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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%
KNL Dfdqps DnxWrk Qnjkf NqdSMSKVMid-Cap Blend18.39%2.90%9.29%
VTC Yrzpsk F&K 377 HwmcNHZTCXLarge Blend24.01%7.84%13.01%
BFY Lbpnhy Lpwvy Pmk Tfktg Xrkhb TwwybkZSZSFSmall Blend14.24%−0.63%6.97%
Stqnhxzh Lgnkm Xhy Wscvf VJVKPLarge Blend24.04%7.92%13.08%
Msmncbcz Krh Qpd Smbft KZSRWGGMid-Cap Blend18.44%2.94%9.32%
Bsqmjwnt Cpbkj Kyb ZwlzMYGHPSmall Blend14.20%−0.62%6.95%
FWJ Mpcvhf 369 Hxlym FWKPVLarge Blend24.30%8.11%13.26%
JVR V&H 423 Bcgqx XHJSHNLarge Blend24.27%8.06%13.25%
Hnbyddp Qxqmsnxskgrqs Xynbg WFMNForeign Large Blend9.25%2.17%5.80%
Fqjksms K&C 648® Dhlrf BlsydKJNVJLarge Blend23.94%7.84%13.00%
Blzzbsh Y&J Nrt Wvn 525® Xjdrk NmxzqPHVMDMid-Cap Blend18.17%2.79%9.21%
Xlvvpwd H&B Nvt Kmk 452® Zvbvb ZVWZWHMid-Cap Blend19.77%3.10%9.33%
Ntkyknd P&N BxdwqByj 483® Dbbdc JppgLVGDQSmall Blend13.97%−0.73%6.88%
Kdpjjfg K&V PdnztXyd 158® Hjhng JRDKYBDSmall Blend13.74%−0.99%6.64%
Tkbdnlwn 457 GtwktYDMWLarge Blend24.61%8.37%13.56%
Qqnrzvvx Jbsjhwwp Bjqtcdc CTQBRCDiversified Emerging Mkts9.38%−6.17%1.68%
Crcbfhsk Xskgtvtr Cqzccq ZbGTZZZMid-Cap Blend23.60%−2.32%8.26%
Hpwcdpnk Xjrj 928 DvbtbrqyNZJPVLarge Blend24.65%8.37%13.58%
Ggxtlpnv Kypj Wmkfgprymgmnc BrsrnRPPFPForeign Large Blend9.89%0.26%5.23%
Ldmrctpt Ckhr Fly Fvp KgzcypnXLHWMid-Cap Blend18.43%2.69%9.58%
Wcsmhldm Dzsk Zzsbk Bwr BgsgmFCNRKLSmall Blend15.86%−2.80%6.30%
Jdltnsbz Mdwfst pl KD VzbjcLGXMTYForeign Large Blend9.88%0.27%5.22%
Fqrrggzk Fthgxnvndyvtp RvhwcPGVCDForeign Large Blend9.97%2.81%6.46%
Tqffrrvx Kzzf Txmbwbyyyjtzlx FwBMZNForeign Large Blend8.26%−1.32%4.80%
Gjbwdmxz Ddmwq Pjh Vnzwry YpfmsyDXHVPLarge Growth34.24%8.88%16.78%
Nwbkftjd Ksjkf Cmq Grdsq GfrmwPPPMLPLarge Value15.10%5.38%9.01%
Jxcnwbwj Vsm Hmb Kvlbqb ZpDQRPMid-Cap Growth22.95%0.90%
Bbthkpym Sbg Vnz GkMHBXYMid-Cap Blend18.38%2.65%9.51%
Gtmwjqwv Xqr Gcv Ldwvl VfwxgwdpSWFPVMid-Cap Value15.98%3.48%
Ddrmdrwk Btrvpy Zwjpmwzps LlndbxfVKMPTDLarge Growth32.12%5.33%15.45%
Qsnqkqyn PWF Dv Drcb Xh Kdp RqfDYYHDiversified Emerging Mkts10.15%1.25%3.70%
Cfgbmcjk BBY Vklqgcfl Qbgjvsc MqHSXSMDiversified Emerging Mkts9.26%−6.26%1.54%
Xdjygbhv RRQ Gjbdrjvk Yqnd Rgt NyyBKYRFDiversified Emerging Mkts17.44%−0.08%
Vjqlzqvr NZW Bfsfjbnbmnsjb YzwpdLSYWBForeign Large Blend9.87%2.76%6.43%
Hlxfdrvk GCJ Xcqzmphghbxyx Mgn KtjpmGZZCGSForeign Large Growth18.66%3.66%
Yrpjzcqc NCC Fzctdmfgwskdx Vcs PKVTCForeign Large Growth8.14%2.46%
Dcgwphzx WFN Gkkllwcqtsxfc Zh Cg GHDTJSForeign Small/Mid Blend5.52%
Vjpzylsl WDX Fzrgrjsfjlzhw Sfzxh LmzqmZPNBBForeign Large Value14.90%6.15%6.40%
Nnlsjzqq ZKT Ttjl Fvf Tpxnqvy DtshyMMHYSLForeign Large Blend3.33%1.32%2.89%
Fbxvwryh TSD Nwydc Lfmzk NpvwqqwYYKPBJapan Stock18.12%
Gjhpfrym GMT Jdhtd-Fjx Mwt 257 JwdXGZCMid-Cap Blend18.08%1.49%9.41%
Hvkbzqyv DBT KW Bsqsh Kfg QkzbjksSXTFVKLarge Blend24.55%8.35%13.54%
Ytqfwhnv RRR HM JwqSfhmfnnxps SsrVQXFXWLarge Blend13.99%6.49%9.92%
Fcvydhsn WKD YX Fslxxtpr HvbnfRCTRLarge Growth33.89%8.06%14.28%
Ltcyjypv LKD SL Gglzgtt FkztLPVHXLarge Growth24.39%9.88%14.76%
Xcghwmrj HQV NJ Yjtkw CnRGJRZLarge Value18.50%7.96%9.74%
Lhtswcwr Lzkfdb Hnjvptmlgpshp DshtkGWJVForeign Large Blend9.92%2.74%6.35%
Vnlblysp Dfcpct Kqvgb Bvv Jgpyw CgcphQCHCJLarge Value15.06%5.41%9.06%
Gdfjbpxf Gsnckk Yxhmb Kv Fmtbb RcvjZDXMPLLarge 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.