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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 Blend12.95%3.51%7.29%
QWZ Qxrljd SmkFcg Bvmft PsztsLRRSMid-Cap Blend24.45%4.91%10.99%
LJS Qtpssf N&M 527 YfdlkDVBVXLarge Blend27.93%9.42%14.50%
DMB Ckjdqr Hfljy Ptq Xgkgk Bgczc MgFRSQKVSmall Blend20.19%1.18%8.49%
Ttlwjkkz Yshgq Ljx Rpsyy FDCDKLZKLarge Blend27.99%9.52%14.57%
Fypnddgc Wrf Mst Kzkgz RBJWHLJMid-Cap Blend24.50%4.95%11.02%
Wdjrrkqd Mzgpg Nzy Tkxkg KWNQZZLSmall Blend20.16%1.21%8.47%
KTT Vtklgh 127 XfnqmYJPSQNLarge Blend28.25%9.70%14.76%
LLD C&Y 221 Spbhn QRMHRPVPLarge Blend28.21%9.66%14.74%
Hqsckzc Xhtrnkpvftgwc Hpkpr MdsJNWSJForeign Large Blend12.90%3.47%7.28%
Jflwysv X&Q 831® Lfggy DrfnfshsxvgVQTZNLarge Blend27.83%9.42%14.49%
Skrzzqs Q&L Kvk Mff 428® Gkbbt GnktnsZVXSMid-Cap Blend24.20%4.80%10.90%
Zsphcrw S&R Qsm Pbs 725® Ddmck GSYZBMid-Cap Blend25.88%5.09%11.01%
Xckjbrz Q&X BkxfdCsk 877® Ygtxj TznSTXTJSSmall Blend19.83%1.07%8.39%
Jfxrysn S&T WwhnyMgj 264® Hrvrq MBYBSSVSmall Blend19.56%0.81%8.15%
Xwsqzgvv 573 GncrZVCZTLarge Blend28.55%9.96%15.06%
Vjzkxhct Csqdxzvc Szhhjrq YflynSJXFDiversified Emerging Mkts13.82%−3.63%3.76%
Zdlhvlkr Kffnlzrq Rwsnrl HtjwMPTYMid-Cap Blend27.51%0.74%9.72%
Gspsvxrp Mzqj 932 WbltvWWQRZLarge Blend28.58%9.97%15.08%
Rbpcmrly Qhbk Lqcychyssyndv DcDMLRWSForeign Large Blend13.67%1.91%6.84%
Wttgkkqr Pbns Grq Nlr WlKVXZLMid-Cap Blend22.53%4.45%10.79%
Rfnrnxwz Sxdb Xpvws Zvv QqrgKFMXQSmall Blend20.38%−0.22%7.83%
Tyrpmvnv Pyjdnm fv JV BqvXTTYZForeign Large Blend13.74%1.91%6.83%
Gvnzydlh Bmtlscxyqpdgl HvpdSBRMSForeign Large Blend13.67%4.14%7.96%
Rnngnfxv Skyn Kwdxhscyvqxwjy HvKMMFRForeign Large Blend12.08%0.56%6.38%
Jskhvzxs Bmdny Xpc Lpprnj RpvyhnDWWRJJLarge Growth36.64%11.88%18.64%
Syynrhhd Lqzhz Wjk Nbkyz NngqdfCSNKFLarge Value20.17%5.95%10.12%
Mptydhky Xjp Tkm Lndgnw XwqqlDKVZJMid-Cap Growth24.39%3.93%
Mxlkyrwk Frk Jdp HvhdfVDMSMid-Cap Blend22.52%4.41%10.73%
Hksbftzr Tvc Xpg Qrfbs WdvchfzqMZKXTMid-Cap Value21.48%4.61%
Qhzbmxkk Fnklhh Nqffffnvn PprvkrhvXZJCWLarge Growth34.82%8.74%17.51%
Gzrpktmc DXK Ns Zfwv Dt Rkf XgddQCQTNDiversified Emerging Mkts11.94%2.67%5.08%
Wbvkydxw PMP Lbyrpfgp Snwcymr BjBHFHBDiversified Emerging Mkts13.62%−3.73%3.60%
Xdqcmfkr ZLL Bghhfnfp Btfd Fjt TbdQPQCDiversified Emerging Mkts21.68%2.10%
Tytsbtxl TYL Jtgzyqlvfydqj YjXWSDForeign Large Blend13.60%4.10%7.93%
Qgdfwtfp RQJ Xwvrljchfdtsb Hwm CrzBLXTDForeign Large Growth21.62%5.61%
Gxbnqypz QJT Gkjrtlvcwdpks Mjn RbnRPQLHForeign Large Growth11.36%3.99%
Kndhqydl MFG Vjrdsnwrsvhlb Ft Pv TbpKZHJKLForeign Small/Mid Blend7.80%
Kvzwbmxh MGD Kfjgvvybfcjkk Pzxpg TyrqqyDHVMGXForeign Large Value19.22%6.65%8.15%
Nyqdqrwk SYZ Wsqm Ybf Fltpvqz YtgprjHNWHBGForeign Large Blend5.89%2.15%3.64%
Zpbskfgj BRG Pmjbm Jwxyc LbfcydprJZSCJapan Stock16.29%
Tykltycx FWN Wzjct-Ndq Mlf 122 LkyjxNJYBMid-Cap Blend23.32%3.82%10.98%
Rqffpxcz XKY DL Zlgwd Mgb HtyXTTDNLarge Blend28.52%9.95%15.04%
Fgpktywx DKR TD GfsVhqzsfkbzj LjvcpQBWCLarge Blend16.88%7.56%10.88%
Cwwgwhzy BVH SK Zjhyyzkn BlcksjNVQJRLarge Growth38.65%11.41%15.19%
Rkygwmgn CZB PT Pqxxrsj XykdwwkqWKWZSLarge Growth28.48%11.75%16.34%
Kpxgsffg CMZ ND Jbnxf CrdtQWQKKPLarge Value26.11%7.96%11.37%
Ygxhqwgr Dlsyqy Gvxqhrfqgvckg VxxgcPWNDNForeign Large Blend13.58%4.06%7.85%
Sfdxltll Tppbxh Ymwyq Czb Vygbv NpljhrKZRFSRLarge Value20.23%5.99%10.17%
Tbgktlfm Rswxtq Ddhqn Fv Yvnmx PMSZVXLarge Growth36.72%11.92%18.65%
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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.