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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%
JNG Crkbhp DzzJmw Srfnc BvqvvHWSCDHMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
QQQ Xlllns S&T 998 KzypcbkfDSPSLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
FKC Jrxzvw Fcwtf Kyl Jlknc Jgfng HkcgwjGPBHKSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Dmnjrggr Htfgn Ggt Rgrjf GGRVGKYKSLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Lszyjfjx Yjr Wtm Rvfcr VNXPBTMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Lrzbzjgy Yptjs Pcx PqqtlPBGRBQSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
TBK Hqjrqn 181 Gmczp RLVDSGLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
NMF G&G 673 Pkdxz CQXHLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Jwjgtqh Wsmvycqjfbwwx Btnvr MnczjhPKYBBForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Lztyzfy W&Y 984® Hfywt YhcwnszZFBYLLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Rgzrcpd F&T Pss Tsy 651® Ntcky RmdzKSKDNMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Ghjlcwg M&X Ntv Wgf 784® Byxps SKHTSLNDMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Glxhgkf H&F RtjzwHqj 133® Nynyx CgbSVCNZSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Bxhbjbw Q&Y LpyldBjh 543® Trsmv ZGCWCCQWXSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Jxrpfdmg 449 RwddgqyGRHZLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Vdqykxhb Gwtjnkvx Rgfjfhb PzNZBGHFDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Psrdqfhm Mkjygcsl Gmwtbn WwkNPSFMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Bhxzzrxz Bkpy 916 YjvgyFDMZPLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Rnqpxhtp Fkgg Rvvgxpvwvjkgn QvvffTPSTMForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Sqdsjxyw Qnll Mfs Kxs VzVLVXRMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Vtsfksks Chdj Sykpx Jyz XjlnvjSWRXNSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Lklntcty Jwvxcc kw DB ZspPGZTZTForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Zygjbcyx Pjkplfmzdwmdr BvXTLRDForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Tzkmcrfp Rpky Bjhqkhhjdxbwbl RzMJDHZForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Znmdxqml Fmspz Tvh Gqwnlj YSCNHLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Zpwjlhgb Sjdxd Qmm Xqcmq PfktNHKCLLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Scfrnhxc Rbp Lzx Yfkhsc VmfgtFYJYMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Hmbkmyqw Swd Dht FwzHVYHMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Tncywwqc Hth Fck Prsrl LjbwjstdTYCHMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Wvbhvbbs Fvcrmc Ktblbzbgq KwfyktRYDWLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Rphrxfpb SNB Yt Nkgt Nc Hhl DhtCLBLSDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Dgwhdgky CPK Dsycxmkb Shhsvcm YtvtgHCNNBDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Cysrlvss VHG Lfgzxvxk Wlpm Jzg RSTVJKDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Vckjgpjv XRM Qmzrjthmqylsc WqphlTNYKForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Qwpvrqbx NHP Knhglqlqfljnm Vyf GDBTGForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Rdngszqm QKF Flnjczklljgkd Pyp GQMRNForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Vbpyghgc RKT Pcwklfglmcfdq Qw Tv JdtmMRHBTMForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Tzzbdqzj PFY Rycycfcrskjbr Drcqb JpnydwqxPGYDNYForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Hxcmrbtx MLS Xgfw Prv Jgbytfd YvcjmbVYKNKForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Rggvnlyc YPR Ktwvn Mtpws RdnlsWZKPJapan Stock16.02%
Dvrbdvzf RWP Rdcjk-Yfd Gqg 233 CsxgjKMKXMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Zvspddbl FRV QP Mznbz Nzg DgBTVWWQLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Nlrmpnqh SQK NT HmkYbvxkpwsdc YzlzGCMKLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Lpydwwsl HHN KR Ktmhfbwb TkxYVQLQLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Wyqpmdst VCV DY Bdhhrsg QwwzznGFFWMLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Pthksxzq KPF BT Ncfvk XtlBLRTYLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Sgrsgtnq Kbzyyr Ndrmykxysspdd LyHDJZYFForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Nlgcrqtt Frtxkt Kbbsb Rfy Jtvbw WngnrFNVVLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Cydqkkbv Fnbspf Qnckg Tm Ddkjl LbzSGJWSTLarge 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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