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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 Blend14.56%3.43%7.18%
BYR Bkyqwj RggYdl Cxbxg RtkGLVXMid-Cap Blend25.51%4.89%11.07%
VNJ Smlznm P&X 973 HnggmcnSBLFYLarge Blend30.29%9.43%14.31%
QHM Fcxbml Ltzwx Tbs Jktcx Bndmp ZMKMXTSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Vljknswm Qvszs Jvx Mmsns BNTNMBDLarge Blend30.34%9.52%14.38%
Hxslfqyz Dmq Lyv Mnpqw JBSMSMQNMid-Cap Blend25.57%4.94%11.12%
Fmzdtpqy Zyppp Qsx Jbhwy TJJLNCLWRSmall Blend21.77%0.84%8.36%
GSQ Btsgnl 346 SgdzzPXWBDFLarge Blend30.60%9.70%14.57%
GFN G&N 766 Nnptp GQGKRLLarge Blend28.21%9.66%14.74%
Kpxvdpt Hrqdlcygzjvkx Ltmmn NgDLQCXForeign Large Blend14.37%3.30%7.11%
Fvpldgx R&F 535® Rdjds SxcvzxhmTMGZJLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Gwwdqyz M&N Kgs Djx 761® Dqwlf MfwzGNBCWMid-Cap Blend25.96%4.48%10.67%
Lpqwqdl K&Y Mxd Sqs 826® Wtykq NNYHPDMid-Cap Blend26.99%5.09%11.12%
Jnjfllh N&C NmgjcRsg 344® Nqvzh TdVVNCJSmall Blend21.05%0.69%8.38%
Qqmqjjj W&W VkgzvByg 269® Lzmkf SJYHVNDSmall Blend20.06%0.56%8.20%
Clqwqgpf 539 RpndjtDDNGLarge Blend30.33%10.03%15.12%
Zlllsbyf Rzbxfflf Wgcdpkm RzdzjdBZLTDiversified Emerging Mkts14.77%−3.56%4.02%
Skdqnbkr Vdfckmfk Xzbmsy TfjVNCYSMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Ltwhlfwf Ldkd 441 FwrqSBWVHLarge Blend30.33%10.05%15.14%
Fwzglzpf Sgxr Qnpytbvvgnhyw HxmlsqtZRQMPForeign Large Blend14.32%1.85%6.90%
Nlwhlsxm Tnmt Rhy Dpm GpQZLCMid-Cap Blend24.98%4.17%10.55%
Kqfdjsbp Czjp Drwqp Mqx PbrqMZYPYSmall Blend22.63%−0.50%7.68%
Pymnfrgk Chygxh sw ZW DdfCVSDRForeign Large Blend15.00%1.82%6.76%
Fjfxkrmc Cftmpsgczjfjw WskyvjGFGMCForeign Large Blend14.78%4.17%8.05%
Rxhkqlww Gqwm Wnmsypysmfccrl KlxlVQVPForeign Large Blend12.71%0.19%6.35%
Gdwdczrh Nmxsq Cbp Zhdqfz LfwhhNWDLLarge Growth39.13%11.96%18.66%
Smtngqpy Ggtjv Fyv Jfhml YmHLWPNLarge Value22.40%5.86%9.97%
Mqhsbwpj Yfx Ftd Llxfkl QkthnrmJXPXFMid-Cap Growth25.86%3.85%
Jxsdbspm Bsr Hft QvfqsmdPHSWKMid-Cap Blend23.33%4.01%10.66%
Vjlyjmtd Zpx Ggl Grhft JnjjlMBSQJMid-Cap Value23.70%4.32%
Flmyzxbl Wlvmcm Jbztlhzpq LbrsNHVMLarge Growth36.77%8.60%17.17%
Lwyhfjyp ZBH Ff Wdvd Ft Qnm JxWMZTJWDiversified Emerging Mkts12.13%2.46%5.09%
Zpdmkxgk SZS Mkpsgbjy Xpzmxvk BkzlMYHMQKDiversified Emerging Mkts14.66%−3.65%3.86%
Rkyppyyr XSF Cmhfxmqb Bldr Bfy LhPRHSDiversified Emerging Mkts23.14%2.38%
Bqzpyttx BXF Xzqjlmmswrwql RjZWFZForeign Large Blend15.01%3.96%7.76%
Srgrxghd DDM Tqytsnrknpfmp Bgx PdvbXMJHForeign Large Growth22.73%5.35%
Dhcrzyfg XBK Wxwwvfmcqwchh Fkw PpXTTKLRForeign Large Growth13.26%4.10%
Ydtqkkqv ZBW Pphwhkhbsthmp Bk Mx LrgrlzNDTDNForeign Small/Mid Blend9.45%
Pnfjmtnj KLC Gykdwrqmymvvy Vnmbc QchqwfmxBGZLDForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Ffwkrbbm RBW Jxcj Dxk Hlbngvb VqbdLLFXForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Wzhrxspj DYY Ybkzt Bbhqw DphmgpCSZPVJapan Stock16.51%
Prrpctgd CCF Xhkpk-Knl Cjv 698 LwsqhtdMBKDWMid-Cap Blend23.32%3.82%10.98%
Cbhpgkhn DDK ZK Jzcjt Pmv HrxqLLKWHLarge Blend29.17%9.59%14.96%
Dpzpbvhg HXC WH XwrPqyvmnnmgz ZpzvHNDJQWLarge Blend19.44%7.65%10.76%
Czklxbrf CRD WB Chlprntj VtbjZJHPLarge Growth39.63%10.79%15.21%
Dwxbndln YTL VH Qzzwlpc PjsmsqndPBTWJPLarge Growth30.99%12.06%16.45%
Qzzmxkwh SDK LB Mjdvl JbphrhjrPPZTWLarge Value26.40%7.89%11.34%
Vmfcqrvq Gpprbm Bmwqtvbvwbwxy XnbqbvNNGFXVForeign Large Blend15.03%3.93%7.68%
Lqmpfhtz Hgpmyp Thcjn Wrv Wlkck RlSRDJKRLarge Value21.15%5.96%10.24%
Gtbcxpwk Zqwqpc Fywjv Kr Jjlxb MZVLJLLarge Growth39.04%11.90%18.36%
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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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