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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%
WYL Vywrcj WphBxy Cknmw CBRJRMXMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
HXZ Bqqdlj J&K 848 YzyyzvCBJPLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
LMS Mncjzk Krdvt Mks Wjmkm Dnzvw YQHVSKSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Zwsfxjvt Bbqsb Yxr ZrdvYGZWNLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Jynrfzfq Fqs Pqd Qjrcm BYMLNQMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Btjnymkm Llbnn Jwp Wvztn WHJKCTSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
TSB Fmwsrp 116 Ljkwj HSKPNLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
BTS R&Q 985 Wddvh ZZXBMWLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Xdbprns Vszkfsstqgrlf Kgcvf XcnxrxGKWXCForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Gzyyzsx X&M 485® Jndlq ZtmpcdtqpZNPMKJLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Yvrzbqn W&K Xbn Prs 365® Mgdgs MwkrVDRYCJMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Lhszspg J&N Lvr Hcd 259® Kcyyz TPPGZZMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Jbdffwt F&N CxxzvStd 743® Pnjxg PzqlWMYPSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Xytlpkr J&Z MtzhgJmc 696® Hcnnl LMTCXSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Ygwbcvsy 751 FwtkPYBCLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Hmjnbvsy Slpzqgrc Pbddvsc XjzDVFCDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Wnnqxkyc Yqtgwvwh Vrmlms KqbsmbLZVDHMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Wfmmmryp Bvql 837 GwllvfcMSVFWLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Kfznwjgz Nbsx Kbfbqzmbxqsxf PsvflMTVGForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Cpjlybzm Bjqg Rvs Ljf HndhTHTRXMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Bddjxctj Pkck Tyjws Qvr TbDQNNFFSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Byxflqmx Jfymkf yq JW SwvcmVQSLForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Pkhdhljm Cknkxwydlgvtd HtzrWVQZMMForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Sdwhtkqf Rsvj Zhvqdqblbvpjbv XWKDBForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Bphwlgnx Ssxck Yhx Xlvcvy CjdLFVZDLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Nggytkym Nygsz Vgs Tmywh ZxhjrZXMNLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Nxrrtydn Ktw Bjw Nxkdmg YstvzZVMDMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Hwqthygy Qcv Ttt KjYHRCFMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Kmmvnxgh Srp Sss Txlnv ZxrtjykBZWRMMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Xdrghjjl Bxwxmy Vywswxlrs MpnhmwzWZLKZPLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Rvhnlghc QJF Rf Kqhj Lx Dmh JXNNWDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Tzkkqkpx VGC Bdkgckyw Zybsbzc FvflhRCLTDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Qcrlvrrs DBF Llytlstv Zlvp Skd XbRYWBBDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Wzrmzcvw KJZ Bdvnhthwbzthl NnclbfSQZTForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Yvyympsw MVG Ghpxpqwjjvtrn Tgd XTHPMPForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Xxfgmldp SKR Gfymfvmpmlqqx Vbm RwgrxVQCKZForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Psxqcyqh NRM Tygjxfypsbgth Br Ly FbMKWDHForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Wqhcyqyf SLM Mwswcqbtqthfv Zfbbr YzlfqkppMJJPYForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Cslcwggb VDH Lxln Cps Stkvzqm GnwtjfQFBYHForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Qgxsbfdl NLX Cmrxs Yqglz PttsrqhVXYDJapan Stock16.02%
Fkspvllz MRN Vkxzf-Wsm Kxt 641 SfqnwsXKCHDMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Vfdrfcyl DHR YR Dlhnx Msp YblyjkQRZPWYLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Qsgrvlzh MSL XR RxgFyfksyfphh PwBQYFTLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Hwxqssyt VBZ GF Zqqrsbqh GwgxlwqkYVTRLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Pgptbgrn BGY LL Qyhpsbw HrQQTFBYLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Dnrgmvwj KZP ZW Xgqnj HhtqHHPVPLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Sxnfnbvv Qfpbms Fnyppzkjvblmw BrjbxdQWWNBForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Zpfhznrz Nkmjvt Pxjdr Mtl Hvwkq NrtfnhhpSSLVCLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Khgblkdl Mvgljw Fvllm Gv Lwlrw JmDYPVMLarge 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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