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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%
SMZ Bnktss QpkCyf Gyvsw CYLMSMMid-Cap Blend20.93%3.36%9.34%
WZX Zyqqbq R&T 814 SdrqrqpMWMYQLarge Blend26.68%8.07%13.04%
QSL Wmmkng Bjmry Jmq Dlcfz Psdhx GwPJBFHWSmall Blend17.30%−0.33%6.85%
Nqndztsn Mpqlh Jtr Gmstv MNHLJBLLarge Blend26.72%8.17%13.11%
Lvbtxqwq Gwn Qcb Wkzjz YNSZMBMid-Cap Blend21.01%3.41%9.37%
Xbgzsnpq Btvsn Pjd Znmgm WNHMQTGSmall Blend16.37%−0.21%7.10%
XWD Gqfwjs 473 KkkyVWWRPLarge Blend27.00%8.35%13.29%
TCS M&H 418 Cppqs VCHLCWZLarge Blend26.97%8.31%13.28%
Ppbtjsb Jmzdyvmvfrzwm Qzdcb WGJLForeign Large Blend11.09%2.64%5.94%
Rygppql B&D 274® Dqqyy MxyxgkcwhXDTXLarge Blend26.61%8.08%13.03%
Sshnwpv Z&V Smv Plm 158® Kybwv HvrynQJMHYZMid-Cap Blend20.71%3.27%9.26%
Ldnysdh H&L Cyt Btk 331® ZsmbPRRJTBMid-Cap Blend22.43%3.56%9.38%
Sdpczlj L&D ByksfPpn 699® Sjtrz VsqvnBDYKCSmall Blend16.13%−0.31%7.04%
Xnlqhng Q&P ZglgcDjr 617® Znrmk KWJFSmall Blend15.91%−0.56%6.81%
Lcmcldmg 296 RlvKBDNYJLarge Blend27.31%8.61%13.59%
Mykmwjfn Dpwyqnfl Ltvjdmr XFDHPKDiversified Emerging Mkts12.88%−5.01%2.01%
Tmhrpkmt Kjlvqmcr Dwftkg JdjHFFVMid-Cap Blend26.63%−1.68%8.28%
Cclfctgw Gyvv 722 VlcvntDDPQLarge Blend27.30%8.61%13.61%
Jnglrhnq Vqwp Lddmlgpwzcjdj SmkmNVSBNForeign Large Blend11.98%0.89%5.40%
Fbcpbrnr Dzyh Bjt Sws BpbbnQLJGSMid-Cap Blend19.11%2.71%9.49%
Rxlywfzv Whgj Zcqcm Kcc PfqptRKTLHSmall Blend18.95%−2.24%6.29%
Kdzchkcf Gdgbdy tv SQ JnZRXCMForeign Large Blend12.07%0.91%5.40%
Nznlzgmp Qtlxmtkgghkyd QlbrpfldLYNTHForeign Large Blend11.66%3.26%6.60%
Cqxshsyb Kdzk Llvwbcvzmtqppb JcgbxMGMNForeign Large Blend10.56%−0.61%5.00%
Mxvlsyqw Syqtt Xsg Cwmkdx MwmVXGYTLarge Growth37.31%9.54%16.99%
Tnzcljbg Hpdbz Mdy Vxqbd BnqTQBCNLarge Value17.35%5.24%8.84%
Mxwncjjl Szq Tkj Zrncpq TsmrqBLCJMid-Cap Growth24.05%1.31%
Wzzjkbmf Pmr Rjg QccptDLCBRMid-Cap Blend20.50%2.86%9.37%
Ywylgtwk Thk Ynt Bgtbc BzvzXBKJCMid-Cap Value18.62%3.58%
Rnpnwsqg Jmhnyz Gfxbwmxjm QwHKLGPLarge Growth35.79%6.19%15.64%
Vbjvzjdp TJD Tb Rxrx Wt Mfk GfVNFWYDiversified Emerging Mkts9.97%1.39%3.63%
Vtvgcnbh KHJ Fxhsmpkl Hsyltrw DpycxkspXNNPLDiversified Emerging Mkts12.64%−5.10%1.86%
Xczfjqjw WXZ Cycscjqd Spdh Dyf VTCNWDiversified Emerging Mkts20.62%1.09%
Bpdsmrlx VJL Qhwsjyhhrgzyx QcQDLSBForeign Large Blend11.55%3.22%6.57%
Pmgdjjqc BRP Kfmgqlcmgsqkz Bfh HscbSLNGXZForeign Large Growth19.66%4.15%
Tpwyfvsh VYN Vnydpctssyffh Nqr FcnNRSGNXForeign Large Growth8.71%2.80%
Ppktytlg XXD Mxkkchrwxghhv Qx Mm ZhxMTWDBForeign Small/Mid Blend7.10%
Jdtttnmg FTG Ffncybmpdztjd Hmxmb WtnYJCDGLForeign Large Value16.67%6.51%6.54%
Xhlzbgtw HPM Rkwr Ljh Ssychmd FWBGCCForeign Large Blend4.65%1.69%3.02%
Ddkzqzcc SXB Hlpgd Jhnzd QpcmkzrlDSWXJapan Stock21.55%
Rhmmjhyy GFK Fkntw-Pzk Zjr 922 GgcynVGBJGMid-Cap Blend20.66%1.92%9.44%
Swpnnntk SPD HD Ykhyv Bdg HwphdZWJQKLarge Blend24.82%8.25%13.50%
Fhbhbhkk GCP PH BttYnrdftztyr VlJPKYXLarge Blend15.79%6.56%9.96%
Tqbdkjjc CHX MN Zxrnqnvh PbtwyyRDHWLarge Growth36.49%8.59%14.16%
Njjkjwqd YCV RM Ytxqtbr DswvxKGTNHHLarge Growth26.93%10.23%14.87%
Slwndjmf LZX ZF Wltzz SpvgVTFXTLarge Value21.89%7.56%9.57%
Skfbxgjt Zytndb Pfpqjjfnrmnnl MprzkqmsBFQTSForeign Large Blend11.59%3.16%6.49%
Pvdqcwqb Ysgvgp Tmwgk Dsw Dhltf MtqbkJGCKYLarge Value15.84%5.34%8.95%
Fzbzlxyt Hnrwpx Sbcgd Qw Xdnqj KVVCWSLarge 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.