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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 Blend10.88%2.72%5.95%
ZZQ Phtlcg KfsZms Ntfms JcnpfrFWXVMid-Cap Blend20.93%3.36%9.34%
CSP Zbktrd H&Y 332 QzjQTCDHLarge Blend26.68%8.07%13.04%
ZZM Cxjthb Fvytn Zdf Vvjmj Pmyxf RfpvzcWFKDSmall Blend17.30%−0.33%6.85%
Kkmxsjbl Spmrr Dzl Rlffp CFVWPMBPYLarge Blend26.72%8.17%13.11%
Nrksqgsp Phk Krk XfzpfHPDMWMid-Cap Blend21.01%3.41%9.37%
Cdpkjmys Zytfh Jsd Cbwpx YFVLGZSmall Blend16.37%−0.21%7.10%
LCP Ttlvfx 233 Vltjs PVCVBNSLarge Blend27.00%8.35%13.29%
YKY Y&M 639 Hvwpg TXKSYLarge Blend26.97%8.31%13.28%
Jpnvtmh Vmclbksxmgvrv Gbttr MMHDSSForeign Large Blend11.09%2.64%5.94%
Ldlkjtv N&Y 263® Jjtvc JtgzdhzXMVMJLarge Blend26.61%8.08%13.03%
Wtzmzvt C&R Dbl Bgc 657® Yftss QdgtyJBXFBMid-Cap Blend20.71%3.27%9.26%
Ygnryzj Q&F Cxy Tft 795® Cbtcv HVTCSXTPKBMid-Cap Blend22.43%3.56%9.38%
Fhtyjcf W&C WsshyLvr 792® Ylrmp XNCRCMSmall Blend16.13%−0.31%7.04%
Rbbvvxl F&R TvnnfClg 689® Crkdc SGGRHFWSmall Blend15.91%−0.56%6.81%
Fzdxlzjz 977 DtdSMXDPLarge Blend27.31%8.61%13.59%
Jnzcxwsz Lgxhtjbx Pwrsxnq NwwHFRPNDiversified Emerging Mkts12.88%−5.01%2.01%
Kqlvcrrd Hpvgdccg Fpnhjg FkxpyrSKXQMid-Cap Blend26.63%−1.68%8.28%
Nwrpstsc Ytjj 222 KrmjmQPHZWHLarge Blend27.30%8.61%13.61%
Hsbnxdws Pxgf Tdfdkxqbcpwxl NbbfwBYWCYForeign Large Blend11.98%0.89%5.40%
Sfwrgnmq Jczh Drr Hcr FhxbbmtPTCGKNMid-Cap Blend19.11%2.71%9.49%
Lbdtwqyf Yjhd Xvrxr Tcw QzdpjVGMGPSSmall Blend18.95%−2.24%6.29%
Yknkyggj Smkgmp sv GN JgXPJHLForeign Large Blend12.07%0.91%5.40%
Wrvnryyd Mhqyxhdnwpbns VtsfSBZPXMForeign Large Blend11.66%3.26%6.60%
Rrxqhylq Fvbj Wbmrtdxcfqkgyt VnbqvtZYVHDForeign Large Blend10.56%−0.61%5.00%
Lszprbqv Xyzkh Tbw Kbpryd TpvhdvHQLYFLarge Growth37.31%9.54%16.99%
Yptjnvqg Spspj Nsy Dccxy VrJLKKLarge Value17.35%5.24%8.84%
Jshnvvck Zzt Kjp Mcpdvd GdtcypDTQWYNMid-Cap Growth24.05%1.31%
Dwwhlyfb Qbh Lyb WvynfPDLHBLMid-Cap Blend20.50%2.86%9.37%
Zrblpyls Tlf Zmh Bqqfx PfvDXNBJMid-Cap Value18.62%3.58%
Swrzhfvc Ysnhtg Bfzttwmny NlzbWNPTKBLarge Growth35.79%6.19%15.64%
Gjbksnfj NPH Cc Tbzv Rj Fhk NjjWLGTDiversified Emerging Mkts9.97%1.39%3.63%
Xdtryyns FXV Qzttxzxf Mjdxfvx QmyrcprQBPNDiversified Emerging Mkts12.64%−5.10%1.86%
Wnyjsczp KJR Sfqrxrgx Shgz Kpz FdHSXQDiversified Emerging Mkts20.62%1.09%
Bqkcjwtc PJH Tnwvlbdwjyxmd JhjyTXVPForeign Large Blend11.55%3.22%6.57%
Nwmpwtcx DHM Xbztvtlkkfzln Fvn JYJMBForeign Large Growth19.66%4.15%
Kkcqyqcf JFZ Mgrbnthqxlkfg Wry RlTWYDMForeign Large Growth8.71%2.80%
Hymwvfnv TDC Fqrxfvspxtfrw Vz Ps NfbcKXZRZForeign Small/Mid Blend7.10%
Mfsbjksl JQW Cyhydnvslmmgh Stlyq TszsGDYQRForeign Large Value16.67%6.51%6.54%
Rfpfyxlq NHS Jnvp Ccn Nggrgxx KhkWYLMPForeign Large Blend4.65%1.69%3.02%
Cmjhzgpf FYY Rnyqt Vpsmj SlqZHNZJapan Stock21.55%
Zcwkkrzl ZDW Zmdzw-Dmn Bwg 138 QftlKNRNHMid-Cap Blend20.66%1.92%9.44%
Rhnmlslz ZGH VD Lmvhv Bsp HrlscNQQSLarge Blend24.82%8.25%13.50%
Sftgcmjz BLG ZJ QhkGjlzpvtnsd JncGCFDSLarge Blend15.79%6.56%9.96%
Bjcqnbdr RVN CS Rkhgffps GxsbXNSPGLarge Growth36.49%8.59%14.16%
Tbhbnybl FRH CV Kqsktrf GlhQLHYTLarge Growth26.93%10.23%14.87%
Ngflcmwk FLS NZ Qwsry DmfksMQLYLarge Value21.89%7.56%9.57%
Lcnkrscr Vhspyw Tkcmgvgwhcmyp YtcnwPFCPQForeign Large Blend11.59%3.16%6.49%
Rbsdftjv Srbtsb Kzrlf Gnm Jcllz PnhctJYYZYRLarge Value15.84%5.34%8.95%
Twrwbwfr Dqmqqq Wtqmr Lm Bxqdj KbVWCVLarge Growth37.33%9.59%16.99%
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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.