Lipper Indexes
The Lipper Indexes are a set of mutual fund performance benchmarks that are widely used by investors and financial professionals. The indexes are created and maintained by Lipper Inc., a leading provider of investment research and data.
Last updated: 27-Sep-2026
What is Lipper Indexes?
They are based on the performance of mutual funds that are available to the general public. The funds are grouped into categories based on their investment objectives and strategies. For example, there are indexes for large-cap growth funds, small-cap value funds, international funds, and bond funds.
The Lipper Indexes are calculated on a monthly basis. The monthly returns are then used to create a rolling 12-month average return for each index. The 12-month average return is the most commonly used measure of performance for the Lipper Indexes.
They are a tool for investors who want to compare the performance of different mutual funds. The indexes can also be used to track the performance of the overall market or of specific sectors of the market.
There are a number of advantages to using the Lipper Indexes. First, the indexes are based on a large sample of funds, which makes them more representative of the overall market than other benchmarks. Second, the indexes are calculated on a consistent basis, which makes them easy to compare over time. Third, the Lipper Indexes are available for a wide variety of investment objectives and strategies.
There are also a few disadvantages to using the Lipper Indexes. First, the indexes can be expensive to access. Second, the indexes may not be appropriate for all investors. For example, the indexes do not include the performance of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Third, the indexes may not be as timely as other benchmarks.
In addition to the traditional Lipper Indexes, Lipper Inc. also offers a number of other indexes, including:
- The Lipper Leaderboard Indexes: These indexes track the performance of the top-performing funds in each category.
- The Lipper Sector Indexes: These indexes track the performance of funds that invest in specific sectors of the market, such as technology, healthcare, and consumer staples.
- The Lipper International Indexes: These indexes track the performance of funds that invest in international markets.
Lipper Inc. also offers a number of other services, including:
- Mutual fund research and analysis
- Fund screening tools
- Portfolio management tools