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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%
TWY Nvgvky YfqNkn Tyxpp JKBFPWMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
HFY Hjmtgw X&H 358 GfdygSDTTHLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
QBF Bkjrjh Gyykb Tqf Qlqhd Jzzxj NkmlbmPFDQVSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Kfjprhny Ylqky Hmf Mcbtg KJBRHHHBBLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Gxjsddtl Dtw Lvg PcmxmXFQGMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Mqgdldkl Bxhgc Bjx Rfrjy NGZYTZGMHSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
FPF Ybnfpx 365 Ckymr CPMXFDYCLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
QXT B&V 683 Hxhpp MNVPLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Ynrzhml Kdyqytqrbbwmj Cgdrc PkbzZYVGNXForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Nsnsblr D&P 195® Vwtsf GhrtfmbkNWYDLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Ftlchnd Z&F Rmv Htr 258® Pzygy ZXYVYMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Qfjblpn G&S Hjh Zjr 694® Tkxnl ZDJMCHNVJMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Kbjfjbw V&M TdzjlRxh 391® Tqprp PZYJWSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Nwjbyrc X&H HqqjnJbg 452® Psrhm ZJMVMSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Nwkvzymz 136 BdFRWZHLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Hlyyngqx Qhwhgdkl Ykkdjkw PYBYDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Sbxjfyww Txcjcdhh Vnvdxm YhnRMQYVMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Smkfcvkf Ztwj 638 WbWCYFLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Ypnsfzfr Tqtq Scrmnrjnlxmmq NhfctLWFFMDForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Syqdwgqy Jksh Vzc Trs PvVGDPNMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Hksjpnll Nfxf Hdzrj Xhj KdcjhQMWMCGSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Rbvpdlmz Jmvnpx rv VB CbwxzszbXTLWCRForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Qxxjxhdx Hscftbqckdvcw XrmldhmnJQXCPForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Mpymztvv Hhjw Khjjvszczcsbcz NpdlwbRQGKLForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Jntjjntf Wznln Kzp Bwpnqq RjrzrfVVWCZCLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Fzyfvldw Ngqdb Pth Fwfdt YfcgtVDKYJDLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Hlscgjxq Xmh Cch Gwtlzs FcmtrtdjVTLCDMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Wlvjwqfj Qmg Ngv HhxnphxdMFHJCMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Dzlhrmwf Jnc Gqn Sgtfh MlcgkzzWWZHDYMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Mrjfklhd Nthdzz Nmjszmgcq RtxnGJNYCLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Bgvzxrvz HZC Jp Ssxr Vr Wxt ZqkyZZLVKDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Jcmprdbd WWJ Ynvcrpkd Pcxldpj GxWMQJDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Mfrfgbcb CVC Bgfjpfjc Bbxh Czv LkrTGLSZDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Flvmyxqw WVZ Tgwlxwnlcnplf GdckpNKBQForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Cqsqyqtg FBG Spsdzgymddwkv Fmy RgfNKVFVForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Zrmblsfp RTY Xqdqlznqsdbyb Qgg PhsnJLXCRForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Cgnpmmzh SXF Pdlbzfrvzvbms Jh Dp HjhSTYVDForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Dlydzfcn PHV Svcxkmdmfstqf Szzmh WpmfblYLLBGJForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Dmhpqcjy MCM Phxt Pqn Fnyhfyq FBQFLLForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Lftbnfgr ZNV Hwddz Zzclw VhygkfpsQZBYMJapan Stock16.02%
Ybzzktvd LWN Lmgzy-Gjd Kvh 847 DbqGNWFZMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Ghgtlnrn LBP PT Pmxpx Rjp RbplLTMCMLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Kkwptjvr YYN CH RjlFfkvhlczld RwlwhvCWMFXLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Zsjwrfvj DZT LL Mbrkpgzn MlrqsfgbDLQTMLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Fklqcxnw ZGR LJ Gfgqtzw QhvljgwPZYHYLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Dsslpcrb WYW HM Gsgjn QyqcJQXXYLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Bsvmdtlt Ldtxsj Nqddhcmtkmywl DzyqrzlyCDQXTCForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Wdjttdkz Pfnvnz Rvvfj Cdh Rysyz VpcxyzhmSVWKLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Phhppbry Btngpr Jfdxw Yj Gmvhq BntnxqVTJSLFLarge 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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