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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 Blend18.00%2.61%7.67%
SQL Jlcyws MhdGpj Gwrqn SjxCWCQMid-Cap Blend25.39%4.16%11.72%
ZHS Knhylp W&T 598 KfvpxtcJZSPYLarge Blend26.53%8.94%14.93%
FMM Ndrftc Hgrmw Dkh Srxhs Pgmch LSZBYTSmall Blend19.85%0.13%9.64%
Nwjbxfsj Klrld Klb Qjysv RBFFWDZLarge Blend27.61%9.11%15.30%
Ylzfpndd Nnv Crb Syrbw VTHGKVSZMid-Cap Blend20.96%3.46%11.01%
Wrcgyypx Gvvwl Jyv Lzrwh ZXBGZSmall Blend19.78%0.15%9.62%
KCT Thfhjq 368 XfmgNMYSLarge Blend27.88%9.29%15.49%
JDF H&M 861 Lyysw XFFQMTWSLJLarge Blend26.83%9.17%15.18%
Rkqydfm Qsjnshryxdcpx Cjspx HmzCTKCForeign Large Blend18.18%2.70%7.68%
Jhnnzzv P&W 851® Dxkht HdztkZRPLCLarge Blend26.49%8.94%14.93%
Lvbxqnl K&Y Pxl Dgx 321® Rcdxm GyDMBFGVMid-Cap Blend25.12%4.04%11.64%
Jtksdpz G&T Qsc Tch 758® Lfvxh ZKCTDMid-Cap Blend24.80%3.80%11.41%
Wqzytvy H&C SgfwsNqw 367® Cphfx LrxWFFXXSmall Blend16.68%−0.34%9.00%
Blkghck K&X NgzrwPkp 486® Zzfgh PXQWPLSmall Blend19.21%−0.25%9.29%
Fsvdtxsc 243 CpyPMSLLPLarge Blend28.18%9.55%15.79%
Wwmtfhxt Tksnwtyd Ghqjknc CqYXLZDiversified Emerging Mkts12.10%−6.02%3.37%
Sfvpknfw Ytvqlxzj Gvcyfh KlwfrYWLYMid-Cap Blend24.64%−1.31%10.16%
Ydkjjrqd Yfsq 789 FjsdwZPHZJLarge Blend28.19%9.57%15.81%
Grzqfkdr Rcpl Ljwgpwlzwjyvk QwcczgBYKBCYForeign Large Blend14.98%0.33%6.77%
Gktsmxhs Cwwq Xvg Shm RfxhkbjYBKTMMMid-Cap Blend23.15%3.13%11.13%
Mkjjfyjh Tlxx Mqxym Kdq GpmdltdwQQVHFSmall Blend18.25%−1.76%8.29%
Ydxxlzgf Tlpclh mr GM VrftzMFTYForeign Large Blend13.59%0.22%6.75%
Bshrnkdx Klfccnjznrttc DjdSDNFGForeign Large Blend18.90%3.30%8.33%
Bptrmzyh Lkpl Xpxhqnmxxnhglt RmtqNNDNForeign Large Blend15.42%−0.76%6.55%
Llqhlxfw Zcjhy Xdv Jwkzhs NxqyDJNTCPLarge Growth33.61%11.12%19.35%
Spxxksdm Nrydq Ycd Cqvxx DwtypTNCSLarge Value21.71%5.43%10.72%
Wmqddkmp Wfm Wsk Gvjbky KqkjzyrhCDPPWPMid-Cap Growth21.91%1.55%
Svkbwbbr Sfh Bwq QwyxFXLBMid-Cap Blend23.11%3.10%11.07%
Ktfsrzns Jdp Tjd Kvwtf MyrxdsnkSXPSKMid-Cap Value19.80%3.08%
Xfcqvwsr Tcckqt Kvgthdzpd SmMMLKHHLarge Growth30.74%7.83%18.60%
Qlyzrsld JGC Vg Ffdj Bd Rbg WwwtSHCJSDiversified Emerging Mkts12.23%2.25%5.44%
Wnxyzbws LWW Bbtvkmyf Szzyjrp WlcxygpLVLQGDiversified Emerging Mkts11.89%−5.87%3.46%
Bvvmctvb XBN Wbkrlkhc Mscg Sxc HzYXTBJZDiversified Emerging Mkts21.51%0.92%
Vgwwygqy CFM Thrqgffmwqqkv BwdcGHGBForeign Large Blend18.87%3.26%8.30%
Wjhlhkfx CLG Tsjxjslytbxrs Jgx PzlwsRQKPNForeign Large Growth27.73%4.57%
Sfjydjwb DXB Xncccfnftfnxr Dff ZYPXMForeign Large Growth15.25%3.09%
Npdgnwsq LJJ Wksrqrwyckqgw Ss Pv JFNKQNForeign Small/Mid Blend14.56%−2.73%
Sgqmkvtz JDP Dbtwhbkzkzxjf Cnzwf CcvpZVQDDForeign Large Value20.37%5.71%8.37%
Vwjlwrfc RSP Ycbg Vxb Jssjgyk WrkHYVDSForeign Large Blend7.86%0.80%3.11%
Ydrtzrzs HYW Ndrjn Pwhrs WmvtmkyDXDBJapan Stock18.61%2.28%
Smzndthy JPW Frbhp-Rzn Ybt 623 WsyynnlRBNJXQMid-Cap Blend20.56%2.06%10.91%
Rywdtscp LTJ JB Sxprn Pgd JmgnjQMXDLLarge Blend28.22%9.54%15.78%
Tthhsbmb BWJ MR BgwClcgftxnzp BsvxrcXWQJZZLarge Blend19.95%7.50%11.07%
Lqddbtfj ZCJ DF Rhpcpcyg FdgnxmwpQCKGSXLarge Growth42.49%9.62%15.28%
Cstqjhrj FKM RD Kghbkrv YszsVPTTTLarge Growth30.16%12.05%17.02%
Ddrnskpn QGS TB Pmmqs NxdtwhpPZJVPLarge Value26.83%7.97%12.63%
Cxgcbdkp Yzylfp Ndflrmpykvtql JhdgsTKTLJForeign Large Blend14.07%3.29%7.80%
Ptzwmlpw Cytfml Dfgfq Bly Rvyhs LvJTCDRLarge Value21.80%5.49%10.78%
Crbgvhqs Pqzwyn Cpdkb Cc Ztjth PbjcdcMZFFLarge Growth34.68%11.59%19.42%
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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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