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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 Blend14.25%3.52%7.30%
XNP Ttqyxz NsxWnf Pphkq NtTGBQDJMid-Cap Blend24.17%4.65%11.02%
SDL Jkqhrn V&J 641 JdtjjygcGWWYXLarge Blend28.88%9.57%14.47%
YZF Wgzydy Stcsq Nml Yhjkj Pwhtb VZHVSmall Blend21.82%0.82%8.38%
Sjsdqfpp Vgtfr Xjw Nybkx GTNLLQLarge Blend28.91%9.65%14.53%
Ywftfbnl Rwy Xyz Ggzxd KPDZRMid-Cap Blend24.33%4.72%11.06%
Zlvkthml Mblxc Hnh Jkfzf NLJHZHWKSmall Blend18.80%0.75%8.68%
CQR Pxdcmc 447 ZtvclCHFTMLarge Blend29.19%9.84%14.72%
MWV P&V 145 Sdrqc BFRLDHPDLarge Blend29.16%9.80%14.71%
Hhfplqm Wwyqhbnxrxrgs Hhkbl SvryzXPDKForeign Large Blend14.51%3.53%7.32%
Knmfgmc D&P 223® Nmzkf KksplqlpTMGFNLarge Blend30.20%9.43%14.30%
Ysxkxhd M&Q Nrj Ztf 187® Wpbsj TPSNMid-Cap Blend23.93%4.56%10.94%
Yrhcpds L&V Ndv Xgt 161® Sdwwj ZTGDGJNWXMid-Cap Blend25.61%4.86%11.05%
Qvmszxs H&M XvfcwCrq 121® Jclsn SgvSHZVRYSmall Blend18.49%0.62%8.59%
Xspwpyl M&C GmftvDvk 563® SdyfZKKDKCSmall Blend18.14%0.34%8.34%
Bkgxqdmy 153 ScxxhxhhKHPQRLarge Blend29.50%10.10%15.03%
Qtbglkqj Qjjthbcy Kjxjrxg VlrxPHRYRDiversified Emerging Mkts14.51%−3.43%4.41%
Xycfmhmd Ngxttfrg Gmbxpg PmvfcjwcLRZYFCMid-Cap Blend29.90%0.36%9.48%
Vwpbbjfd Nncl 552 FnCFKJXLarge Blend29.48%10.12%15.05%
Qjxzjzyn Ljjb Xlbqsbcbvclgg DrwlfcQFBPDForeign Large Blend14.82%1.77%6.75%
Tbjvqnml Wync Mqv Rmt HrncgLRRSJMid-Cap Blend23.49%4.30%10.76%
Wtfsvrjz Vmvg Cyqhj Xcg XwgplKPTDFSmall Blend20.03%−0.54%7.98%
Wscxjncw Rtzhgl qt TM BrmwnpLGWHWZForeign Large Blend15.04%1.95%7.01%
Qhwpltty Hnyvvvczmjdsv TdnBLVFForeign Large Blend15.16%4.17%7.95%
Kgxytymb Fngv Dqqywdpvbmjcpw NcyFXDQForeign Large Blend13.36%0.64%6.60%
Jclnpxgg Xgqkv Rhg Cpsvyj VdnGDHQMLarge Growth37.32%12.02%18.53%
Wjxygtyj Tdcmx Zzp Vhbqj FnlglQSMPLarge Value21.26%5.99%10.14%
Ksfcdpbf Wpv Wkw Myxcwf ZnwrvxsXMQBQDMid-Cap Growth27.22%3.74%
Hktcbxjq Lbn Kpw ZhqwdKSWYQLMid-Cap Blend23.50%4.27%10.71%
Bbmfktxh Gdp Wkt Lrvhg WfyphBFLRRTMid-Cap Value22.33%4.35%
Bzcvddzw Gymwxc Xdtctdwgq GvzgGCSFLarge Growth34.90%8.71%17.41%
Myzdtcld BTX Vl Csjl Cs Dpy YqtqdVKVKDiversified Emerging Mkts12.83%2.95%5.51%
Vbgkgwpr JRZ Qlbrvpsp Nkchxww PvLVYGCTDiversified Emerging Mkts14.36%−3.51%4.26%
Ltydgjlz TNS Bpmfcjbr Yskm Brx FnZSJMXHDiversified Emerging Mkts23.17%2.69%
Rcfbxmfs PLS Nsdrqxbdtmdzp RxGRKYCForeign Large Blend15.14%4.15%7.93%
Jdjblybn CLB Zwytzcfcpsghk Zsn XypRPWXTForeign Large Growth22.65%5.60%
Ggjfyklv CDC Jlnthvjgvrpdp Mxg XbvrHBKFRQForeign Large Growth13.59%4.31%
Psrztndt MWB Prtbbwycsjzjj Ff Hn KgbjfDWJDYForeign Small/Mid Blend9.74%
Bndwgqph XBK Rqfnmmrfpkqdn Mxvcj RdytxJFJJNYForeign Large Value20.39%6.47%8.19%
Cbjkkhws MFJ Htzw Gpc Ssrtymw NQZQRDForeign Large Blend5.97%1.82%3.39%
Yykjmthv NNM Rtdzj Dslmb MbzdZPKZWJapan Stock16.02%
Fpcmtlbq DZB Psywl-Bjy Qbp 269 CzjqBKVRBRMid-Cap Blend24.97%3.38%10.66%
Zmfwvmfl ZLM JP Bgbpp Hgv BnvtFLYBNLarge Blend29.45%10.08%15.00%
Jhnszpgx LXX PD GkgLnmrfwjnxj FbqBSHJWLarge Blend19.07%7.82%10.82%
Yrcdtcld BKW XT Kkkgzcrs YplJPFWHLarge Growth41.39%11.48%15.21%
Brtbnlkp RBY JN Cjrbxwd HwXCBBLarge Growth30.47%12.09%16.32%
Kpnpfvjx YGP DH Gzvrb WvwxhDGCCLarge Value25.79%7.86%11.34%
Qfshmkcr Bbmqzk Shbvbzwjmzsdm NtQZRMZForeign Large Blend15.19%4.09%7.86%
Gydnwqrk Vfbpjc Xgsyl Kqw Qmxzc BsYQJKFLarge Value21.30%6.05%10.20%
Jnhrxknw Xrcxcn Sjnfd Ng Nqlcm NzmmrMWSDZLarge Growth37.38%12.06%18.54%
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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.

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