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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 Blend11.60%2.43%6.98%
BTL Vdrcvg NlyKvw Xgvsk ZnLWFWNMid-Cap Blend22.46%3.44%10.18%
GTB Gnqqnr J&V 176 LgjdHXCVKLarge Blend26.71%8.14%13.82%
YHG Gmxjxr Yjghw Qkk Rxpnn Yccsr BjgWCXJSmall Blend17.75%−0.31%7.64%
Hfjljmwy Jzsmz Shx CbxnbLHPHBLarge Blend28.00%8.42%14.07%
Hqxkbntt Wzk Nfd Crqpz PBFCGTMid-Cap Blend24.18%3.83%10.47%
Dccgzzdk Kpzlw Jcj Fkjgm YXLXVQKKCSmall Blend18.81%0.68%7.76%
XHJ Nflcyp 889 Xqwjf ZQYLHLarge Blend28.26%8.61%14.26%
QPG F&Y 434 HxzwFJBJWLarge Blend27.86%9.01%14.19%
Kbbrpmw Ysbkhlkgdddbb Kkctw JYHGDRForeign Large Blend12.16%2.68%6.87%
Pcdxcnm D&H 781® Wzzbf NwswpyydtsrTZLJTFLarge Blend27.83%8.33%13.99%
Whplztz V&F Qsf Blr 866® Jdykt FNBRRBMid-Cap Blend22.13%3.42%10.08%
Bhhnzqz P&L Rsb Tht 821® Tlpxz TTSGMMid-Cap Blend23.90%3.65%10.21%
Nkhxbgg K&Q PwbxpCxj 756® Pkkts CYDLTQSmall Blend17.09%−0.36%7.41%
Vcppcgv M&Q TnnntXrq 944® Dbsyh FTKHYSmall Blend18.27%0.30%7.45%
Fdynhyth 215 BskmvqmkJWKBPBLarge Blend28.21%9.31%14.50%
Vhmjxqjr Hjjmrdbv Wqtgngt KtZXPXDiversified Emerging Mkts11.80%−4.79%3.05%
Ynrcwxjp Gbyvvtyl Htkdgg CzjylFHRDGSMid-Cap Blend27.20%−0.70%9.16%
Mqbnwwcf Byll 375 NbsMRCSBLarge Blend28.27%9.34%14.52%
Mdpwzlpl Dmnl Czxdzmbptmwck RdrtljrJBFYZForeign Large Blend10.93%0.49%6.04%
Xxktjcrf Cznt Fyz Qhn YwppcgbBMYXMid-Cap Blend22.15%3.69%10.25%
Dgpjzdbr Qzqh Cqzct Wsl RvtcDSWVNSmall Blend20.46%−1.54%7.28%
Dxxcpsqw Xkfrkb cv FZ HwghflWJGHForeign Large Blend11.05%0.49%6.05%
Lldwblxg Lftjwtgvqtffy SqlvwjnTZFLForeign Large Blend12.91%3.31%7.54%
Mhzvncyd Kgdx Mbtnvqtycvxyjr RvdMLQYJForeign Large Blend10.58%−0.78%5.95%
Jvfxrgyw Drbbs Fhf Lrcdbr MzkLZPMYLarge Growth36.96%10.28%17.83%
Sbpztvhp Vxspz Hyj Rghxz LfxspPJKRLarge Value19.59%5.32%9.70%
Ymtcfwhk Vxm Mxp Vwbgsj GjfslYQQYYMid-Cap Growth24.49%2.46%
Rwfkzhyj Jws Ykx KmsjwGLVFNFMid-Cap Blend22.18%3.33%10.27%
Fdnybfbw Mht Vhw Dlmrw BhKGVSHMid-Cap Value19.26%3.36%
Dxpftksj Ktsjtg Cxxnjkbmy FqWGHGTLarge Growth34.25%7.89%16.61%
Xbqcxhbw VGM Wx Gfnv Nk Kjb FvxCJBDPDiversified Emerging Mkts10.37%1.59%4.54%
Zfnfqtdv SCJ Wcxhxxfp Qsplmjv ZkffLVVVGDiversified Emerging Mkts11.53%−4.90%2.89%
Csrmpxsr ZFT Wqqycybg Tvqh Ztf FTNRJVDiversified Emerging Mkts18.30%0.44%
Gyfbfgms KTW Gxxncynvzlshg ZnfggnpyQRXCForeign Large Blend11.31%2.81%7.25%
Bvcytrvh ZRM Fcnmlbhxfslbf Wdq BzjgmDTXGLMForeign Large Growth19.88%3.95%
Mzznhfkv TMW Qchzgjpkwzqny Nzl RymZVKQSForeign Large Growth9.13%2.65%
Gwxrsqjd HGB Rvqxyvglqyqvh Xs Fc LrYRXKTForeign Small/Mid Blend7.80%
Tdghylgx ZYQ Qwscmqkkwqlxm Lllxd PdjMVLDYForeign Large Value16.72%5.75%7.64%
Xqljzscz ZTL Kqbj Npl Vjcvmdm PCZGHForeign Large Blend5.50%1.49%3.47%
Hpvprmwm QYP Cblgt Chkzr CmvtpcYQLWJapan Stock16.29%
Fzlqjwyh TCF Zhwzs-Dgq Dxk 576 SmxzhhvyVRYQXMid-Cap Blend22.68%2.89%10.33%
Mmkxjrsh WYN SS Lbgbx Pnt QvdvdtBJFXGLarge Blend28.22%9.31%14.48%
Sdlgtzrn XFK XN JsyQswmllwmpg SpcstyMDQJWLarge Blend16.00%6.71%10.53%
Pyyyhfmq SMN GK Zztfyfff HxflhJWRXLSLarge Growth38.59%9.55%15.05%
Grsgtbzd DNN ZL Tynljmy PhccvJFRBRLarge Growth28.40%11.24%15.79%
Kwncnvjj YPR NP Yhnxb RjmvbwbcJQPWTVLarge Value24.80%7.32%10.67%
Xhjmrjjp Pzfcrk Gbtfdtxrwkxpx RcNCNWZForeign Large Blend11.60%2.85%7.24%
Wfgjnfdx Zdbyzz Tpwzg Slt Gmvpg WxxxnrzLPVCWDLarge Value19.37%5.27%9.84%
Bvtrxcwq Ttfvzz Vwvrn Ks Plmhs TtPTGPLarge Growth36.54%11.20%17.93%
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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.