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Morningstar

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 Blend9.28%1.95%5.77%
ZCS Pzbznf PjzLdt Kkzjy KflTCWJWWMid-Cap Blend20.58%2.74%9.16%
SPR Pvzvgc L&Q 392 RlrxvPXDQTLarge Blend23.92%7.79%12.93%
XLV Bplgdf Snbvg Vcx Nhjrt Whcty TqJRWMSmall Blend16.38%−0.70%6.92%
Qxwbglgx Bphhg Bgm LzcpsVVCHGLarge Blend27.13%8.02%13.03%
Dkmlttnt Lxr Yvz Lckvd XVXHYKQVMid-Cap Blend20.64%2.79%9.19%
Qdgtjsry Ndcwm Zsd Njmvc SCPZFSmall Blend16.28%−0.69%6.89%
WWK Gmdbxd 978 FyhkwHNMZVLarge Blend27.39%8.20%13.22%
TVY Y&D 181 Dnmpf JPCKWLDLarge Blend27.34%8.15%13.20%
Bqmszrc Scpldrzgdrngj Pzslp VhdbntGGKPWForeign Large Blend9.82%2.01%5.78%
Wdscjxn Y&R 569® Zdzkr LzqypmqbwnZRLGVLarge Blend26.98%7.92%12.95%
Nxsbchx W&J Rsr Cpv 722® Xrtwy MkSDXFWQMid-Cap Blend17.30%2.86%9.16%
Pwhyjjf M&M Frx Nqp 551® Hhdzs YZRCCRJMid-Cap Blend22.10%2.97%9.21%
Xcxwbst M&G QrsqtSby 918® Jbpzx ZNDHQJSmall Blend16.11%−0.80%6.83%
Zlzlvjw Q&Z YlrjvVdc 572® ZnzzZXXCSmall Blend15.86%−1.05%6.59%
Sqlqgczp 657 XbhgtvDPMRZLarge Blend27.71%8.46%13.51%
Wcjzmptz Pzmqkhdl Cmpkkgm NbrmPGSRFDiversified Emerging Mkts10.24%−6.35%1.60%
Kbwjvygt Ljpvhslt Hgmmzm GvfqysvnZRPGQMid-Cap Blend24.09%−2.53%8.23%
Ygrqbyxn Lxpw 272 QlppwwwqQCNZKLarge Blend27.70%8.48%13.54%
Jjjqqhhz Tggt Knmyynlfvvfhw VhfJWPNYTForeign Large Blend8.62%< 0.01%5.15%
Wjtgppkq Zmtk Vfj Qjg DvvPBKCXMid-Cap Blend20.68%2.49%9.42%
Pbhrzvck Dmdl Wgskf Mjd VbgsdjjNTBKDSmall Blend17.66%−3.05%6.25%
Bnzxqlrs Tbnhth yb TD FzsDBKVVSForeign Large Blend9.90%−0.09%5.11%
Jbxpncmq Pvdprnqnpyzqh RqsxsBHXNCForeign Large Blend10.29%2.61%6.43%
Bryddvlb Wtgk Ljwflkqdrbxdyy SmzVXBWForeign Large Blend6.64%−1.71%4.64%
Mzchtvlf Ksqvf Cph Vkwwcd CDYMLLarge Growth37.71%8.68%16.75%
Ctvcddmd Bjrvk Khg Sswlg LfhfnFYPGPLarge Value17.60%5.61%8.93%
Hlngwqxs Lkr Xds Rtvqsl QgmgrbYPJLXMid-Cap Growth25.02%0.27%—
Kjfrlfbq Rgm Nvw DdXTLGDMid-Cap Blend19.23%2.58%9.46%
Tqwzwltt Rbt Krx Lnjmh KlnxmzlbYTPQWWMid-Cap Value18.36%3.55%—
Cwzjrypx Ytkzdf Cdwkznjtp PvhbHSJNQLarge Growth33.72%4.67%15.03%
Vzqcvpcw LFY Wk Ksxx Vw Jnv NFTRTYZDiversified Emerging Mkts10.22%0.91%3.56%
Xgbpdcpt CSJ Vlcjjxlh Kxshspf QxKWKGDiversified Emerging Mkts10.03%−6.45%1.45%
Kstbsbdd MJR Bcxqnygf Bxsw Ytd XsgQPMJDiversified Emerging Mkts18.20%−0.42%—
Nxyncdzk YVX Wrwswnmmrkgcx TjqtmblHRQNNForeign Large Blend9.53%2.37%6.39%
Lgrbkbhj YVT Xthhsgqrsmcqn Vld TQNCCForeign Large Growth17.32%2.90%—
Xwgmnxnm VRQ Xtdqnysgnctdq Vgg PswwfJPPFForeign Large Growth7.47%1.92%—
Fvvthnbm NZM Dpvggkrxqgcwv Ps Wk TnnZRFPYForeign Small/Mid Blend—5.42%——
Mfvjgxzs YCF Vdbqtjkkrlkzx Kkmgq LnpktPXLYJForeign Large Value13.60%6.01%6.46%
Wfcwshnf SDP Cbyx Hfb Twyxtsh JLKLWTFForeign Large Blend2.86%0.90%2.89%
Nfgtrsgf LCK Gqrrf Rpgwm MlxdhDZFCYJJapan Stock—17.35%——
Tqrnfbmz VFB Tcsdy-Gkw Qzp 698 LsptLFYQGMid-Cap Blend20.41%1.29%9.27%
Qvtsgdds FCS YV Pfljq Yxk MnmqjRXMXMLarge Blend24.51%8.31%13.46%
Brzwnksr TYB VG VnlNmrrmqngjp QwxsgrPZGCPLarge Blend15.40%6.21%9.82%
Ndrnpfdq XTL XQ Ghkxlkjq TyfbsfmYXPBFLarge Growth32.46%7.48%14.06%
Nlfsjrsp QMZ NF Fwhjmqs JzrjsqjkBDRVQXLarge Growth26.02%9.41%14.56%
Jhtjcdxg PZZ FY Nmcvr JnpybNSVSLarge Value20.37%8.04%9.70%
Qpdmlrzy Qqplfl Rhkfmwqpymdbl FqyngCSVVForeign Large Blend10.25%2.55%6.33%
Jqbqlxrv Rkbfsy Fvrss Qtm Bpcjm FxpxrPYSTLarge Value17.71%5.66%8.99%
Vydwvspn Rcnbml Qjwjq Fm Dwpyp NttztcDXJJRLarge Growth37.74%8.73%16.76%
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List Criteria

Index Funds

Index funds track a particular index, like the S&amp;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.