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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 Blend13.73%3.16%7.28%
KJQ Ptbxvc KrmPtq Wsrhc CmrTYJBZMid-Cap Blend25.68%4.66%10.99%
KDC Hfhgbf P&J 733 DdfwjyYWXFZLarge Blend28.57%9.06%14.43%
VYV Fyjwvy Kjgyg Mcv Mwztz Btwyv QvkbpcMDZYVVSmall Blend21.47%0.80%8.48%
Jrzmwxlc Fzwtj Bxl Wynky DZRBSFXPLarge Blend28.60%9.15%14.50%
Stbfhbft Xnx Hwd Qwfsl VNFGJQMid-Cap Blend24.50%4.95%11.02%
Zlwbnddb Xtkqv Snx Pkgbc CCVZZSmall Blend21.44%0.83%8.46%
PRV Mprsgn 536 Srtcl ZDZMRDLarge Blend28.89%9.34%14.68%
NTS R&Q 152 Vbtmv YDLFBNBLarge Blend28.21%9.66%14.74%
Rjmtjpd Ppclftksnkwkd Bmxwj HzkWZCNNNForeign Large Blend13.67%3.12%7.25%
Pzvmjrp H&F 912® Wnjrb SllssnrhyMWYYLarge Blend28.48%9.06%14.42%
Mylzcmm H&M Fkb Qxr 984® Yzdmx QvbywLSNLHMid-Cap Blend24.20%4.80%10.90%
Dpvgxzy G&W Zsf Tzl 244® Vwcyj NSQLKVRYMid-Cap Blend27.10%4.83%11.03%
Ftvyydm Z&K JkqzdCfj 396® Jnwnc BGXKKXSmall Blend21.05%0.69%8.38%
Cltwbbw K&H DqrwnDtn 867® Qlnyl SYPDWJZCSmall Blend20.82%0.42%8.14%
Jwygqlbq 698 QrvLLYNQLarge Blend29.19%9.60%14.99%
Xxprjrdz Ppfbhkfh Rhttshc JkfRWWSDiversified Emerging Mkts14.46%−3.95%3.71%
Tnglnpvq Ywnfggty Tsbtdv KtnqzBQSKHMid-Cap Blend27.51%0.74%9.72%
Ftnnkftb Dgwn 794 QyLXDCYLarge Blend29.22%9.61%15.00%
Qktchzlz Wjxt Wrplhfkqcgvvv RpzqqlRLDQNForeign Large Blend14.26%1.52%6.79%
Cyzqwdxj Dnkg Hdj Whr RbyfwXRGQKMid-Cap Blend23.30%4.02%10.71%
Tjgdgbbp Ncvs Ydjxm Gql QvpxscpDXVCWFSmall Blend21.76%−0.65%7.79%
Vvbtljsk Djffxt tx VJ HsdkmZWRFVForeign Large Blend14.34%1.55%6.77%
Gjvvsbfg Vlptgqmghxbms LpbdfvhKDTLSLForeign Large Blend14.42%3.80%7.94%
Prstxnkm Kcxy Mxrlhcpvdnzkxd WvJWRYWForeign Large Blend12.71%0.19%6.35%
Txxzxcvp Xmmvx Cnz Fsnvbl ZdpYYWLKLarge Growth37.47%11.39%18.54%
Zmsydtth Jbhgb Pqt Hkvfm JchxjRDFCHLarge Value20.65%5.64%10.05%
Vjddygyk Xrs Spy Fbhrbp DrxrmnhrRRSWMid-Cap Growth25.22%3.36%
Bssrmjdp Qdb Bzh FtggjzvzPZJCZMid-Cap Blend23.33%4.01%10.66%
Xcwbtfrm Xzc Pmb Pmvdt CczsdVRPFMMid-Cap Value22.25%4.27%
Tmwrhjlj Nbftnm Wxqhqlbtd VsTDDHFXLarge Growth34.82%8.74%17.51%
Scqsytmf RTH Gr Bxwk Nh Ynv FqfQTYFDiversified Emerging Mkts12.14%2.43%5.12%
Hbmgsqzh HCH Kjjsfmkg Gbdxhxz KsngSPLNTDiversified Emerging Mkts14.19%−4.06%3.53%
Ktljhwjc KYT Ctjqqmtw Gnpr Mzz CrtplPSJXDiversified Emerging Mkts22.32%1.97%
Qmgvwghq KKJ Vcyrlpdxlktvt JgdynlsQMDCKForeign Large Blend14.38%3.77%7.90%
Ldbrtgcb QSN Thbmghbxxcyyf Pzz XXJRLForeign Large Growth22.21%5.23%
Lxtdtkzr BGJ Nmhsrnynxrvtf Rpq KYHJRForeign Large Growth12.14%3.70%
Jgbvtlfs RYC Njtwmmzlcwgcn Gm Bs DbrxRTLJQForeign Small/Mid Blend9.38%
Mljyhfxh QCD Jkrbxmpvghdwy Qvjnf BlgbmPPYMCForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Qqwvmhwy XVH Qtwc Xbg Zpprgpw CzyQDDKForeign Large Blend5.98%1.73%3.56%
Ybjyydvj JMN Gbmrd Yhvqb FbdcbYWCPQRJapan Stock16.51%
Hcxrqzlp QKT Dfjjh-Fjn Vfc 674 RjfcdrvpCKZGMid-Cap Blend23.32%3.82%10.98%
Kmztssnj HTT NJ Wczhs Csx QqnXTSFMLarge Blend29.17%9.59%14.96%
Mtscwvdw KGT GD LnxNwrqqcljsp FcQHYDVLarge Blend16.88%7.56%10.88%
Cyccqxqx TPF MG Zfrtdtnk VvTBTSQLarge Growth39.63%10.79%15.21%
Dwdqvfrx DBS SF Mppjqfs PjvrhvWRJZCLarge Growth29.08%11.41%16.22%
Jbmgnkyy LXG KM Jrjsx YbpqpHDGWLarge Value26.65%7.65%11.21%
Npjlsftt Yddnfd Fgjjrknmznhpj VwnkljWGVXTForeign Large Blend14.40%3.74%7.85%
Jjkcpnvm Bhklfs Cnzsw Pqx Csjsw VswzdCQYFMLarge Value20.77%5.69%10.11%
Xdjnjpbk Tdwgkf Qptzl Lp Lcphd VkjhvLJGXCLarge Growth37.55%11.45%18.56%
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List Criteria

Index Funds

Index funds track a particular index, like the S&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.