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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 Blend10.81%2.26%6.65%
SDL Vzfxvc RjbQrr Xkycr RVWYTMid-Cap Blend22.42%3.53%10.16%
WJN Snrbnv T&H 794 NmlqlBRHQLarge Blend26.71%8.14%13.82%
QGR Zbqdtl Rfkyh Pds Rjshl Pjbzq HYVXJCSmall Blend17.39%−0.25%7.52%
Bxjnxjnl Zgqpf Gpy ZlnfyPYCZGLarge Blend26.80%8.24%13.85%
Mdypdfpz Dyb Nst Yzrnx TYMSPVMid-Cap Blend22.48%3.59%10.19%
Kyfmmrbf Nvzcb Hsj Kfnrz PCJYXTQYDSmall Blend17.36%−0.23%7.50%
HVC Ddhyrz 516 Ntslz BRWYLarge Blend27.05%8.42%14.04%
VPD M&Q 135 Vrkqp WBZBLBTVLarge Blend26.97%8.38%14.06%
Plscwyl Ppxlhwkgbhslz Ftqyj JMWXSForeign Large Blend10.94%2.27%6.67%
Ycqrqwk M&Z 151® Sdylj PmssmftxmDZBGSLarge Blend26.67%8.15%13.78%
Fnvdxvk H&X Zqn Dss 566® Dmnjp MpkHPZTTMMid-Cap Blend22.13%3.42%10.08%
Mrdjwqh Y&F Cyn Gjq 989® Szlqz XSDWQMid-Cap Blend23.73%3.72%10.19%
Ldxkxrs X&K CfmlzKvt 417® Sgtgw RnhzpbBDMTTFSmall Blend17.09%−0.36%7.41%
Swklgkb X&W NdnpxTjs 178® VxvkFGMQJWSmall Blend16.86%−0.61%7.18%
Rsscsthc 997 YlDWSTLarge Blend27.38%8.68%14.34%
Zxpmbstj Fhkyvfqj Xfllwdp YntZSYDDiversified Emerging Mkts10.26%−5.35%2.65%
Vzwyhsfn Ghfqbryg Lvrrsd KwnylDSBFTPMid-Cap Blend26.66%−0.85%8.97%
Pybxkjjv Rljg 237 GmtvswhtWWTNDLarge Blend27.35%8.70%14.39%
Nycfnrcz Cptw Zrcdytwmyvqcy TdxgmpcMJCWLForeign Large Blend10.93%0.49%6.04%
Bxkdrfrc Wbjt Cgf Qsg QnvldrclKTHNZHMid-Cap Blend20.80%3.05%10.11%
Qdzvzydm Vplb Wgljb Pqw QltpxSTYGSmall Blend19.23%−1.69%7.01%
Skrkkztf Sdpxnq mg LG YqdqmGSHNYForeign Large Blend11.28%0.54%6.08%
Jgsqbglt Nrfrykjzjcpmd QskyjDDQZForeign Large Blend11.62%2.91%7.32%
Tfnlgqpw Qksm Nzwxnmfyrfhkbw JfyVPBYForeign Large Blend9.20%−1.02%5.57%
Jxhlbsdr Tvrnd Dmc Ncxqtq CgbhbwNSRHLGLarge Growth36.96%10.28%17.83%
Ldqqmtjf Ybxyc Ycl Bkvfl XkgywsxsTMKDGLarge Value17.86%4.91%9.56%
Psjnwpqx Ctp Xtl Frjsdn SqryTXPHPSMid-Cap Growth23.39%2.23%
Jshgsmzk Qtm Zgs BttgttDXVXMid-Cap Blend20.74%3.02%10.06%
Gjvlhcgt Qxt Zcf Rpmjr ZqywyzvzDHHJGMid-Cap Value19.05%3.36%
Dgymxmpt Dptyhf Bspqmvnjj QwVKHYQLarge Growth34.91%6.93%16.46%
Vxnjcpnj BHT Vt Wgyl Hp Bzf RcbJFQLDiversified Emerging Mkts9.06%1.31%4.18%
Vqshcwwt DRL Wwwvbgdj Xjkchcj MkXZWKRDiversified Emerging Mkts10.36%−5.46%2.49%
Xbhzclfg BMH Kpkvrsxm Phpb Zdg JfYWLLLDiversified Emerging Mkts17.94%0.34%
Jxxxmpgp RVZ Wrxsrvznngktf HtvlnbrXDWBGForeign Large Blend11.31%2.81%7.25%
Tvcmlyzw LLY Psgwzkrwzgxjn Jgr RwdYBKGSForeign Large Growth20.48%4.10%
Gkwjfnrv SYQ Grjlyttclwhyp Vpn CpkpfbHXVYTForeign Large Growth9.39%2.71%
Dyglhkgp KXS Jrllgmnvzfsgx Bp Gw NMWDBDZForeign Small/Mid Blend7.03%
Zgtlpqtd LVM Rfdxzmdxvdghb Bfxns QyHXZPBForeign Large Value15.93%5.43%7.27%
Bwkkhknb VVZ Smjm Cnw Lgbdlyd TJLWYForeign Large Blend4.74%1.25%3.38%
Zpfcsnsx KJX Qcnxs Kbnqn XtpxnSTHJJapan Stock18.98%
Lrwlxcgk NMS Wpgtx-Gkc Mxj 373 NltHPBNMid-Cap Blend21.12%2.12%10.16%
Mtghysbl VYY KD Rphcv Pnt BmxsNDNDNMLarge Blend27.35%8.66%14.31%
Ktphkcsx SMZ JZ VmjLrqsyxkgpp NqwBWLMCFLarge Blend15.80%6.71%10.52%
Lhdbstfc CBM VG Bmdywrkp NnfSSKYWLarge Growth38.06%9.41%14.96%
Tzjjrkdd WQG NZ Zrcgypq KcmsdYWWBFLarge Growth27.56%10.57%15.67%
Wvnbwzgc KJS JG Bcwwr YrfQLWHGLarge Value21.91%6.80%10.23%
Jzhdkzxt Jcclsk Srhngmrjznbcl TdkvHLHYForeign Large Blend11.60%2.85%7.24%
Tcnkrgsm Bpsvlf Rkhqt Rwh Yphlh KxvrsLXMVLarge Value17.73%4.93%9.53%
Gfjzscpl Lqzgfh Kznrt Hl Jzynw DvpmVCHTNHLarge Growth37.03%10.34%17.84%
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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.