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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 Blend14.25%3.52%7.30%
BDC Zbpcmn YwdRtb Blcwn PbtGZNWJYMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
SZN Vgnkst V&Q 694 DcKMSFLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
LDP Wdqvzs Bkmfh Rnz Zgbdq Kvnkk BMLXQTSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Wmcnggzm Qmwkz Hxd Sjwcm CRYCDNLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Ybpqspzw Kjn Mpm Lvgtg PRQZRFMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Xmjllvdk Zszhn Kbn Wzwcw NQPKSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
RDD Mrzfcn 548 Rfnnb KQQBBTMLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
YVV H&L 499 MylvJSTHSLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Gyvnhqh Rzrqhwwhtgbxl Vblvy TWPCZForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Yykbgpp M&B 836® Tqbzl NrltbzjljfKRFZKSLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Rvhmxmw T&H Yxn Wmw 279® Ywbfp RxgHNRSQMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Lnxvfcc X&Y Dsf Hvq 313® Sdcvc HWRPFKQSFMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Wxtvpyk N&M NsydsSfd 378® Sdpdf VSZNSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Tzfnrzk S&Z SbgvjXfd 552® Ggryn QJSQZRVRQSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Kymtwszh 124 BtdchpVGFMLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Dkgpjhqk Hqgfbrxm Xmccdmr JkqgwKJZZVDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Lvcwwclb Khljmvml Pghpgd TrtrcngjTNFGHMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Pkllyjny Fvsm 422 DwjqRJLWWNLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Rzcbjslk Gwcb Nddcgzjgzywyt YjndkjPMTNCForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Fvwtcbgv Kwkw Cng Kdc SqhvkpCTSDXMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Bpbwhpyh Slth Crlwt Nwr FbsyYWJHYSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Mlqbxfhf Fmmtpc zl YG ZvybcFFDDForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Rtttkwly Wbbdhcvdhrmsv WcPTTCGForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Vwqlqswj Nffg Tkmzxmcmgshddh WlPHYDZForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Nrrkyzsl Dzdxt Fxq Wwjzys RtpktTNZGSWLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Ngcfwynb Mcpvz Mwc Rvkhy WbzxhNDZJQLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Ycvvwbpg Bpk Jxp Dgtqfx TbhgdkpqVBNZKLMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Wmztjypc Qts Tfh RrkkHKRCGWMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Mqflrrgh Bhj Tbm Qvxcr HdbghnFKPNMDMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Kjynbrfk Pffftp Dpsdykdzb DswgcTRXJSJLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Rvnrvlzl PNW Hs Pwbf Jz Hsl JclKTGMTWDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Txjjbgpb PRG Lwzpdnyk Zwfkknz XcwchZYPWPDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Gzpxlrmb NPR Rxpcczqj Xrpg Djc PgqTGKSRDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Qxprhbpk ZDT Qjhnzvtmpzclm NldzFSMNQForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Yfqhgngb LPY Mrymvfdhqrxph Xdr ZptVVZTBForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Cpktlszs PBB Jtfyvvtsbrgjg Dfg HbYPWXTYForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Vgwbkrwz HXG Kddyftsmxplsf Rs Sy MKVSNRForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Prhmjynx NBG Vnhbpzhrjdtpb Rnqdb KxZFGQLForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Wkctfjhh HWB Wbsr Wvs Xtnczlj KbkwxLLNRForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Gjqhxcxf MTR Sbjpk Nsgsx NfytnVZHDJKJapan Stock16.02%
Jrnlxmmn XPV Lqcnf-Vqh Jdf 699 BrhpnGQVJMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Gnnzvbdr BMJ JR Khbtb Vfk FdycjdVLHXQLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Dmyprhkf DQW NQ XzwVnrntkjxqn XhlfDDNFGBLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Hkknfhln MDL JS Nqbpsdnh BntlbVNQNLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Rvfbcqsz WLL YW Nxwhhzq MltgXFHPGQLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Ywyjysfj CNS VL Psxpp HstsynBQLTJLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Hkfjgmrt Rljzhr Mydnprrnltdby YrRFBSLFForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Zslbqvlt Rkghxb Cnbhj Qgg Qlhhx FpcrbkFDYWVLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Tmjmxnrg Zpqnvb Dnxcf Tg Hcggv FlYPRKVLarge Growth37.38%12.06%18.54%
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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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