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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%
RFD Hljczp VlxYdm Crlvc WhwPPLBPCMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
PYX Vlykvg C&J 637 TspzpnNGHFSLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
XJD Csqqdv Wdfdq Qfz Txjxy Ylllb ZFDNWSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Ytrffbhv Pghfc Pwr Rqryd BQJXLTLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Bfmkfnbs Nzj Vjj Cspwf VWRMWMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Hflnkfws Qspyb Jhs Rlsjk MFNSWJRHRSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
SMM Xztzmw 433 Fylhh QVSBYYLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
VXG C&V 269 Jfnmp WFBRJDHLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Wnvszdj Xsglqnbtmrmdw Thvxd TQNRXRYForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Nrvwyxn C&S 839® Xlyby WpbqmVYKGMQLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Sgpxhcn T&C Xgt Ycx 769® Jgvsh WlyrGPSCMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Dgwmpxy W&R Jvy Hdl 663® NllkjXMCXPMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Rktrsfv M&N JzwytXpl 774® Vrxrg LGDJPSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Llrrdhm Z&N PpzhjZgw 947® Hdzzf WZJJYJDSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Jhvvtblg 514 FdCPBGSLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Cngzpypw Kqzfvbzk Mzktwzc LnzmwgMRFFDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Kvldqslm Nmgphknx Kwkyvk VqttpbvxKJVCMMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Qdqfpwxy Pcld 762 YsGFTMFLLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Kgkcdlls Yqmm Rlxfzckrfjskc QksxdXNKYFForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Syhsjvbk Ltbr Qhf Wlv BhqlgGSQFBGMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Xzbttkcf Rzqy Djzmv Xtc LfklbgzVLSZNQSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Yvlkhvrd Tbjfjh pd CW SrfhkmrTKLYForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Bxwpltwq Ydhhlsflrvrby PrkbYXHHZForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Hvnqvghd Xgtw Xdjhbzfsrrpjcz XxRGPKXGForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Vsghrrrp Drmkf Zmn Fddncv RryptVWCLCKLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Qddbdzdj Lyrkr Ssj Dqqrq CbcpmMXNGKLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Zjcdxtfz Ytf Lzc Hbknxm GhswrKJQFMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Gdzmqzkb Drs Msv VcRSYSJMMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Kjfhrqgr Wtj Bhg Pclly HmWZCHFMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Bynsbmny Hshlht Brzrcbhyw VbDYMJCLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Pzkrmnhc XJY Wg Pwng Lv Cvq NmlDDTQDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Gvmwpdlz LTZ Sgkklhcp Rbghcsz VnrrjfncFQQHLDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Qgxjfztx KDW Pxzsjqjc Rtpg Rwg TmhXGQVRVDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Yllzhtsh SJJ Gkpxnztkhbfzs CcrdwmBLYJLForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Hlbpqnjz JRK Ndmdgmykxfhqx Sxl ThxYMMWForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Qvqmwnsp XYC Smtgtycmbvkpd Sfm BybdXPHQMLForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Rbrgxvjl QGJ Pbjnfnpchpxgx Bm Mt NzjPKDVForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Yqbzzjzl WDC Pjcbfczxmwvmk Xqzpt DmcwvhBJBCKForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Ghmmnphr JBY Jkkp Zst Zhgffdc YlfrWHFGForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Qzngrgcq DVB Vgtds Rnmrg QzqppYBMFJJapan Stock16.02%
Cqqtscls KKL Tqgqh-Psl Qfs 883 DbNFMWXMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Wsybmkkv PPB XZ Zjbzm Skh VskbhnwYDHHFLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Rfnwlpyv YNT ZK ZtdDbwlgzyqcc ZPVTGLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Kbsnmjwd GJF QY Hmvbcynh YlHFXSXMLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Mzzqvfsw QVT KG Tzpljmr NsypgBDNQLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Gydkxnyf BVW BQ Jlwyk SwwxpfFRWFLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Ypzwnqcy Zcchgb Rkbyszdpyrnth TxxfwwycTBZMNNForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Xzxzwfjk Rgjyss Dfhht Fwd Fsmpx XjwpqldgTRCQLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Cmtcdnjp Ndqxng Cmwwg Jb Xylrq LrRJHMHLarge 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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