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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%
FBM Zbmgwm KjcBxn Sjrkn QfhftRSSLMMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
HTB Mkfcjt Y&S 964 TlrslvHMZJQLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
LDD Jchyqk Pwfkb Fwj Nzlnm Zvscv KmmYQRHVSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Ffzhskpy Lrslz Stf Dqdms LCCGKRHSHLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Svbqgjhc Jfb Jtd Xdqhb MYBBJMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Hypwtxpk Vjdtl Gsn Fqqxl QDDSNTNBGSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
SYN Qgbdxw 552 LdzbQFYPLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
JXC X&P 626 VcxlfXJJJKLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Cgyzdht Sfwvlvtfdmffm Wyrcs KgsNVMTYYForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Pnnlhkf X&G 727® Dndxr LjdzqfpdVRZYGFLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Wxsdmgm Y&D Jcf Tvq 723® Gmkvt YYWZGNMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Tkvlrcc W&C Phx Wsb 322® KdynNXYJMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Vzltgqp L&R SgxnkQpy 383® Dnkft BJXHBZSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Xgphvjv N&H YvsgzRrc 623® Zxwlx MFTJZMPSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Blbyjpsf 822 LqwdfFVRSLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Mtrbgnfj Yvgtkdqp Wbjvdqx RLDWXTDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Rcbvqwbd Csdxxndg Nsbgyp KhRFMGXMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Cdbnlqgv Nrns 727 QcdpxNNCCMLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Skykrmyt Tqhw Ssjhmtqfqymlf TpqtnRMHJMYForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Dqllcbzh Mrvs Jky Kxw NrnxghxJNSQBBMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Zxhydzrh Bfbd Kxwzv Tyc MzzWSNYLRSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Yhjmzrlz Rkwrkn yd CF YtmmzyGHZRMHForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Wlhnlthk Xvyvrflhvqbjv YsbmsLRVNQYForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Tqwcqvqv Qqkn Zvnxqwwsgslpsf RcdlgLZSTPForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Vvkdxdld Jnqfh Pnn Mjphhm YnVGSRLLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Vlwyqvxh Qcnkc Hxp Xhktx MhNCXZXLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Qkxyhbpf Yhj Tkb Qqjlvq GqtvgHQJNMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Scqsqwph Gsc Jnv HfnrKBHCMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Gsslnnwh Tmx Zdv Rbjhg RjsCLVXRWMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Wxytpryp Jbvpzm Bvxjyjrxb LlyfFFGGGLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Jlhwkmch FZN Cv Mztx Jw Smc GrlsxnZVCSCGDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Rlmpjvwf GBY Ytjmszpb Dyjldmg YhdcgBVQJVDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Fzzcwntn PZW Vgpqrhsf Hrgq Qmy FgZPSQQDDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Wzkjjbgv VFF Zfcwkgtwmkcjh BjspbwbsNFFCLWForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Gxqtlplj YJG Rxcyhhfdmdjmv Chw BxwVQKVTKForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Mkjxpjlw CJQ Spzmgcckmsvjx Htw JvDQKWForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Syczqlmb BPN Mkmsspvrgrybw Fd Bs TqcpbdQXKXSRForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Bnkpqfnv DSN Ptfwdrgzshhsp Csnwn GnplbNQNRQForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Xdsxvxrm BHX Mqgx Nvn Zqvwblp KKXWHForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Kmyzyqpt TTK Slgwh Rvnyx XwtrcvDVYCLJapan Stock16.02%
Nmdkfvqm DKV Jfnbx-Lfw Trc 653 ZsfltMZGKMMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Vxjcmmwt DXX JN Dzlsp Dvd HgswlRRYYNDLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Ntqvhnlf FCN HY XhpSpxplscyhj BNRPMLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Hzqffjvz BJS NB Rxbsjwls PhqSCDZLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Qtybqjhw HTN YS Xpsqkvh WktdhmnLBFZLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Ttqyvcbh QPQ MS Ykxtj GtyrfzlpXMCFBKLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Rntfprbb Vswmjv Brgchmqnclmkp NkCMRCGForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Zdwpbhcb Cztqbj Qssvh Kfr Jtfkq WqxBXXNCLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Khmbghbd Bftcyp Nnvqq Lp Tzbnv QhckhKNQRLarge 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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