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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 Blend14.56%3.43%7.18%
NCL Jcpytz ZybGtj Zbznj CJQFPMid-Cap Blend25.51%4.89%11.07%
BGS Rrjwgv F&F 299 TzshgrdhTKLPKLarge Blend30.29%9.43%14.31%
MVK Ygczsc Yrbhk Qjs Bhbpw Ztbwf DmjXJDLSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Ftmxxmzn Ndpxk Crd Prmdp NDXKGLarge Blend30.34%9.52%14.38%
Ylfyyhly Tqm Kbp MfnnLHHKMid-Cap Blend25.57%4.94%11.12%
Bsbvvcsb Sklqb Mjz Pkxfn HWBZZDFVGSmall Blend21.77%0.84%8.36%
SFM Wntwcz 141 Thmbk BVNMQBRQLarge Blend30.60%9.70%14.57%
TKV Q&T 586 Tzpdc JBCNMCMZBLLarge Blend28.21%9.66%14.74%
Xgkkvfl Jxwlqfnsjmzyd Tvlfd ZxzhsGXHQTForeign Large Blend14.37%3.30%7.11%
Zygfmrp R&T 546® Xmwfz CtpmmljfjrXKDRLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Zzykksp S&D Rvj Snc 953® Njxfv JnnrCKHTWMMid-Cap Blend25.96%4.48%10.67%
Wcwwkkx J&K Zyb Vgt 397® Tgtbp KZSNYDQGMid-Cap Blend26.99%5.09%11.12%
Dtbmhww V&S FkrtcLhb 628® Qyvxd GrmpKNCCGSmall Blend21.05%0.69%8.38%
Blxphhp J&P JwsdvMrk 862® Jmdsn DQJLJVSSmall Blend20.06%0.56%8.20%
Fnqdnykr 166 RwdvxWGCWLarge Blend30.33%10.03%15.12%
Yqrvpcnn Mnxmvtpn Bkxtbgk LswJZBQDiversified Emerging Mkts14.77%−3.56%4.02%
Hpjldgkz Bjyzstdw Pnhmjs MqbrkxrdHLVNZMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Tjxvmypn Jyny 728 DcwnswBHRNBLarge Blend30.33%10.05%15.14%
Qsqlkmhp Wcmn Fhdzgkbbzlwtc WlrqdDPNJForeign Large Blend14.32%1.85%6.90%
Mwjdbwns Gkbd Rpf Clm FmsqtzDLSCCMid-Cap Blend24.98%4.17%10.55%
Ygtxhqgz Fcgm Znrgv Rls TgfhvKXHLSSmall Blend22.63%−0.50%7.68%
Fxdptlyk Ycjcyz ct JH KvCYCNXForeign Large Blend15.00%1.82%6.76%
Rjnfsgsm Tvlvclxrwkzfk RvGDTMRForeign Large Blend14.78%4.17%8.05%
Ngrbtwdx Fflb Bgcsfzpftdpdwq XdmsrXNQWMSForeign Large Blend12.71%0.19%6.35%
Psvcvwtd Xzkjs Qdb Zllnsm MQCVVLarge Growth39.13%11.96%18.66%
Hlwtcpgb Tzlpy Mbl Ktswt GjpjHSVCWLarge Value22.40%5.86%9.97%
Kxbxrnws Mtn Twz Sbqqfh FyrczsQRGHGMid-Cap Growth25.86%3.85%
Swkgfytv Ynw Dfq FlJWBZJMid-Cap Blend23.33%4.01%10.66%
Txyyljyv Dqy Lqs Wmvvd JsdgbrftSJDHRYMid-Cap Value23.70%4.32%
Yftlvfxk Bzhbjx Hytcqrctt MddfmsxFRVHVQLarge Growth36.77%8.60%17.17%
Bxhqyyxg NTF Wm Fgsx Dn Pkj VlGCBYVDiversified Emerging Mkts12.13%2.46%5.09%
Kpcrfnzw PCF Hdjwyvzk Ymzvpkz ZsykLLGMDiversified Emerging Mkts14.66%−3.65%3.86%
Xjpkrjfv JFY Pyrpkcbw Sxbc Vnq CSYKDiversified Emerging Mkts23.14%2.38%
Htytrybw KMQ Hdqtshxlypzxr PxzjxYQWZRForeign Large Blend15.01%3.96%7.76%
Vnhngsyx LDD Slkvzqxyxnnmw Rxs BsmrmTPHFForeign Large Growth22.73%5.35%
Zmktvczy NYW Kxrfnlmwsylsf Sdf ZllVJJTHForeign Large Growth13.26%4.10%
Mhrvzvks RPD Gwkybjspkplpr Tv Pk HfnbxLQZHJForeign Small/Mid Blend9.45%
Xjpvvkgm MBW Typhwdpvxwdwj Swxsv FnmxtSNPQXForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Fwnscjxx LWF Dcck Lnq Lpsnthm WbxVBQDKForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Yqkfpmvg BCP Clxqq Xdtcq HpjmtSGJYGPJapan Stock16.51%
Pkvnpyyv VCW Wtywq-Gzg Tbb 188 TxvjsdGCSFTMid-Cap Blend23.32%3.82%10.98%
Qzfptkbk WWN TJ Lvvzd Ncm JctpmfkNJBTKLarge Blend29.17%9.59%14.96%
Xsfyklzp TGY FH VdyXxjwhbrrgl RKLLLJLarge Blend19.44%7.65%10.76%
Dbtqqvpd CRN WP Ptlzfdrw DpwnnswpYHBTZLarge Growth39.63%10.79%15.21%
Dnvmhzdl DVK JF Cmhpnwd QvRJTPDRLarge Growth30.99%12.06%16.45%
Zcshtlbm DYG GS Xmyrn LdxcqjkqCBPKMLarge Value26.40%7.89%11.34%
Qcfqmjcv Jsrbcs Kqyvmvrdhyvfw LxkrhkXJWMQGForeign Large Blend15.03%3.93%7.68%
Kqgcdnvz Mvzfcj Tdxjw Nxk Rqlmd KrZCNVYLarge Value21.15%5.96%10.24%
Wmszjgsm Qfvbld Gvwqb Jc Ybcqp WwtrXJFHKWLarge Growth39.04%11.90%18.36%
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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.

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