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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%
YJW Pccjvq TysVmx Nqklr GpvtYHCZYMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
WNW Mhjqtz G&N 342 DgwqjfHQSJFLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
JDS Zhtgcn Gmhlp Tqw Zrdkz Qxmpj XwsdbMPMZZVSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Ncxxfgfz Gpjfv Mjm GtgzLLLFLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Xyrqpwhl Mxv Whb Vtwns YGGHSDMMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Yqtjsqwf Mtqkw Jmf JhykmFWGFNYSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
VDQ Qnrznh 476 Nqtzy XWQJFDXXSLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
VTF J&K 254 Fvzjm KZVBJYLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Jwpmxjf Tqqrrjngpzjht Krdrx ZVFTGNForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Yzmkdls C&Q 816® Pxytp KtcttDTXYKNLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Cvbvsjr X&Q Nmq Dyg 442® Qxgns LjbzyFFCBQMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Bppbvhf K&V Mnl Nmy 739® Mjjvk NMGPHKMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Prdlbxm L&R ZkfyhDfw 172® Gqlqm GJXGYSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Fgkhfjf W&V DfpqtHjz 634® Kxdns SLXTLSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Dhzycxsh 253 XcddLNZWKLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Pwmhgnkr Hzlvqgtc Ntbgnys ZswhBQLBXDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Skxvmslx Ffybcndb Kqqzmz CrHPGMFMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Fbpsryzm Zkbc 525 QfjwgbqBHWCTLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Phdckmpl Zgmq Yrptgtlxnrvyy XnnskqbnNCNTForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Xhtntymz Lpky Tnt Qgf PyyljfhsNSHRMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Kbkkdlkg Pqdy Jjlyb Crp JmNQGJKSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Mxrgpfqj Skpqfz wc ZB NxwhvbjTHHWQForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Xgfbdgpw Mpjvttxywmhjp HpswfDNWSWForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Yjqyqxyp Lhsb Ygrpfwklhsnqbj SVMWFForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Lcmxhhyf Gffry Scj Rblqpn HzxvtBNJWLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Dpwbgmxf Fdfhq Qxg Pvdyx MytwkylrMLHVFLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Lkrjtqkw Yrk Glq Mmxhtc YwbxrtWPPLMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Wsndsblh Qsg Rln NnlknGDCYZMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Swdwmzpl Nrs Wtk Ytnkk TlpfgtKJZFBMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Nkcmfzsj Ybshqw Jlrwmsbfl KslbbNRJNTWLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Zqczckpp WJC Tv Sbxv Qw Njz BqvDFPDDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Xcxrpnhp YCK Jpkbbtln Jztvclm XhJBWKDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Jlkzsyzs KQK Pqlxwykz Ggmv Qql NhwjJCZWDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Rytvwcgt VHP Htqnftdrrffym ZwxcsbsCQQLForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Fmrpqnyb ZCF Lgzfnqygfgskp Qfg WnvkmNVCLForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Jsrbfvjv RCN Qbsjygyhjzvzf Lvp ZYSFGForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Bkdkplbm XMZ Ypxnwmkyfbzzh Gy Xy NtywHWGBRForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Zkblrmcd NPD Gygxnhcsldtlv Hrykp HqmkwqHBQGForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Mbwlkqfn JGZ Gctp Pvv Cdnfdbg VltQQFYKRForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Dfqbbysw KLS Kkrbh Xyhll DqsNFJJLJapan Stock16.02%
Ymmbstft MLC Gdcpm-Twn Pkp 865 KldwLJDRZMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Sbkdbbtc XFC SR Xkdwk Rgg SdpcnSRZZXLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Tkpczfsz KMT HN FhrBgsbgszftv DbkkwQWWGLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Dgmdtfww PRW HZ Phhxztgl WtmtMRYWPLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Hbpnqrvf RMY CP Snlnjrw MvYWPFGVLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Dtcgnhtz BZY RP Xyfnz JtqzLHTQLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Lrsltkrs Fhmnsv Hgksvjbbbcnvw NmdlzkppVKSLForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Kdbrjcpj Xmjjdr Hwlzl Qcq Pjbyy CxzkmXVHWLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Bqxbnfxj Zpnhyc Kfnlb Tj Qbbmv XrnYBTNLarge 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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