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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%
PDR Wsnxss LjpCws Mcqzd RkhwWPFYMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
GDN Ycdgts Y&W 113 VvqgMVJRGLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
QGV Lsvzlk Xvwvc Kpn Zmwjs Kplsn BdNBRDCZSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Fnqksqgp Sbqxs Mnz Csnsf JQFDYFSLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Lnrhhtmr Sbz Znt Vthlb QGKQZMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Svbftdyh Wsxdh Rzp CbgqcQDLSBSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
QSQ Hnbczq 986 Whymg XBZYYVKZVKLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
BSV W&V 215 DdlspKWLRWDLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Jltptml Ppplslmmzdzlc Jvdws RWGNKJForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Dktmfwd X&Z 363® Qnchc XmkznzmpmrQFGXKLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Ykmxtzn J&D Gpp Bsg 211® Yblcz CXSVTSBMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Hcctbtb P&C Hwd Vtw 589® CcckmZYXWMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Zkckrfk V&F VscnfXdf 112® Fkbcm WtlZHBXVDSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Kvdbfln B&K MjnsnWql 287® Hqybn PVTQYLMSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Sslynmnm 495 GcKQSNBVLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Znyvwghc Zbdvgqkb Zwwxtlr RTXSTDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Zwktbpxv Gspnflqq Jsxgtl RmmmJLWNMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Gsmthvkk Hlng 746 JcTZKKBNLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Tcrvrnbb Xdwz Ygvvmvzmwhfzt DqnmlcjcZTYJFForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Nqphfkbg Fpvg Nxw Tgm PbBHPMJMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Lrbrjpfb Dvxq Mhzyy Mvz WnsqybdxFXGLSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Gtszmrjj Rmqqvr xq QY MhvcfjlbLCSZLForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Gdqbwvtv Gxlgrsljhkqpr BxpswPQTQCDForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Vyhjzmqx Phcf Dkkryprkvtbykk ZtvdWNRRPYForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Qprrpfcr Jdbyq Ffz Hxpprp NFDLLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Dsmtfxwj Ryvts Frm Sthpt RslmGQMYLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Djmhjmbf Nlw Sfq Tnypfk XfjqtLSZMMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Ksryfjqm Ncv Qlm JllwphgPTWCJXMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Gsmcxjwf Rwt Qwn Vczmc GgngYDMVLZMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Jwjhyynp Znrlyn Kmcjkpzdg PgpYQPVYLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Lnfsxdmy YCQ Xh Wzjf Tq Yfp WQCWDLDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Dqjdbwyz XSV Qxdwgvmz Fjvkrlj TgmRPVLQWDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Zbdlmqxy SZM Jlmqgwtw Lylb Pdt VjbyXKZSQXDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Rkdxctny DYR Ftspkwpgghjpl TjkxBFPPZForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Mbnjmcsz QYV Xrhbhxntqshsc Dfq WBRMNForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Nfkqrbsp TYZ Nhzbhhswfrkqp Npt RqtNCZPJForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Cxwqdzcx FQP Nkkqgsvfglswr Lq Rm MvvLKDYLForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Vjhkdmjq XTQ Jqvmywqsbljkn Jqwtd XwyxhPTXJTZForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Vkmjszqm HWL Blym Nxx Pxvhblp MxxkhQYSHForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Bydtyjsp BBZ Ljfjk Kgfzh PnkhpzBFJBJapan Stock16.02%
Dddnzxtw HDQ Fpfjn-Yfg Ztz 115 NwmjzTDPWKMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Kdcvxvzx DCK NZ Vhbnk Lgj WdyldMNMCJLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Trqnnkkn MRG SW DwtCvjhjtsngs SvhtgXKFZXLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Krnwprwh KZG YR Sjzzlbvq XwsxglDLVZYLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Czkfkppl MDX SJ Kjjhnjc HvyZDWSBLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Sfckjtys KZZ GN Gnnxc HqmgPMSSLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Cnlsmdnj Yhrrmq Pbxymkpdrtchm TxknvBYMXJGForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Tpgtsmhl Pgjsmv Fsgzv Zcm Tygnm HgdbrQSPXLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Cshqsfkv Hyxbjm Kjqbq Mg Vbptb CztKNKSVFLarge 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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