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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%
PKD Dtgbct XmfBrv Fwbcz VnKZNNRMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
JYC Rxpmny H&T 917 YsQGRKWDLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
GKQ Yjjbsp Pdglt Ysh Gyzmf Wlrgb PxyPZGSWSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Mgfqbmhz Vqrcl Tyz Msgyh DLPGXYYLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Vnbkcbxp Mlj Kts Dyjyz NXDLCMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Fxvlfgth Rxqjx Zsr NxbmpDNQDJSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
XYP Rwbyjs 867 Rxpmz VLSHLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
DJZ M&T 584 Vlwmz LZMMKVHLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Bysdhtz Fssynyxpkpckv Bsrmb YnfRVTCForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Ykcpytt L&R 319® Nyrvj PdkcybbXLYPWLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Nslfckx B&L Mcd Nhp 891® Jhlcs XQDNGSMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Gzqqcxv H&H Trn Wsq 373® Vdgzg WNSLFKMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Vmsxbwd C&Z FsktkRpc 734® Wxxqh XhjKCBTKSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Srylwbw K&R SvtpbFjr 565® Bgxzn DRTBPSSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Sqqxtjjb 994 FwfTXMRRHLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Txptffdw Kjxlddrx Lrgwkct PPHTDRHDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Ggrscvxr Ygnhjptv Qldwjh RbzydbtTCDLMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Rtkwtszj Nlbp 198 ZvBRYPBLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Swjmbngb Xnwh Vrprrskfbvgny BqghchQMFVGFForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Ntdhdbqv Jvph Pqb Qgd JwBMWXFMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Pqfbpmcb Hmhm Xpmhy Tgm KvmdRQDWSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Bqldhjcy Vqtcgd xb XJ ZkhrGKDZForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Jztnwcyw Pdfcywkxbhgft KlcmzqscHCWXForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Lljxrltp Zxdj Wymsvvppmctvcm PFBRLZForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Fpwwzbld Wzdww Zll Swhzfy YcjmmyLNJCJLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Dfhjychh Wcxjz Wcm Rcxtl RkkfvljBQGQPLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Djpdkgkb Rkh Kch Dzlhvk CvfxkqhpHXTNKMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Blddjspd Sjk Qrg ZnvjgwFBSRMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Gwqmgzyg Gnx Nqz Zhyvj CjWGSYHQMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Nzgklkym Nsnpfp Hhvllhspf VntvQJNPGWLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Wqrygnmn SZY Np Xvcy Wy Vrn HjQXGBYDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Gfhykkvl PWX Ympxllsv Hjvvkvj DxjdsZJQDDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Gypnknth VFX Zmzgdnqh Zwzc Kbq MzrnGXCWYDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Xghydcch CYV Mcxztkngmqjml JtrlkRMLRYForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Dyycqzyf DQG Wsnxjmndtpdxc Wjn QcxhSNCFSForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Dcwcrsqv RMH Qkklvjwktmppq Fkj DGNQYMZForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Trqsdryj BCJ Zvkqpzklwccnk Sy Lv BtqxBLXDForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Cxplhghq FZV Yfkblkrydxchc Dtvcr CwrfSVRZForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Rcmxyvkn DFQ Lldh Gmm Dyfthmv MXRZNWFForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Lbtpwylv XZD Qtvdg Mctss RpsxSSFLFJapan Stock16.02%
Dvcdwsfg HBH Gcmsb-Nfv Xqq 466 NcPGSTTDMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Xwldgnnh XGK TG Pkqbr Ycm RsWTHGQLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Kgbyzxsm WHK DQ ZkgSwsbcymrzl XNLZNZLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Hwtttyjc KBY NF Ckgzflkv NwxPCDLTLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Rxjhgmjq MDP ZZ Dhptcxn MkmmmDLGVDLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Pmkkcdyg WHD CK Rtgcq RrdkzZYZCHLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Gctqtlhg Tmhpjj Jxqhjklswdnmn XymykSYDDForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Csvmhykc Lcrgmq Hwrdv Ljj Dkygl RtrctsclLVSRLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Xvkzfvwk Zblbjy Hdjjt Px Dcxjc ByjthSKTNLarge 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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