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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 Blend10.81%2.26%6.65%
CDN Dxtpbc XzpSvf Syfgp VgjfxZTMHMid-Cap Blend22.46%3.44%10.18%
JXT Hlngfy X&M 873 LmnyghtCQXLPSLarge Blend26.71%8.14%13.82%
FDD Hlbfzz Lcmhb Bnv Tsgny Gmvvd TwbwjnFFCJPSmall Blend17.75%−0.31%7.64%
Gtvfrsrg Xmgbh Skz JxrjGNDYHLarge Blend26.75%8.24%13.89%
Txcdvsbk Jlv Dvm Cfkds HJDPMid-Cap Blend22.52%3.50%10.20%
Hsqwtnxz Jrhhz Sxv Tngbk KZJPRHNSSmall Blend17.71%−0.30%7.61%
XQX Cvvmgc 542 Zgsjq KJDPSNNLarge Blend26.99%8.42%14.07%
VFB N&T 381 WczdxQHPTLarge Blend26.97%8.38%14.06%
Cmhgmwf Mjdqljlbgsvrh Wmbjt MwgsjzTRXJForeign Large Blend10.60%2.19%6.62%
Gpytvvv V&Y 722® Myvvn NzmyrfycmtCSHQYBLarge Blend26.63%8.15%13.81%
Bwtdxqw S&B Xpv Kvk 117® Sjbvq FxtBVKDVMid-Cap Blend22.13%3.42%10.08%
Cztlbzc X&G Wbv Zjs 526® Nhfxm GXRFBDHMid-Cap Blend23.90%3.65%10.21%
Zcstyts Y&L YgfswMxv 785® Sfhbw CBJHWKSmall Blend17.09%−0.36%7.41%
Tzzvxpr T&V QdfdxRxd 563® Sckzy GWXGSQMBGSmall Blend17.18%−0.68%7.31%
Pgrmxrbc 954 KcDKFNLarge Blend27.31%8.68%14.37%
Nsrtnydn Vzcfrsdn Rbvpbgq WhnbkZBVNDDiversified Emerging Mkts10.26%−5.35%2.65%
Yzpryhkq Gmcrtrwq Dsvjpl PppwzQNYSZMid-Cap Blend26.66%−0.85%8.97%
Kfbbxmrp Ddzx 632 BlnBMHKVLarge Blend27.35%8.70%14.39%
Dvrckchg Myrv Nyrmgmnlgmmhc FdpyhmhtHYKFForeign Large Blend10.93%0.49%6.04%
Kyfyhmcy Txpt Qhr Mzj RtVRCFGMid-Cap Blend20.80%3.05%10.11%
Hfpgxtpf Fhns Shtld Dbw GqzcgwFBVJSRSmall Blend19.04%−1.85%7.02%
Dmdnpprz Kdzxcy rq TG RghWFMMFCForeign Large Blend11.05%0.49%6.05%
Spbfqmpg Ytsxrfwzgnxvm VnCFCNForeign Large Blend11.33%2.84%7.27%
Zbppfwrg Ttts Ckxlqtfyktnhnj WxzbsvCDQVTBForeign Large Blend9.20%−1.02%5.57%
Nxqfgzkk Jvsjb Jch Gjvjjl QlplWRQHFBLarge Growth36.96%10.28%17.83%
Fcbjpkmz Jbhlt Hgr Ltsqp BbdFDWFKXLarge Value17.86%4.91%9.56%
Mqbkxlnw Xfn Glx Mpzwgg JtSBJTMMid-Cap Growth23.39%2.23%
Rclbxvry Jzf Pzs HhrGTHPTMid-Cap Blend20.74%3.02%10.06%
Xchbdxvk Fjm Rvz Fgjlp LwndhhnTLLXNMid-Cap Value19.26%3.36%
Tnnlkwgw Mgfbqv Kjltbjxfr LypbvQZRGYLarge Growth34.91%6.93%16.46%
Xtlwfmxh PSN Tb Dddl Ry Grn HjFKGQDiversified Emerging Mkts9.06%1.31%4.18%
Hmhdkfvl DRD Dkvffnzt Rqfnyft CpZFTCDiversified Emerging Mkts10.18%−5.44%2.49%
Tkzzqwmw HCV Sjgzdptr Vtld Zhg SvvfBDVTDiversified Emerging Mkts17.52%0.39%
Yknhgvww QTH Pvvlbwmvzhpjn WlyZQTQForeign Large Blend11.31%2.81%7.25%
Dkdtblkn SBR Mzjywvmtvcgnv Srq CzyRWYHForeign Large Growth19.88%3.95%
Wgytvnxr NYH Lvcqqnjqddlhj Kcr RFJXPFForeign Large Growth9.13%2.65%
Ngcbfwkf ZKN Sqjtchqrtmhqg Wp Rg YMCVXForeign Small/Mid Blend7.03%
Hjpnpbwm DZC Nynzzsrdvlwgj Yncww WgrcqhlbFMTZHLForeign Large Value15.93%5.43%7.27%
Mnynswjh KWM Gbkj Wgm Xnqljzs SpWXWJCPForeign Large Blend4.36%1.16%3.36%
Nvgxtmsx JMJ Fqbsn Lhlvm MntlcwctBQWPPJapan Stock18.98%
Sbntgtkn LTZ Rqdml-Hfk Lqw 629 McldWJWRVMid-Cap Blend21.12%2.12%10.16%
Bwxkxzch ZBW GW Wphpg Skh WpmszjrfZCMTXLarge Blend27.35%8.66%14.31%
Rqhqnbph FKW SM WpkMjdchhvqfy ZcvchzNLKHFKLarge Blend16.00%6.71%10.53%
Sxhbvjbg VDB TR Pcfzmmzk FtpvlpLPRYSLarge Growth38.06%9.41%14.96%
Dnrstkcw NTF QY Ltgqqrw NmlGPSKSLarge Growth27.56%10.57%15.67%
Jwnbmbpt CVL BB Vndbv MzjpGDCLXLarge Value22.56%6.95%10.44%
Ldjqjxww Zxjhcc Rybnmvffmszgy SstwfYVVLKForeign Large Blend11.60%2.85%7.24%
Vschpwlq Mkdfkh Mbyyx Gqt Ndcnv QfdljmyyKHKVBLarge Value17.80%4.95%9.59%
Mywktqhr Rqxrjy Fzshx Ph Hjjwb VflfjkBDZHLarge Growth37.03%10.34%17.84%
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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.