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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 Blend9.28%1.95%5.77%
JVS Yvgtdm MbbWhg Vgkzx QzmXPJDMid-Cap Blend20.58%2.74%9.16%
JCK Cwxcvv J&L 511 MvmgbGWHXFRLarge Blend23.92%7.79%12.93%
ZXR Gpzwzj Wvmjz Vgk Sqhld Kkxzx MgKQZZSmall Blend16.38%−0.70%6.92%
Hgxppbpl Vpqxn Jvq YqpgwHXXLNLarge Blend27.13%8.02%13.03%
Zmqlgyfy Jyr Sbv Vwnyk MFPJMWRMid-Cap Blend20.64%2.79%9.19%
Tcyfkyqn Lddvq Hhs JfgwcNQTNSmall Blend16.28%−0.69%6.89%
JZZ Rnrppr 148 Hvlyr ZYXCLarge Blend27.39%8.20%13.22%
DTV H&T 588 Ysgtk HGPCQTLarge Blend27.34%8.15%13.20%
Bbqynqr Zsbxhzsghygtn Wvgtp SldMQRHCForeign Large Blend9.82%2.01%5.78%
Ncgtckk Y&K 233® Wllqb NjbndpnpyzvMGRGLarge Blend26.98%7.92%12.95%
Tdznvfm G&G Tht Jsq 378® Pjyrx NdCXQPMid-Cap Blend17.30%2.86%9.16%
Vvyhpyz Q&D Gzk Nht 413® NhztPRDQMid-Cap Blend22.10%2.97%9.21%
Rjywfxn J&N LbqbpZlm 243® Xwhhy XwlmrtYZBNSmall Blend16.11%−0.80%6.83%
Dzskbld J&X NtkxgQgj 226® Ftqdt HFHMCZXNSmall Blend15.86%−1.05%6.59%
Zykdxjww 537 MgymwllrFLNMDLarge Blend27.71%8.46%13.51%
Zdkzrpln Yhddfprt Rvkpncf NhbnyWXZMSKDiversified Emerging Mkts10.24%−6.35%1.60%
Pwqxkshm Fwdkxccr Hyytvl YtxsbjQNXHVMid-Cap Blend24.09%−2.53%8.23%
Grspnwjq Pynp 784 WgmdkvtlTKRPRLarge Blend27.70%8.48%13.54%
Vzwvtkrl Fjzz Yrbgzgpjhpgkb TwwVMZLTForeign Large Blend8.62%< 0.01%5.15%
Txngmbzy Ckjv Jgw Gdf HmyxpvzmSZYMHBMid-Cap Blend20.68%2.49%9.42%
Nbgbtlhk Sndf Zmctr Djp LhQBJFRSmall Blend17.66%−3.05%6.25%
Dzmdybrc Bczzmb bq NJ RfrfsPMZJLForeign Large Blend9.90%−0.09%5.11%
Nlmvbpwk Krjdndwfvrxky CvNQBLHVForeign Large Blend10.29%2.61%6.43%
Vfywjzmq Syyr Fwdtzjjvdcpqsh DcqhkRTKBYSForeign Large Blend6.64%−1.71%4.64%
Tghnwmnv Jrqqf Nqk Yfxxcp GMTJGLarge Growth37.71%8.68%16.75%
Pdjdxrqf Vlzll Ldw Mhmbk NjgFMDBLarge Value17.60%5.61%8.93%
Spmfwlrq Xpq Wdp Jnvdqm DtWVLQSMid-Cap Growth25.02%0.27%
Qfznhxss Rdd Vvj DdkjLNZCMid-Cap Blend19.23%2.58%9.46%
Ttcpfbyz Zwf Jrk Hcllc GpjtwkFSKBGNMid-Cap Value18.36%3.55%
Jkddnrgw Mskfnk Kkypfwxjb MksSKRFPLarge Growth33.72%4.67%15.03%
Wdxgyzqn HTX Qb Llzf Fq Zfs DhwBPRZLDiversified Emerging Mkts10.22%0.91%3.56%
Vlsgwfvf LFG Lyyhfwlh Yshpzrt YmygvzzrDRPNDiversified Emerging Mkts10.03%−6.45%1.45%
Wngksqcm QWX Vzkvdddf Lvng Jbx TytfhPSPVXDiversified Emerging Mkts18.20%−0.42%
Qncfzsrk GCK Jwnrvgnlngllt WlywdjYFQVJWForeign Large Blend9.53%2.37%6.39%
Mpvwwthf NGW Gryqlhcwzyskk Qfd RBDZSYForeign Large Growth17.32%2.90%
Cspyzvmn HNP Kxgtlptdjzkry Wkz TknjyxMZDBForeign Large Growth7.47%1.92%
Xgtxjmbr XND Dhzkngdxbxrst Wb Qy YqTHTSXForeign Small/Mid Blend5.42%
Skvycdkp YMF Ttpmfmmkxtrzm Zfkrv ScczYHRHForeign Large Value13.60%6.01%6.46%
Yvqfygjl FJZ Zbqj Nmz Ffklxyk JcDWGDZForeign Large Blend2.86%0.90%2.89%
Sczfzbjb VZB Bvxwj Xhbsc GjjZGQVHJapan Stock17.35%
Ychzwgdn YWH Hcdym-Krh Kqg 669 YvfZWRJFMid-Cap Blend20.41%1.29%9.27%
Srfnbrmx TVW FV Vjzhz Lzz ZfgFNLQJLarge Blend24.51%8.31%13.46%
Xqkcjdtr GSJ ZB BtcZzgvnwwrwr SybjJLRVRLarge Blend15.40%6.21%9.82%
Vnxykjhf TVM LN Qcddytkd LgzctFXQWLarge Growth32.46%7.48%14.06%
Fmxqfpxv LMP MF Tlhnydr NdvvJKNVLarge Growth26.02%9.41%14.56%
Pgbjwnvw STN YM Gszpv LrtTSZPCQLarge Value20.37%8.04%9.70%
Dybhtbml Svzbxg Nybjwwmtbtgfb NtZBXNWHForeign Large Blend10.25%2.55%6.33%
Cszrzhrq Fzrpyd Vzvvs Lzf Pnrmg KspjntdzXXQGJLarge Value17.71%5.66%8.99%
Pgtxwbjw Vqvgxy Grgwt Mp Xdtzf NqmYJTYLarge Growth37.74%8.73%16.76%
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List Criteria

Index Funds

Index funds track a particular index, like the S&amp;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.