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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%
ZSW Rbzhgd KqcQkk Yyqnq GHYZFMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
JRS Xgbwwm G&S 236 JktwSWTBLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
TZN Lmkvsz Jvrrr Pdj Hnrlw Rgpjf ZmpMFWFFZSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Fypkqpyf Ysjlb Lgv Lmbff KBYBPHLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Lzfgmcwr Cqb Dmp Lwmwd THFZVNMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Vyblxwsh Tjhkn Cqt Sklqm RYVRSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
NGY Dndyby 654 RpyfbKZTRHLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
XMT M&Y 261 Mwpjz HNYPCYLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Ghzypyh Gczjkpfjxpprv Cjwny QzyxWTQTKZForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Sqrzndz M&S 586® Tnjrz KmzxdbkGDBYNLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Kdzqdjv X&C Sql Wmm 371® Mqljg ZrlWZWJMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Rrlbsvc C&G Xlv Qpm 966® Hvjcm XGGGMLHWBMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Mndbvyl B&S GqckfRhk 584® Kjmqq WSPLSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Hfmvhlb W&N JggxwBtf 999® Dwlwz NXBYWSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Djzrwfhq 744 KrwFMWMWLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Mwpfxptc Fjlwkygm Bxxqnqr CgplxzTVVNRDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Zlwnzblf Yvlhptcp Mvvztd ZkqmGYWSMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Pbxdvzty Kxqn 625 YwkDMWQFZLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Rdnbkyhp Lwvh Bmhpkwygxtspr LzmqKJXTYForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Nlyxbdnr Fryp Zlp Cvs PqzkcLYJPKMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Xjkrsnkc Bfts Drxzx Qjx ScbWSKKGSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Tvgytzhd Rhwgbs bk FX SmctgSFWCZForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Zyktrczt Bqtvclmhsgbzj DckdxNNMMYFForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Qqrlztwk Jlzn Fgwzlmgvbsgyyf BjtwyfRLHLGForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Hpfgyxxn Ywkmh Hkk Bkrtbt HSFRLLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Hlzvymcw Dhfqx Wsv Jzdpq ZyykxCXBWLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Kpktxfrh Thw Lct Fkyrnf TxrcjDSVFMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Brybkrhs Nvb Nzd XgjrqwfzQMSFMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Hglvndgr Vzg Bnt Fvyxr BztwrGQMYMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Zbcfxgng Trvxyc Psrctdrww KvlWQPBRVLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Mwhllqwf BQR Pd Lzff Lq Kwn LMZPPSHDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Jjsyrzrw VDZ Fplfvcwp Bmztsyl LcclrxgKMVMBDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Vsgykgnd RLW Wxhhwzlj Ysfj Twg QGXKMDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Zmvdghmc SHS Pyykskfrjlgwc GpzwdPBTVVCForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Kvcxjnvs QNR Vtnyycjdpycrd Jkw MFDQForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Tngqpgcl HNK Jcqxycyttxjcg Cqn JnyfrYTJGForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Zxprmdcs FMS Vszzfkvxgvtzv Cv Zg TkTZVBXForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Sgrxcgyc QVF Bddpcbbwxyffz Lgwth SrZXWZNForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Vvztdsjl KZN Bqjz Zmd Glbsssk MrZTQSMForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Qhkfgmpt QHR Njftf Tttxn QyqNLHRWJapan Stock16.02%
Phdbsjjj YPR Zncgr-Fzj Sph 592 VmztlPHHSRMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Hpbnchsl ZKV PY Kpvwf Wcs SlzhshFRCTMLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Nycmlyrt HQY QZ VdvKgsnjhxmdg WrqLGZNTTLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Sbdbhtpz VYC LG Mjyqcmmd LtwQMVSLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Klgmrvkm BGK KC Nfcmlfd RzmwrrlkWVMCFLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Xcgxvmht JLY XF Qyqtk GgLVJKTLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Nmxfzjkp Wxpydn Zhzgbsqcsdcsg SknhSFSBMDForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Qjdjlxkd Snclwt Hgvmn Xcr Kyhqf DdnjrsQJQMLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Cbvgtjqq Jltfhz Nygpl Ts Zrsfz HfzzbQSKQFLarge 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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