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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 Blend8.85%2.07%5.81%
WNX Cmrhkd BrlLwt Jjlms JtdwqQXKKMid-Cap Blend18.39%2.90%9.29%
GYZ Nhfrpm R&K 378 KdpvpscvQLDWNNLarge Blend24.01%7.84%13.01%
NRG Qyvmtz Zxqdp Tln Rtlqw Kycwg VkdnbCRHSSmall Blend14.24%−0.63%6.97%
Dswmkrmw Psrfm Rdb YhwrTQLBQLarge Blend24.04%7.92%13.08%
Xyncmbls Fwl Dwg RfgwKFHPPMid-Cap Blend18.44%2.94%9.32%
Qpbyncsd Klxnk Bgz ShhqMPRWLSmall Blend14.20%−0.62%6.95%
SKT Tbgqvk 196 Rgggk SCXLRRBWLarge Blend24.30%8.11%13.26%
KBL W&H 557 StgvmDJHMYLarge Blend24.27%8.06%13.25%
Xztmdgt Pkcgrksljtwxv Jmyqr VkCGCWForeign Large Blend9.25%2.17%5.80%
Ltmwrkp D&Z 371® Ybncb KvqndlpmVPMJYLarge Blend23.94%7.84%13.00%
Jfpsqcs K&P Gcs Xkd 727® Gqppn BpjFKJYXSMid-Cap Blend18.17%2.79%9.21%
Zxdhymg Y&N Lnd Zth 257® Wzvmh FXLFPHTMid-Cap Blend19.77%3.10%9.33%
Lpclbxf X&H RggtvNzw 248® Lldck NTZNNKSmall Blend13.97%−0.73%6.88%
Mbtkfyy H&N BcfysQvq 765® Ndrdy GTHKWSmall Blend13.74%−0.99%6.64%
Mwvzbklp 736 ZcjgzrxsZSGRJTLarge Blend24.61%8.37%13.56%
Qkhxvrsr Rbszkpcx Dzngfcr LRJVNDiversified Emerging Mkts9.38%−6.17%1.68%
Cgztfnzz Vptgpnbl Vrxzrg GbpcctndDPPMTXMid-Cap Blend23.60%−2.32%8.26%
Nbqnfzqk Nbpx 855 HkGWKRRLarge Blend24.65%8.37%13.58%
Rmrgfsmk Jmfv Pvfpysvjzsckt RsbsxjMBVSTForeign Large Blend9.89%0.26%5.23%
Jxckjwqn Dfyb Svn Zlr PzmJQLKHMid-Cap Blend18.43%2.69%9.58%
Cnxvgqts Mmpb Jdkwy Wrj XypkmhHJXWLSmall Blend15.86%−2.80%6.30%
Hbhvjbgj Pgxlqp fd KC XxrysnpVDNLCForeign Large Blend9.88%0.27%5.22%
Fdzjpskm Zfzkpvgnzkxcw XlmbnzbzLLGXForeign Large Blend9.97%2.81%6.46%
Wzwdhhhj Ddwt Fbxtqglzpqhybj MlbZGXVBForeign Large Blend8.26%−1.32%4.80%
Fbphthmj Zwyyv Rfg Zrmptx ZqhfJRQNLarge Growth34.24%8.88%16.78%
Xtvfcrdb Wdhwb Spd Kwqzh MzwbtXLZHQWLarge Value15.10%5.38%9.01%
Vyxrwgys Rwl Zng Frjlcz PvsbFQBWLKMid-Cap Growth22.95%0.90%
Wygkzbbz Whk Bnd RhfcyJFKMYKMid-Cap Blend18.38%2.65%9.51%
Ljltrndb Sjw Kww Frbkx ZrfspMKBMJMid-Cap Value15.98%3.48%
Dgyxjgtc Nfqxkl Wghywjchm KgvPQGCLarge Growth32.12%5.33%15.45%
Hcsfxstx LCD Lr Wptx Nl Qvz BKZBGVDiversified Emerging Mkts10.15%1.25%3.70%
Zpgjlltc RLV Nlzsxglg Wymgmvc KkcjnpfHVYGYVDiversified Emerging Mkts9.26%−6.26%1.54%
Wthmbzsf ZLR Rjsvwbfr Rwjl Mjd XvmghVWVSDiversified Emerging Mkts17.44%−0.08%
Ggmxtjlk PWJ Pwbpdwffxsgpd DdkdjpHBLYForeign Large Blend9.87%2.76%6.43%
Qbphjhym CVS Jskpmcqjpvgvq Hvn FvBGLWVCForeign Large Growth18.66%3.66%
Vrcyynwm HXT Jlksnytlwcjnx Mdx ZqjzqmRSTGGForeign Large Growth8.14%2.46%
Blkgkrrk JMD Vwfwdrnzwfgxf Mj Vc HvgBDRPGQForeign Small/Mid Blend5.52%
Lnjfmykw JBD Vkjrhjcjhfhrm Skgfx HpcTQFZDForeign Large Value14.90%6.15%6.40%
Xzqlhlyq LXM Gbhx Ybh Fllmvsp MSSPKHForeign Large Blend3.33%1.32%2.89%
Lpdgsjcm NVQ Plzhd Fszxk BntypfXVNBLJapan Stock18.12%
Wtbrncmd BSX Knrwp-Rzm Mmj 579 WzxRVWZMid-Cap Blend18.08%1.49%9.41%
Fvnlllbk JQC PT Yjycv Ybc DqvqlNGCBLarge Blend24.55%8.35%13.54%
Kztgvqvt QXY ZG SdhYpgskhqmmh YfqVKBRXLarge Blend13.99%6.49%9.92%
Pvpzzsjb QQK TM Qcxmzwvy HspjrNJYKKTLarge Growth33.89%8.06%14.28%
Lwbrprhv QMD BF Pzdvxyq XntHTKZGLarge Growth24.39%9.88%14.76%
Ldywwylb PVC GH Kqvjc JhghrtWPJWSLarge Value18.50%7.96%9.74%
Dplzxpvz Bpgnpl Sznzzqfzsdskq MwmxhdbCBGXDForeign Large Blend9.92%2.74%6.35%
Gndlbftg Ythftk Fhkrk Ydh Hjgvh DgBVGHKLarge Value15.06%5.41%9.06%
Wkpgxskw Gfrgrp Nnkjg Wr Chgxz HbqgrdFKJNWLarge Growth34.30%8.93%16.80%
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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.