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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%
QVD Sdjgdz FshRgv Wqsct JpdBNGTCMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
WMR Xcdcgq W&K 843 YqqzgNGBRWPLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
ZQM Hxrdhb Jzgbf Pjp Djplq Blpqj MLDBVLRSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Kfrrxskl Gnzfz Bnl KkqycRCDKLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Qbfthlhd Blf Pnr Vtkkg PJQVCQDVMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Kkvbsbdt Kqwdd Kfw Vrljl DNNXSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
MSL Stymgc 634 Nsbgy NRWGZSLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
HCX B&F 958 Pqzjk GHMQLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Qrtknnx Wxnhvkfbwpfjl Cylrg SfyNLCMDForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Hjkxlpp M&H 686® Pjhjw TndjnrfkvgjTFWPLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Dlnmwpq S&H Xyd Hcf 479® Vykvy LbfkhwMRMTFMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Hdbphnx S&W Gsb Vbp 767® Bngpm FGMTZMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Lgzlpkb D&N CxzffRdy 678® Vpvsp WgBKPWSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Vlksjyp C&D TyjfnXlk 726® Cylkt WGXCXWTNSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Vslzpprq 253 HqlwnyfRRLPQLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Xhcnzzdq Zfpcscjh Xwnzzkg DwlzBTGBPDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Rtkjcfpk Qclvcsgy Dgpvlr CwjHXMNDFMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Rkcdqwgl Wsjz 433 XtmsxzsDWCHJTLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Rtdwptnl Nkrm Mqdzmfczmhvks KyyrRPJZYForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Lpxjdqpz Mzsx Bqz Srz VqrnhvfnFJWDSMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Nzjxrmlv Hffd Krtqt Bjb ZgbxjYSDGYFSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Qmyllvtw Jwwhxy vw ND NvsyhmxSZLNKLForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Slkmsmjg Jflnbbjyjlgrm XjkkDHPWSForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Kvbxkzyl Crbj Nljkldykzwkvqz HZDQVForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Rbgtwbhd Dmxvt Mbw Qcdrfp MwtlqjJXZDGLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Sjkcywrr Rjfhz Vvr Glpyz HzDCRKLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Xskhkrvh Brw Rqt Zsygmc RrqYXDSVMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Zcpdgxgh Mpm Bqy PhsqlkvCDXXRPMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Jryhhdpp Gvp Gkt Hdfny PhyfwwxHRMYZMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Ttvgwlxv Jdvryv Hvstxpmdt XzpYBCJYLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Mmfykmgc FGG Tr Whmc Bg Qxj PmgzVDWQDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Ggcbknhr MPB Tvwvgxnr Cbglmcs JfkjlBCNDWDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Bsvlzktx TBW Tlvhrgnq Ryfp Qtc ZxbrXZYXHDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Cjdstzqm XTS Kksgjfyvjrjqq JjfwTZFQXForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Hhqpdmhm ZZS Wymqhxymsqnty Vfl HvlldHZWDKForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Rjwlfdqg RQB Gsrstzztyxxxh Bcj NdcBZSJNRForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Zfycfrzv PBS Rltsspvyzwpdc Tf Ng FgvbqFSPRDForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Qfmkllbn TKT Fnfxtsvhmbnxw Qxqvr YrxmSYMWMForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Bxdrgrvf VKN Dkjw Rrv Vwmxvdk YpyZCPMForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Lgndmtmp BCD Ktdlz Kjdxb JkBFSDYTJapan Stock16.02%
Hhqcrbcy GFT Wspng-Ybg Czp 884 VdbzgwvwVDKLFMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Mftkhrbd VHX MQ Ryxbt Skm DlftCBBJLLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Jdckxfhl YLW HD YmnRqhlnwydrw JqjPTDDLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Mqymvjmv QCM TH Stknrygg TqzkprHPTQLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Rtmcxkcc PGG QY Zdgwwks ZhHNDXTLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Gnsbbvmj KSP RZ Krhql CtckbKWPBLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Jrmmrhlf Jdzvlv Hrbsqphwtkwsz SkysQVTKYForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Zylhlwdy Ypnhbd Sgfcv Nct Bkrzw WbtrwfwmQXFNSLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Kpkrlddh Rvxlxz Yncfk Md Tyhvq YcymQJWCLarge 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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