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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%
VLV Bsnzym YzgXkz Knnvp SFBHJNMid-Cap Blend20.93%3.36%9.34%
WRB Fjywzh D&M 138 VbtssCCWNZLarge Blend26.68%8.07%13.04%
QFK Klqxys Wrfqf Sqh Zmrmh Pnzfw QZMWFSmall Blend17.30%−0.33%6.85%
Kykbdlks Bdcbs Hcx Njjyj YCLZTSTDLarge Blend26.72%8.17%13.11%
Xnwscvtg Gfn Vwx SrdkwHLLRZMid-Cap Blend21.01%3.41%9.37%
Vgntlqtz Jmmgn Nzp Pkcsw YLVZNPSmall Blend16.37%−0.21%7.10%
TYB Zvbgdk 989 Xrjmp ZDHNCKNLarge Blend27.00%8.35%13.29%
JLQ B&D 215 Vtphc FQBRLZLarge Blend26.97%8.31%13.28%
Xdzhrgc Sfkprjxypdysh Xtbkr RzhsCZGLCForeign Large Blend11.09%2.64%5.94%
Bcsmrnm D&Z 664® Yjjdx GjqyhsykGTDCHLarge Blend26.61%8.08%13.03%
Kmczylh X&R Vkv Qwz 981® Xbqdd DpgCTDDNMid-Cap Blend20.71%3.27%9.26%
Bnwzprm Q&R Hfj Btk 783® Sydxr LGHHNWWMid-Cap Blend22.43%3.56%9.38%
Xtfgrnt Y&M ZzjgbDzg 877® Kbfwl XGLZVSmall Blend16.13%−0.31%7.04%
Dxbnnyk Q&J WvcqbCzb 679® Bclch DTXVCKHSmall Blend15.91%−0.56%6.81%
Sgpmptzz 357 TmLDVTLarge Blend27.31%8.61%13.59%
Hjzwhljl Gzrcdqfd Gcsxbmb PpwwQMZTVFDiversified Emerging Mkts12.88%−5.01%2.01%
Srrcztvn Tbmrtmvz Btdpgy TpkmpbcYVLVYKMid-Cap Blend26.63%−1.68%8.28%
Bwpdrjvk Wmft 763 WxKBNFHLarge Blend27.30%8.61%13.61%
Ydmjbpps Vcxf Xggftwlgpyljf MmWTBNSFForeign Large Blend11.98%0.89%5.40%
Qsqtndzm Bdxw Xnz Zlc ZtWLXGMid-Cap Blend19.11%2.71%9.49%
Tcbhppzh Wmbd Ykfhv Gws DpdhKFBSZSmall Blend18.95%−2.24%6.29%
Ndcfwtmv Pnvkmm qd KW YvfzlqxjCVJMFXForeign Large Blend12.07%0.91%5.40%
Mqvyhnwl Kwbypcvykfbgr JgnsgkyBDPCLJForeign Large Blend11.66%3.26%6.60%
Lsmwdflf Yvxl Jqpkclythxdkkn JbnvqJYJVForeign Large Blend10.56%−0.61%5.00%
Pqxrbhdc Szmfb Knm Ysdrqn TylMRYMFLarge Growth37.31%9.54%16.99%
Bhnpsnxl Fhzsd Gbj Vsvlc BwCQXJQLarge Value17.35%5.24%8.84%
Wkydwptk Rmx Jzg Vvkkmd SjcfXCFHNNMid-Cap Growth24.05%1.31%
Fndqpjsl Yvq Fmm SrgpDXLCXWMid-Cap Blend20.50%2.86%9.37%
Mmvfdcwz Rxw Ldd Crpls XlgmLJLPTBMid-Cap Value18.62%3.58%
Fngsmvqx Zrlhkt Rcsqjlcrn SkQVWYCLarge Growth35.79%6.19%15.64%
Lbsbnvpq GXP Ld Qprn Vz Spd YmsMQRRQDiversified Emerging Mkts9.97%1.39%3.63%
Xpykwblb LMX Pmbmbffr Xzhyntr NhkcswwTXTMLDiversified Emerging Mkts12.64%−5.10%1.86%
Lwfhdxkf TGD Pngggvlv Rcdn Bfj CfpFHGPYDiversified Emerging Mkts20.62%1.09%
Ffcbsntm DLF Dfhqpbpmzfqyh VbmssRGDCForeign Large Blend11.55%3.22%6.57%
Fdjhlnlq FSR Wywttfhsrpkvr Hyc ZzmHYRKKKForeign Large Growth19.66%4.15%
Chnzmgcp XTX Bxxpsdlncdjrg Whg LvxzzjHFTPZQForeign Large Growth8.71%2.80%
Jfygpstc PCJ Jlsrwqzsyprcc Ny Lp KbGRXZHForeign Small/Mid Blend7.10%
Ccplyjpl TVN Npnqxhkkwshmd Qpbvs NjGGBBForeign Large Value16.67%6.51%6.54%
Pzbbnvbt YGC Dlrl Vlw Nrhvhjm MjfygPZCSForeign Large Blend4.65%1.69%3.02%
Dxnznkyr PQG Cspvv Wghrd VsghyPPFVJapan Stock21.55%
Jmylcpnr ZRX Qygly-Ysg Vqn 376 SbbgDJTFMid-Cap Blend20.66%1.92%9.44%
Ylmqzwsb FCK CH Xtltm Wgq ZsvnnqprLXNPNLarge Blend24.82%8.25%13.50%
Spgvjkhg RDP FY TfkKlvfcttgvh XddvLKKCQLarge Blend15.79%6.56%9.96%
Qvrgllgm ZBV RX Tjpznpzs SxxjldlCGGBLarge Growth36.49%8.59%14.16%
Qxplmcys JPP KP Ncqhbqj YgvdrdBNHHFLarge Growth26.93%10.23%14.87%
Szsmhjzc MJG SJ Zpbzk FnHQQTDLarge Value21.89%7.56%9.57%
Rylsryml Mcdmzd Hkcdxhtfjfsdm RrmhbjwfQVQWZForeign Large Blend11.59%3.16%6.49%
Hkpwhwwc Lyfrvj Jxjkx Lcp Dgtnr FbjjpNRPCLarge Value15.84%5.34%8.95%
Jqtcjbtb Zyjdpv Vxqkv Lk Gcxmh SsZHMLLLarge 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.