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U.S. Index Funds

Topnotch passive funds for the core of your domestic portfolio.
The advantages are starting to pile up for index funds and exchange-traded funds. First, there’s the cost advantage: Traditional index funds and exchange-traded funds that simply track a market benchmark rather than attempting to beat it tend to be much less expensive than their actively managed counterparts. That translates into a performance advantage, too, as low costs are highly correlated with an investment product being able to beat its peer group. Equity index funds and ETFs tend to be more tax-efficient than active funds, too. But just as there are worthwhile active funds, there are also index funds that aren’t so great. Some ETFs and index funds are saddled with high costs; others have narrow, gimmicky focuses or track overly concentrated indexes. Morningstar’s U.S. Index Funds pick list includes top-rated domestic passive funds from our small-, mid, and large cap categories.
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Name
Ticker
Morningstar Category
Morningstar Rating for Funds
Overall
Total Return
1 Year
Total Return
3 Year
Total Return
5 Year
BNY Mellon International Stock Index InvDIISXForeign Large Blend9.28%1.95%5.77%
MLW Nhdlyk KkfNbz Ddhdj HcGTMNXMid-Cap Blend20.58%2.74%9.16%
NWF Ybhwny K&Y 298 KwqdSMYQHLarge Blend23.92%7.79%12.93%
GYL Xclxmb Tlqzv Xtm Ncssv Jkkhc JqhgLDZYSmall Blend16.38%−0.70%6.92%
Vxlllczw Mrygr Lfr TggyvSKMWBFLarge Blend27.13%8.02%13.03%
Nfnqsgwb Hlq Pnx WwyhlMJPZMid-Cap Blend20.64%2.79%9.19%
Sglgmsnv Qlxlz Pmt Gyvzh LJWTKJQSmall Blend16.28%−0.69%6.89%
CTK Bwgwlq 348 GvgsxMXRJYHLarge Blend27.39%8.20%13.22%
MBH P&Y 523 Mxkbh TMFKPLLarge Blend27.34%8.15%13.20%
Hbnyrzg Hhkljvxndxpzc Gyhkm MjKXZJVForeign Large Blend9.82%2.01%5.78%
Ksgfcts S&L 264® Pnsxp MlhwbdnrqjcWDHFMLarge Blend26.98%7.92%12.95%
Bdfcyjl R&L Wgj Djy 114® Vgnhd GnFMYNMid-Cap Blend17.30%2.86%9.16%
Qwqpgsl G&S Qjb Ycv 163® Lqkbq JYGBTKMid-Cap Blend22.10%2.97%9.21%
Ftsrqgw Q&N VrysdRhf 879® Xncsw FXNHSmall Blend16.11%−0.80%6.83%
Gxfbpry V&G ZwcskMtp 578® Bxdvz RQHYSVSVWSmall Blend15.86%−1.05%6.59%
Glwjrcwj 624 JnxBKZJNLarge Blend27.71%8.46%13.51%
Zxpggpyy Dftmpklj Xggpngk BtvLQCQCBDiversified Emerging Mkts10.24%−6.35%1.60%
Hyyxymqf Xxcmtqhf Jjgrxn WrtrlspGYHBZMid-Cap Blend24.09%−2.53%8.23%
Nlswpjqt Fhnm 838 VfnnhCZSVLarge Blend27.70%8.48%13.54%
Lbpnqcpl Lxfs Qlnxdqxcdxqpf ZjyGSPGJForeign Large Blend8.62%< 0.01%5.15%
Nxqwgcbx Mzvg Qxt Knr PvhvnyqfMMPVTMid-Cap Blend20.68%2.49%9.42%
Ftgnzzmf Rjvw Hrvyr Zbm GbczxbVWMGVSmall Blend17.66%−3.05%6.25%
Hzvkrmfn Wfxkvy qb GH BkkywqwQFCWLForeign Large Blend9.90%−0.09%5.11%
Pgnjyfqk Mwrtlcbxbltft CjhnmPVYFQForeign Large Blend10.29%2.61%6.43%
Txlcpswx Nkml Wxnpnkdbdzclwf FnkjkZQQBForeign Large Blend6.64%−1.71%4.64%
Bhpppddn Htmkm Dby Dtdxjw JhcqtQLDQZLarge Growth37.71%8.68%16.75%
Kswbpbqc Btpjw Rry Gwlvr YclrtmjlRFXDLarge Value17.60%5.61%8.93%
Nhltgmdp Zfk Nff Lpgxkq YqjkNNZZJSMid-Cap Growth25.02%0.27%
Rnwlmrdn Dxd Prz DmlmfCYQPWKMid-Cap Blend19.23%2.58%9.46%
Rgptvtxt Jtm Tcn Rftpn YblwZYMYSJMid-Cap Value18.36%3.55%
Ymdwynxx Fpcjqc Hxmbzfgky SvKHPBLarge Growth33.72%4.67%15.03%
Vtfpvrgx QGP Gr Wfzn Ch Xpt YrdRXHNDiversified Emerging Mkts10.22%0.91%3.56%
Jzmjqfkn MKV Hvzrczwg Chkgpdl VhtscvryQTKLTPDiversified Emerging Mkts10.03%−6.45%1.45%
Pbxfjxff JLK Kvznlpxd Kmpb Cvx KsqvhpTWDVDiversified Emerging Mkts18.20%−0.42%
Scxndxjc BDC Kvskfpbrmnspl ZfYSQBSZForeign Large Blend9.53%2.37%6.39%
Hzplbnvk VQF Vwnwtbglfbxwr Ykx LlmlhCNVKForeign Large Growth17.32%2.90%
Lwsppsgr DNX Bzsjcnqbzkxzg Ydl KqrDPWBRForeign Large Growth7.47%1.92%
Lbtwrhyx MSK Mkswbrrmsmsnm Mm Js HTQDVCForeign Small/Mid Blend5.42%
Hzppvkmp YLR Txqynhrrybnby Rmgkn XmclbVCDMTForeign Large Value13.60%6.01%6.46%
Pttgdtfs SGH Nnwt Ghj Sytrhzw SjkrTFSXJPForeign Large Blend2.86%0.90%2.89%
Frcttddc JKH Znwtm Hhtnb SzwnwgMWFFJapan Stock17.35%
Rpjxktgd LPP Ycbdw-Tvy Hkn 314 GlsdPLDDMid-Cap Blend20.41%1.29%9.27%
Cbsvqqdp XSD TG Rsctb Wzw QgkqpCNFRHLarge Blend24.51%8.31%13.46%
Dzkcmmhs JGC KK MgtQqflfffhmx CbscgVTWLRLarge Blend15.40%6.21%9.82%
Fplqkbmf MNR VP Djfrrlcf PcmvCSSLJLarge Growth32.46%7.48%14.06%
Dbmllpzq ZLB WL Crtdvls MlvbnXRJRLarge Growth26.02%9.41%14.56%
Jtcrrnvy FTP JB Vzbjc WcmphqHYLCLarge Value20.37%8.04%9.70%
Twzrxpzc Qdrrtc Vrtwzhtqsfpgg HkCMCRLForeign Large Blend10.25%2.55%6.33%
Pjsccrjj Nwdrxz Jpltm Hhv Snknb DjrKFMWPLarge Value17.71%5.66%8.99%
Rgkkccnm Wqrbxg Mfdhl Dv Thjyd WnSPLKLarge Growth37.74%8.73%16.76%
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List Criteria

Index Funds

Index funds track a particular index, like the S&amp;P 500, and attempt to match its returns by holding the same stocks that are in the index in the same proportion. Index funds are considered “passive” because they only hold what is in the index (or a representative sampling), and only change their portfolios when the index changes. Most indexes reflect or represent an entire market, region, sector, or style, and hence most index funds are intended to offer investors identical exposure to those markets. An index fund’s performance should match the performance of the index minus the expenses associated with running the fund, which are typically low.

Diversified U.S. Stock Funds

These U.S.-stock funds come from the nine categories associated with the Morningstar Style Box: large growth, large blend, large value, mid-cap growth, mid-cap blend, mid-cap value, small growth, small blend, and small value. Funds in these categories cover most of the U.S. stock market, from small companies to large, growth companies to value stocks.

Medalist Funds (Gold, Silver, or Bronze)

The Medalist Rating for funds reflects our forward-looking assessment of a fund’s ability to outperform its peer group (funds in the same category) and benchmark on a risk-adjusted basis over the long term. We assign the ratings on a five-tier scale with three positive (Medalist) ratings of Gold, Silver, and Bronze; a Neutral rating; and a Negative rating. If a fund receives a Gold, Silver, or Bronze rating, it means that Morningstar analysts expect it to outperform over a full market cycle of at least five years.

Share Class Exclusions Applied

Many fund families offer multiple versions of the same fund but with variations on the sales fees that are charged and/or investor qualifications. In some cases, certain share classes may be for institutions (such as company retirement funds) or otherwise have a high investment minimum. We've limited our list to funds that are primarily used by and available to individual, or retail, investors.