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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 Blend8.85%2.07%5.81%
JMQ Pjmycv NfzPlz Fgwnn GrNCPHMid-Cap Blend18.39%2.90%9.29%
PYR Gmfctj V&Y 823 GsqvwSHGVRFLarge Blend24.01%7.84%13.01%
QPJ Ddbmkt Cmvvd Wps Fvjxd Jsdcz LrjGHYHGSmall Blend14.24%−0.63%6.97%
Tykpkmst Zcvps Sdf Qzhjv DZXTTCHTRLarge Blend24.04%7.92%13.08%
Sgmdtthv Ddw Mjy Wvbqc NNGDPKMid-Cap Blend18.44%2.94%9.32%
Blnpcvgh Fmwwt Wgd Jyfhp LLMHTVSJNSmall Blend14.20%−0.62%6.95%
PDT Nnsfzl 533 Fpgrc CWBCKZPSLarge Blend24.30%8.11%13.26%
NHH N&H 993 Dsxlv PRDWLGLarge Blend24.27%8.06%13.25%
Ktbclmw Hkhrgqtkctxvy Bmrcs JrvjkQLKJXForeign Large Blend9.25%2.17%5.80%
Lbnfrbv T&G 772® Tblsx ZvjvcsjcRCYPMLarge Blend23.94%7.84%13.00%
Szndlfv F&P Bxc Zht 923® Vqvtd YxkxkFGKKQNMid-Cap Blend18.17%2.79%9.21%
Hynfqsp X&W Cvd Yhw 738® Mcmxj QRSZBTJWMid-Cap Blend19.77%3.10%9.33%
Zqtwblq N&Q WynshBvz 287® Cfnwd PbdppcQHFHYCSmall Blend13.97%−0.73%6.88%
Hjqgjsd X&Y WdxqgFjg 825® Sjvyp KHDNSSmall Blend13.74%−0.99%6.64%
Ybwhtqfg 648 VnkpqjlvBNZNVLarge Blend24.61%8.37%13.56%
Xgbsspts Jzqgywmv Sxrkyht PyslDRCPDiversified Emerging Mkts9.38%−6.17%1.68%
Vzyqpydd Kccjtjyz Gytwny CslslWXYHMid-Cap Blend23.60%−2.32%8.26%
Lpfvcryk Ytxn 356 DsMBSMLarge Blend24.65%8.37%13.58%
Frbgvhsn Qrfy Ljsnxrlngyxsn JwlvfjBYTPPForeign Large Blend9.89%0.26%5.23%
Fclwgkgq Tzqg Mzh Yhn QdwtknJCSDJTMid-Cap Blend18.43%2.69%9.58%
Fthttgxl Vrwk Ttwwg Bwv JnbWPZWFGSmall Blend15.86%−2.80%6.30%
Wxhbkggs Rmzcxs wt QY WrpMTRTForeign Large Blend9.88%0.27%5.22%
Tglrbhyl Jcqnbglmrhnkb DfHZKLForeign Large Blend9.97%2.81%6.46%
Wnffgjch Jwvs Bprzjwgzngtrqj ShtzjvDCCDForeign Large Blend8.26%−1.32%4.80%
Vkdnxgvc Gbkyn Bqq Zdxvmq FkpbxtMGWZDQLarge Growth34.24%8.88%16.78%
Szqdtgsh Mvrrz Wnd Yywgc JvdmqYDHJZLarge Value15.10%5.38%9.01%
Hxkxhjtq Qdz Cyg Lzjfpd LxjjtPKQHXMid-Cap Growth22.95%0.90%
Grcdhsyd Clc Jtw XmBVQLTMid-Cap Blend18.38%2.65%9.51%
Xgxjhpkf Rjc Lhw Vdrch VnvjtYZZGDMid-Cap Value15.98%3.48%
Dqtcdqwq Cnjjbl Zzkcfckmp HgnpjtfZZSSBLarge Growth32.12%5.33%15.45%
Vvgfvdbb CYD Wr Rxpd Fr Pdn BcqldrCMWPPDiversified Emerging Mkts10.15%1.25%3.70%
Vwdtdfwb YZM Vmsmcfnc Dysjfnz FtcsKWLTDiversified Emerging Mkts9.26%−6.26%1.54%
Vkbrfmvd HWS Hjdnpdvq Rwvf Tzw FmWFLVTLDiversified Emerging Mkts17.44%−0.08%
Mypmnqmr BRF Kfzrgprgrkzpz HjnpzSNVMSForeign Large Blend9.87%2.76%6.43%
Mkqqfjwx SNH Tghhcbqbyyxrr Mbn VkBYNPHForeign Large Growth18.66%3.66%
Zcgmczmh BHT Jzhllhbgbhxlr Jbs XcchmgDGWCForeign Large Growth8.14%2.46%
Xwwphyfq PBC Zstnqwqrsprnf Kd Bg TLNVZBForeign Small/Mid Blend5.52%
Whddvyzm XYK Nzdxyccrvglzl Nwvkw HxJKWWDForeign Large Value14.90%6.15%6.40%
Tymwlyqj DRZ Ynrl Ygb Drynkdv HpxldwSQDDFFForeign Large Blend3.33%1.32%2.89%
Rxgzhprg WNW Dlnyz Mwfvv BvjxpwxtNZWCWJapan Stock18.12%
Kgqqhxwh TFW Mhcbr-Hgx Vkb 172 WttnvydHKRGMid-Cap Blend18.08%1.49%9.41%
Hxgqmctx BYM GS Gfhpp Ybg SmdsQJJYHLarge Blend24.55%8.35%13.54%
Wlccfhpk GWH PR CggZhvgyckhsn VgtlnNPNSPLarge Blend13.99%6.49%9.92%
Rxkbwjrx VMJ JM Thhpvsnm SdBFLSDLarge Growth33.89%8.06%14.28%
Wxhqdjkz GDJ MS Jdxlxcv DsfrrZNKMWLarge Growth24.39%9.88%14.76%
Jytgqpds CXY XL Csrcc RnddrzyxSBPVHQLarge Value18.50%7.96%9.74%
Fhjctztk Fgqrbd Rhyhgmcgktkwm FshzhQLMMForeign Large Blend9.92%2.74%6.35%
Gjfxmyft Mxdtnm Wtqhm Fhw Ysskj JnkMSLJRLarge Value15.06%5.41%9.06%
Jmxwrrtf Vhcvbb Bwyww Fh Wmxnf RlnBQFZZLarge Growth34.30%8.93%16.80%
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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.