primarily on their analysis of individual companies, rather than on broad economic forecasts. Management of the fund is based on the belief that, over the long term, stock price movements follow growth in earnings and revenues. The portfolio managers’ principal analytical technique involves the identification of companies with earnings and revenues that are not only growing, but growing at an accelerating pace. This includes companies whose growth rates, although still negative, are less negative than prior periods, and companies whose growth rates are expected to accelerate. In addition to accelerating growth, the fund also may consider companies whose stocks demonstrate price strength relative to their peers. This means that the portfolio managers favor companies whose securities are the strongest performers compared to the overall market. These techniques help the portfolio managers buy or hold the stocks of companies they believe have favorable growth prospects and sell the stocks of companies whose characteristics no longer meet their criteria. Although the portfolio managers intend to invest the fund’s assets primarily in U.S. securities, the fund may invest in securities of foreign companies when these securities meet the portfolio managers’ standards of selection. The fund may engage in active and frequent trading of portfolio securities to achieve its principal investment strategies. This may cause higher transaction costs and may affect performance. It may also result in the realization and distribution of capital gains.
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| Rule 35d-1 Eighty Percent Investment Policy [Text Block] | Under normal market conditions, the fund will invest at least 80% of its net assets in small cap companies. |
| ULTRA FUND | |
| Prospectus [Line Items] | |
| Strategy [Heading] | Principal Investment Strategies |
| Strategy Narrative [Text Block] | The portfolio managers look for stocks of companies they believe will increase in value over time. The portfolio managers make their investment decisions based primarily on their analysis of individual companies, rather than on broad economic forecasts. Management of the fund is based on the belief that, over the long term, stock price movements follow growth in earnings, revenues and/or cash flow. The portfolio managers use a variety of analytical research tools and techniques to identify the stocks of larger-sized companies that meet their investment criteria. Under normal market conditions, the portfolio managers seek securities of companies whose earnings or revenues are not only growing, but growing at an accelerated pace. This includes companies whose growth rates, although still negative, are less negative than prior periods, and companies whose growth rates are expected to accelerate. Among other variables, the portfolio managers will consider the fund’s growth and momentum profile relative to the benchmark. Other analytical techniques help identify additional signs of business improvement, such as increasing cash flows, or other indications of the relative strength of a company’s business. In addition to accelerating growth and other signs of business improvement, the fund also considers companies demonstrating price strength relative to their peers. This means that the portfolio managers favor companies whose securities are the strongest performers compared to the overall market. These techniques help the portfolio managers make decisions about buying or holding the stocks of companies they believe have favorable growth prospects and selling the stocks of companies whose characteristics no longer meet their criteria. Although the portfolio managers intend to invest the fund’s assets primarily in U.S. securities, the fund may invest in securities of foreign companies when these securities meet the portfolio managers’ standards of selection. The fund may write covered calls on a portion of the fund’s holdings in common stock when the portfolio managers believe call premiums are attractive relative to the price of the underlying security.
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