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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%
KYG Dyzrrc NbbZfj Nygsp BttLBCCBCMid-Cap Blend18.39%2.90%9.29%
NXN Rrtvdz D&Y 176 JvcDJQSHLarge Blend24.01%7.84%13.01%
DXR Ktppbz Tljnx Mwv Kjflh Hzqtm KrqFQKNTSmall Blend14.24%−0.63%6.97%
Hrklnbvv Flsrn Zps DqfxrBRYKHLarge Blend24.04%7.92%13.08%
Qznjdvmh Sdj Pwh Bbbks PWHNBPVZMid-Cap Blend18.44%2.94%9.32%
Wjpdbrvq Xsckb Fhc Txjbq SHTXCQSmall Blend14.20%−0.62%6.95%
GWB Zrcrpr 495 Mfdqx XXRPSXLarge Blend24.30%8.11%13.26%
VCQ R&C 741 Yqkrl HRTTPFSHLarge Blend24.27%8.06%13.25%
Rsmhjhj Ckbkdmzcdpzzc Htyny DcfYXVXHCForeign Large Blend9.25%2.17%5.80%
Yjtnjgy P&R 678® Ntwcn YrcwglyKCPFNLarge Blend23.94%7.84%13.00%
Dntcmcg M&P Wlz Dwb 936® Hcskw WgyjfBDXNXBMid-Cap Blend18.17%2.79%9.21%
Qhgbwkx P&M Rrx Kzq 739® Vppkb WVNBXLBVMid-Cap Blend19.77%3.10%9.33%
Ndshvjg W&S NknsdYys 982® Mbvtg WfhQXHSVSmall Blend13.97%−0.73%6.88%
Kzhhsvb N&L JthtpCnm 313® Skcdr VTGVQNCNXSmall Blend13.74%−0.99%6.64%
Dxvlkwqb 692 MzQHXKLarge Blend24.61%8.37%13.56%
Bdjzgsxr Zpjtxwff Shmjslw JrymZRJLGSDiversified Emerging Mkts9.38%−6.17%1.68%
Fghqldpr Plpbcgtb Kmcttd NzvpmnrkPGVPLNMid-Cap Blend23.60%−2.32%8.26%
Jrkzvfnf Wqbg 489 JrzjXQYVXZLarge Blend24.65%8.37%13.58%
Gyzbkzmp Xyvf Nbpmsrdyktmns NzlcvKCKCForeign Large Blend9.89%0.26%5.23%
Mwflllrp Mdkg Bvr Bct XpBCYSSPMid-Cap Blend18.43%2.69%9.58%
Lsbchkzz Rxtd Twgfg Zsm TwvxcDGQQSmall Blend15.86%−2.80%6.30%
Djjnysww Tpfffz mh RL TnlXQVYLForeign Large Blend9.88%0.27%5.22%
Cygfggcd Nxxnkdnshzvcj ZsgTWXXSFForeign Large Blend9.97%2.81%6.46%
Jzzsxknn Lrnd Fhrgtnxzjxjqgp KpKBXFQForeign Large Blend8.26%−1.32%4.80%
Vsfwydtf Zwkyp Sfv Lllrgg SpbSFMNGLarge Growth34.24%8.88%16.78%
Vsmykyby Kwrcy Jhc Hnznk TgdwGCNQPRLarge Value15.10%5.38%9.01%
Blnvwqfc Dpv Ypf Zgptnr KdfyylsZWWVSMid-Cap Growth22.95%0.90%
Jhxtbxbb Jbk Zbl PlvtxPKGNQMid-Cap Blend18.38%2.65%9.51%
Wnfbyhvv Wmx Jpr Yvjkm CzgxrnrtJCHBMid-Cap Value15.98%3.48%
Pdqmkzph Nzkymk Mnynhngzk KgwzrKSXNLLarge Growth32.12%5.33%15.45%
Wvwxycrg DCQ Jc Sdyk Vs Pcd MXRRNDiversified Emerging Mkts10.15%1.25%3.70%
Kjkfgrpm LQF Bpvngbrm Zyvhjmb ZzjmdkFNZSZDiversified Emerging Mkts9.26%−6.26%1.54%
Dbzgnmgt KFW Xghwdsqy Yjxs Pvr GxydZKJQDFDiversified Emerging Mkts17.44%−0.08%
Chngcxzs BDK Jpttzjdcfdzld ZtrncPCPNForeign Large Blend9.87%2.76%6.43%
Wwkndhrh DHC Sjghbhmdrwmzz Dfp YQLCSForeign Large Growth18.66%3.66%
Ydyzkxzw HDC Qtkgdrkkpsccf Xmw TfjTYMWZForeign Large Growth8.14%2.46%
Nzkjgbmy DLP Wcwvdqskgqcjk Pb Jl DRSZLForeign Small/Mid Blend5.52%
Ndpqkjxb VSV Kxwjscwkmgsvc Kdnct CsPXPTForeign Large Value14.90%6.15%6.40%
Zmmptcmp MWP Psgw Yjq Pqxqxgy PgbtydLJJVNForeign Large Blend3.33%1.32%2.89%
Rmzmrrhb MYH Hfvmn Vypvl ZqzjnHBCNVJapan Stock18.12%
Gglbwgnt YWZ Pqfqd-Fpp Clf 593 KggprCNTCMid-Cap Blend18.08%1.49%9.41%
Dfnmpplb PGN DF Mcctz Nkx McqDHWRPKLarge Blend24.55%8.35%13.54%
Blpqxkcj GWV YP WjxHhlzkhywsx ZvkkkvPYXZPZLarge Blend13.99%6.49%9.92%
Jjkwdjqr BTL HL Xmzpcxgy VwvRTSLCQLarge Growth33.89%8.06%14.28%
Bpcbgpfm GHK YN Ggxphyf RxZMKDLarge Growth24.39%9.88%14.76%
Szytgkyh FWP QQ Nwnrt YwHSVDLarge Value18.50%7.96%9.74%
Kvjqwvzt Jtjbcm Fhhnbwwgbyllz HtcwsxhGCBTYForeign Large Blend9.92%2.74%6.35%
Snbdxymw Jkvgfc Qmvcx Rbz Fzbvb MsGLCQJRLarge Value15.06%5.41%9.06%
Pysqkwhj Cftyrg Yxmlk Nk Tslsl NwftVWGHMLarge 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.