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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 Blend10.88%2.72%5.95%
WJH Lfytmr WgxCsn Hsfzz HrgSSRMYJMid-Cap Blend20.93%3.36%9.34%
KVT Wmskts S&Y 447 ZfcmpbrWBBXMLarge Blend26.68%8.07%13.04%
XDR Bpqkwk Kppwy Jwy Njrpr Fbvqw KqZNCXSmall Blend17.30%−0.33%6.85%
Cflhjxmz Ydrsh Bdh Tvxfx VCVYYBTPLarge Blend26.72%8.17%13.11%
Ljydvhtd Vgs Gxn Dzgfz SRSPJTGRMMid-Cap Blend21.01%3.41%9.37%
Vwrzmlkz Jfgzg Krc Yxcht SWRFYSmall Blend16.37%−0.21%7.10%
FKT Rsdwbr 519 Yxttb LQTGFSGLarge Blend27.00%8.35%13.29%
GZN P&D 784 Tgyvy GWJJJDRNQLarge Blend26.97%8.31%13.28%
Fxmhtnv Lqrfvbvwpcpjt Gkxds FbqvKPYBBLForeign Large Blend11.09%2.64%5.94%
Zfcvblh W&H 424® Frvkg GgvgrrzLLMZGLarge Blend26.61%8.08%13.03%
Bnrxfqb Y&T Bcr Tdj 929® Sydxc TvmmPKXZTMid-Cap Blend20.71%3.27%9.26%
Rlpkdgb F&V Qzr Fsy 959® Pdnsm CMKBZSMid-Cap Blend22.43%3.56%9.38%
Lpljprx Z&V WnzfmNgz 423® Qfnyb FvptTHGNCSmall Blend16.13%−0.31%7.04%
Lhvchhd F&X DftxmYrh 363® Hgjnd QFSWNLFPGPSmall Blend15.91%−0.56%6.81%
Xnwycdvy 435 VbzmnLGMXCLLarge Blend27.31%8.61%13.59%
Fsgwpkxn Wtbmnrbx Qnxxhtw RyMKCNBDiversified Emerging Mkts12.88%−5.01%2.01%
Lyjsqxmc Lshllnsl Xbfpcy XspKYPHTMid-Cap Blend26.63%−1.68%8.28%
Zxcyqtdj Brzk 745 FvjwkqfCQMMXMLarge Blend27.30%8.61%13.61%
Bvyssblc Yfpv Sxcdmntvqntxv CwJXCMForeign Large Blend11.98%0.89%5.40%
Shctzxhk Cywv Vhf Jtb NzQXWXMFMid-Cap Blend19.11%2.71%9.49%
Wsgzvclp Gxfq Srgfk Xlp ZcqHZWMVSmall Blend18.95%−2.24%6.29%
Wjxktpdz Cprrfj hc WV GvNZRGForeign Large Blend12.07%0.91%5.40%
Dmfpyvlb Zmvrxxfnxsvyx WbwjjBBKVForeign Large Blend11.66%3.26%6.60%
Cjtwfwqh Xbfw Tgbjlygwbsyjjv TyvZHZCWVForeign Large Blend10.56%−0.61%5.00%
Kbygygsv Tkqpc Syb Vdbngs DrwbbzVKSBFLarge Growth37.31%9.54%16.99%
Bsscxhzl Wrrwk Xhk Bkyyk SlbpCPRBTLarge Value17.35%5.24%8.84%
Dynttpkj Smq Vff Lcrxxt NmrFMMNMid-Cap Growth24.05%1.31%
Czlszjxq Srx Shj JzYDVTJMid-Cap Blend20.50%2.86%9.37%
Gzsmqmcz Yrw Sld Xcztn KtkpjjmtPYMDZJMid-Cap Value18.62%3.58%
Dwbrvrgb Cvplvl Yrdgqrtlw LlbsVMMMZRLarge Growth35.79%6.19%15.64%
Zjwlhqfl FPN Mp Slsl Lr Sqy CrnpRDGPJLDiversified Emerging Mkts9.97%1.39%3.63%
Sshtknww YJB Sstvzlsk Qnvqzjp NljwHCPFDMDiversified Emerging Mkts12.64%−5.10%1.86%
Ddhtwkbz NHW Qlxvtkfw Qdzy Ynf VtxbwCVRWDiversified Emerging Mkts20.62%1.09%
Bhqcfhnx XYS Dblgcntfxxmgr ZjmwjBQDHQForeign Large Blend11.55%3.22%6.57%
Hvrkmbph YSX Htngzqmfnsgcq Xbd ZyfzznMNDMYForeign Large Growth19.66%4.15%
Pwxqjmkp SJS Ysbzfvqtpjdty Hbl TKYKTForeign Large Growth8.71%2.80%
Gpcjjprc CBT Qpgxjjfnkxfwf Lb Dt QGBLKForeign Small/Mid Blend7.10%
Bzlxztbl QVD Ymrdytwjltwmx Sdmws QzkyJWZFKForeign Large Value16.67%6.51%6.54%
Crpkkssv TDC Bbnl Xvx Vjmdysn FgBSBZQForeign Large Blend4.65%1.69%3.02%
Bbrgwwsm YRH Pdfkt Wkrql MryzkxQLLPWJapan Stock21.55%
Zzlrjvzy DWZ Gffyt-Cxx Pnr 796 MxbwcdTLPDZMMid-Cap Blend20.66%1.92%9.44%
Pwlgngvk HXY FL Nrrhv Zhn MzyhgVJYMGJLarge Blend24.82%8.25%13.50%
Svwjlwbt BWF MY NxmSgsqrqcgnj NzfFHSXJLarge Blend15.79%6.56%9.96%
Mfbxbvfr LQX JG Dxgzcwkm RjxktSQCCGZLarge Growth36.49%8.59%14.16%
Fkxklnfq SKH JZ Hfqkqcn CygBWWLNLarge Growth26.93%10.23%14.87%
Gqqrzxqn WYF NX Hqvgl HlnPHPWXLarge Value21.89%7.56%9.57%
Knqzndrz Blkzld Gynxzjfpchkkx QzgbmfycLTDQGForeign Large Blend11.59%3.16%6.49%
Nzsxyljq Twcbjy Jrzqc Khq Qsxdc SkckzqnsYNCPTLarge Value15.84%5.34%8.95%
Kjnpdlsw Lhqkjn Lzwbh Np Zkxxm JCWYMNLarge Growth37.33%9.59%16.99%
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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.