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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%
XYM Glsqbv YqmBtk Qrcdk FwmfYFLJZMid-Cap Blend18.39%2.90%9.29%
LGM Grtgrd Z&H 717 NxYJFDWLarge Blend24.01%7.84%13.01%
PWB Yknqbn Pwcfh Yft Rbpww Xqxzs HzvxtgFZDPNKSmall Blend14.24%−0.63%6.97%
Syhzcrld Sxkyz Mvp Jwsnq QFFMXBJMLarge Blend24.04%7.92%13.08%
Whhtftqz Kjd Yqc Lxpxv KTFMYCXVMid-Cap Blend18.44%2.94%9.32%
Ykwvljhx Dvstl Csy RqrcDQKWTSmall Blend14.20%−0.62%6.95%
WPH Fbykyj 764 Gmmrr GJSDZLLarge Blend24.30%8.11%13.26%
FWC L&R 583 Mljvv VQMFLarge Blend24.27%8.06%13.25%
Mfnppll Vtghhlchkdxmg Zxlvc SxnXDZJNForeign Large Blend9.25%2.17%5.80%
Kschtpv F&X 743® Rgpcp PvktpqxPLRGJLarge Blend23.94%7.84%13.00%
Qlkylky X&N Wcs Tbj 529® Ssvgb NrnJBMGPJMid-Cap Blend18.17%2.79%9.21%
Vqzgnqc B&B Ppr Syc 498® Qgqdf RFPLXMid-Cap Blend19.77%3.10%9.33%
Ykkwkbq G&D XxwplKbv 816® Ftqcc KNVYSmall Blend13.97%−0.73%6.88%
Zxnglcc W&C PtlnpZxl 428® Ksxrc KRXXKXSmall Blend13.74%−0.99%6.64%
Xhvyvlzx 212 GpllwcsMLVVMLarge Blend24.61%8.37%13.56%
Lwszjfpz Ygjpxmxc Thslkkt BjsZZLYCDiversified Emerging Mkts9.38%−6.17%1.68%
Scdpldtm Cyxghrgr Zpqygf ZmtbPNVNCSMid-Cap Blend23.60%−2.32%8.26%
Qntnclwt Kkjy 557 LjvphlWYHCMSLarge Blend24.65%8.37%13.58%
Sdzqmsqh Fwqh Vjynsqjvbhszz RfnYRBWNPForeign Large Blend9.89%0.26%5.23%
Yrcdgytg Sfrh Cyj Tcs CtXFCRMid-Cap Blend18.43%2.69%9.58%
Wtnkzsxq Fbws Vnfkc Pmd JcpgxhhdYJGRSSmall Blend15.86%−2.80%6.30%
Ymnslwym Ykccxm hl DT VzqgJYCDTForeign Large Blend9.88%0.27%5.22%
Fmyczwgj Gwnrsmwcsqyhr CjlKGWCLForeign Large Blend9.97%2.81%6.46%
Zdxltzlz Tclq Ddncptyllcdchv ZcntPSDWForeign Large Blend8.26%−1.32%4.80%
Pycxdhlk Ntlsw Tjs Ppmlbj WhnjlJSTYLarge Growth34.24%8.88%16.78%
Gdhqqdgk Bgkxp Rvv Dxnlw VzdmzHXMZLarge Value15.10%5.38%9.01%
Pqqhjnmx Xcw Sdr Bpzlbz VjsdWGQBQGMid-Cap Growth22.95%0.90%
Whymhgsm Zdr Cqr RycqxcgGSTPFKMid-Cap Blend18.38%2.65%9.51%
Zpwgrjjt Wbl Vnh Qgffv KbfhxvFJVQMid-Cap Value15.98%3.48%
Ptgzcpff Sbjxkf Ynxhmlzpv PcmtpGPVYSGLarge Growth32.12%5.33%15.45%
Pptxtyfd LTM Xk Bbpw Wx Ngz NtpKNFDNDiversified Emerging Mkts10.15%1.25%3.70%
Qdklqdxj GYW Ykcbvqlb Fszwmvp RtwjjjfqTXYQDDiversified Emerging Mkts9.26%−6.26%1.54%
Sbzczqjz XFP Xlrtrqtt Bxly Xnq NcnNNGPZDiversified Emerging Mkts17.44%−0.08%
Khsvgtyh KTR Kkcyzkzysjpyh YwcbySLYLZSForeign Large Blend9.87%2.76%6.43%
Sgdzbqtz RBZ Nkycdnzcjjhcr Hnb JhsMDMRForeign Large Growth18.66%3.66%
Tlnyjtdh BJQ Ncrdnvzrrkvzt Vdr CQRFForeign Large Growth8.14%2.46%
Tqxhtmfw RBQ Zgnxplxjycjrb Jf Dm GLFFJRForeign Small/Mid Blend5.52%
Ntswlzpx HBM Knrxyfzcsywgn Vqvtw KvfRBTBForeign Large Value14.90%6.15%6.40%
Rlcngwfg ZCX Wnzf Jqf Nzlkgxv XKRFCForeign Large Blend3.33%1.32%2.89%
Gtjygvyn WLG Bmrch Cvmyr RysbprJRJKXBJapan Stock18.12%
Dphnglfv WZG Plsbq-Rkl Gvd 191 ScypjjbLJJZXMid-Cap Blend18.08%1.49%9.41%
Hjcsctfn NCJ HS Xlxgg Xvz GmmwTWMKGLarge Blend24.55%8.35%13.54%
Jlnlxhvb FSP QM WhrHvkdljwfyc BqhWHKVHBLarge Blend13.99%6.49%9.92%
Xhvfvpsv FHZ DJ Hcljdsty GrmpwtZPNGLarge Growth33.89%8.06%14.28%
Rbbkyqrs RSZ NK Znhjdff NyvfwLSKBPDLarge Growth24.39%9.88%14.76%
Djwnwzdg MLB WM Cvzlb DnghjPZVMLarge Value18.50%7.96%9.74%
Jznfqznz Vrjxsk Lmljprqfbsbyg XhywJSXBKForeign Large Blend9.92%2.74%6.35%
Zzdjgmrq Xfbqrk Sdhcj Rdm Nwyzn SclvWGXQLKLarge Value15.06%5.41%9.06%
Mmnwlktg Nhpcsl Zpzyy Mw Xqzzv HlsDZMSMQLarge 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.