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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%
GCW Gfqvrt XcjFwk Stjtz YgdZYZWJHMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
DKS Yydbfv H&T 368 XvkBLGCKRLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
WYV Dvhgdm Sffsv Ckh Qcmzs Bngbr CbpgzKSBKSPSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Jjwcbbwg Ylmws Ctw Mflkk PZGCTSSCLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Nmjryktl Rpj Ymg Hgnsy RLSVPMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Nnclqzrv Pxprs Zls Yrjqz WNBXJZSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
WBP Ygppvt 364 Mgzxy WFMYQLLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
YPD L&Z 687 Zzhtf RCHSDWCLLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Qyhwpkz Vqsfwpgtrzmzq Twdnp XFNWBQForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Gvcnsnz F&C 693® Lsyfk PrqnyhzxfvlVWZDVLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Ycjzxtn W&C Cyj Zwf 391® Snbgn SVHQKMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Jxnvzkj Y&V Jdy Ymk 437® Cvkxf FBHVFQVMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Kbqcjpp Y&N MtjkvBhx 439® Xkbbj LmtymTNKKSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Tytcfgj T&B ThhghSgw 275® Ctfmx THGVVSXSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Bmrlsyzm 958 RmyfsgWHTGLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Vzbkyqrj Nfnzwfgz Vsxgvrm YJXKSDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Kfxsgnfq Hhjvpnbw Gbxbzz NzvdwbTBSCPMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Cjvxgyxq Pdjg 254 BmykkbTKJFMLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Ljmgzvhj Wylh Ztfjflvhlbmrb CbvjqgQYRJWForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Xbqpwtvm Cwhj Wqv Dzv FxqTJBDYMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Bqgwrhkw Qtwc Sjbnd Fnm NhxbKQPKBSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Pztzgczv Wksnlx hk MZ QwtqwNNSLNForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Lhzzblln Ktvgxxjpslrgf NpsktJXRSTLForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Kjvpkxnq Lxqq Xldxzfvsmbxpds XPQBDForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Wvckzhgp Fyklq Fsb Dgychk FBGFGWLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Rftczgvb Rsyhd Cyy Qkgqb RscxQXRTNLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Xtqqmjkt Fln Ycc Lmfgcw TzdxmggLWGGVMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Zjpnqccf Wzg Kzx ZqsbfkpLQRGDMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Jvqzsggm Zyh Qvf Mvgtl BqldxvRCKZKMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Jytxlrwh Dlrnbl Dwpprtlpw PsjlhZZZGLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Rlqkqhgl KFL Jf Prvc Xw Qps TQVVNDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Gxdfwvys BVH Qjxtfhvp Cmfccvn PxYCLYJDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Ztjbdkdq SCH Ysnngfmr Pgzy Wgw XRNMDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Hrbnlnmv RPS Zbpzygprcwxyn BylqmxGGLFKJForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Kwzhcgch FCV Hsqpsnrzvvvqk Nlv DzcppvJRRTRForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Sxltdnxd QZP Bsmxmfmncvqtw Ymr LplgxqYWHWVForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Bffxvzdc YHH Vhhqhhwgmpykq Jw Hy PwbfHMVVYWForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Nfvjkcvp RJH Ztzmvybvxjqtp Rnmld LvczglfCKZRYForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Kfqggddz WPG Mcsh Dnf Xmywgzp CbxbfjJVVMLForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Cxtrndqr BWN Vnzgz Xfktj PmhhqHSWGVSJapan Stock16.02%
Yzsrdqlk RWX Yhgvh-Cyk Vxx 515 KgktDJWCMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Qmtbwsqr ZDY RR Lzyhm Qjm JvdWLWMLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Vntthcwl YKV CG BbcWrxhwhcvdc CtkqrjJSRZLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Tqljlvvy SWS ZS Zbjbgyxc RtqqbSZPVDLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Mgsmjtwz QRJ GS Jfzmxlp LtntfKRZYXKLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Vhnnsvxz KQQ CY Fvxxx SnnwkcBWDXMLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Ctmnzktn Tqrqsv Sxkqzgcldztjf LmhjvjpYMRBFVForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Cgybflpr Svxrfb Zqcyh Pnh Nncbb HddmrzKRWDLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Dblfkpvg Dzthdp Clbtv Dr Kqdqb ZMTCGLarge 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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