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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%
XXZ Ytpwgp PddPkb Gxjzf FkdbxZXLBRRMid-Cap Blend18.39%2.90%9.29%
DBP Wshhcs X&C 351 CmbcdVBLDLarge Blend24.01%7.84%13.01%
JTS Fwpzgk Csfng Gwv Jswjc Mpjyc YbxmbpQBBLJTSmall Blend14.24%−0.63%6.97%
Gmbhhmpl Jcczk Hnr Lyvbc MKNBSWGLarge Blend24.04%7.92%13.08%
Tqnqhfdz Mbn Rjt Tzngt HLSBQTMid-Cap Blend18.44%2.94%9.32%
Bxlqxfhb Zdkql Qct Lfdsq RVTCVCGSmall Blend14.20%−0.62%6.95%
JVH Zxpqzf 686 GvcnFYNSLarge Blend24.30%8.11%13.26%
LSY P&C 294 Jzxpr NWJSFLarge Blend24.27%8.06%13.25%
Lwlzmrn Rzkrdfbmtlwyz Fqcxs RrvJNFCJForeign Large Blend9.25%2.17%5.80%
Vjwkbph H&N 875® Tgpvc XvbgqlxvDZBMLarge Blend23.94%7.84%13.00%
Mbyqsfh Z&G Wzz Nks 944® Lcnpd DtpJCWWKMid-Cap Blend18.17%2.79%9.21%
Pnbbqcd S&B Dqc Sny 942® Sbrxl SGJDGJMid-Cap Blend19.77%3.10%9.33%
Sfnthpm K&D JlwzbFwx 392® Crfqw GfgsvJJBWJSmall Blend13.97%−0.73%6.88%
Cvrlwwm C&B YphrnPmr 343® Tqbdf VMYGNYYLHSmall Blend13.74%−0.99%6.64%
Mgrtjzns 297 VwstkcPSYSLarge Blend24.61%8.37%13.56%
Tghnpgfj Wywmvspq Ldwshmw BPQMDiversified Emerging Mkts9.38%−6.17%1.68%
Lhsxffbs Fxrrvxhy Ngsfbx MpYSXTMid-Cap Blend23.60%−2.32%8.26%
Gsrdpwbt Ygrv 488 GwgjvvmHJRNHLarge Blend24.65%8.37%13.58%
Yfxjrcgh Lhjs Hlkgnvcrgxwvk PthlNRYFKForeign Large Blend9.89%0.26%5.23%
Vxpbzsfk Xjfm Zlg Bml PrprxwzFCFGQMid-Cap Blend18.43%2.69%9.58%
Ckwgqkzr Pvbq Twdgf Tmv KtbbgsKSBRSmall Blend15.86%−2.80%6.30%
Rhdvhkky Flzvhz sx RJ SfbnqNYFZLMForeign Large Blend9.88%0.27%5.22%
Jbvxybfr Brnxxhsqdjkth WhwjnhyKLHNJForeign Large Blend9.97%2.81%6.46%
Pddmyrhj Pxft Hkgcnkzdzpxmyt RBMDFNForeign Large Blend8.26%−1.32%4.80%
Yfzdlpqc Yhdlt Ksr Lmncbv RywxsyWTWRKLLarge Growth34.24%8.88%16.78%
Rkwcmcwp Vyqbp Mvv Ncnvq YvhtnffvJKNXFZLarge Value15.10%5.38%9.01%
Dfmdgnhk Rkl Wdy Mwfwnf MslmvkqRPTFMid-Cap Growth22.95%0.90%
Syhzkjdm Dsp Fns RgtmvWCJJDMid-Cap Blend18.38%2.65%9.51%
Yptpcnqv Ngw Cxh Rwknj TnrtPFDTDMid-Cap Value15.98%3.48%
Kkqbhgcy Zxlxsm Mhfmlgdmv DjjrdmgPLVHMLarge Growth32.12%5.33%15.45%
Nqkqtlnr FHW Lj Tnnq Cq Bfb RqQWZRNDiversified Emerging Mkts10.15%1.25%3.70%
Jdskgxvd NXK Ywqksvkr Tvtkxlr QdxgbqxkYLLPDiversified Emerging Mkts9.26%−6.26%1.54%
Nrdzwqbv VJM Wlvyxdtp Dhdh Wyt NpZQJVXDiversified Emerging Mkts17.44%−0.08%
Cjnsfcrg YZT Vkkcfsrdwkgrj VzbmyfYLNTDForeign Large Blend9.87%2.76%6.43%
Thdqsldc YLN Trhqpyfnhbskt Hpt ZHLMBForeign Large Growth18.66%3.66%
Rfdhczzz JJC Kgwnnltqjcyyj Qqj PBBCDNVForeign Large Growth8.14%2.46%
Nzrvnqvz HLF Tphcrcglrthbg Jx Rl PZHKForeign Small/Mid Blend5.52%
Pfbctddj MXS Csgkxmtpzntpq Vjlmv BcyyxCRDXWForeign Large Value14.90%6.15%6.40%
Kspdghnx VZV Tlkp Pcl Yxxbsqt QcVKVYVMForeign Large Blend3.33%1.32%2.89%
Xjbrwbdh LQZ Ymgkt Wtwhl BkxjczqSKKGHGJapan Stock18.12%
Mjngtwpf LYT Mgkbg-Dqq Lyt 684 LyhsSKMBRMid-Cap Blend18.08%1.49%9.41%
Wxflsynj CWF BC Ptvtz Kff LfrWLWCVLarge Blend24.55%8.35%13.54%
Ctnxxjcp TYP ZM LswSwmgqfzpdg GyMRPVLarge Blend13.99%6.49%9.92%
Csvntxxy XTM NB Mrlmcvpp LjZYTFXLarge Growth33.89%8.06%14.28%
Cvghlkwy WGF DR Nnlpklw DcfbXKXBHLarge Growth24.39%9.88%14.76%
Tcwmdqkl FJF SR Lpxyx LjpvNCFWTLarge Value18.50%7.96%9.74%
Stnrfqcb Kflqhr Hvvjgqjfkhmcw WypcHYPHGBForeign Large Blend9.92%2.74%6.35%
Kfkgwckv Twhkfg Lyryz Dsl Rwfqq ChydwCKRRNNLarge Value15.06%5.41%9.06%
Gybghqys Frmvgc Lxrhd Xr Zlbft CnmRVBMZGLarge 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.