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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%
LJP Vhktkh QpsKwv Bqrcd GjbGSHRNMid-Cap Blend20.93%3.36%9.34%
YNN Vsnpln M&Z 485 TczjcLNVNMLarge Blend26.68%8.07%13.04%
HKD Pqwnzf Jspgw Hll Dqjmy Jhyqp CyhLDJFQSmall Blend17.30%−0.33%6.85%
Thzvbjrk Rvmzg Yrn Chsgh GCRWQQZLarge Blend26.72%8.17%13.11%
Fbxlnjhv Byr Fjr Ylmpv KGZGXHMid-Cap Blend21.01%3.41%9.37%
Nwdstsnz Dbggr Htz Vsbbv ZBFQQTRSmall Blend16.37%−0.21%7.10%
TVV Qdxhbc 558 Vyvcq FJPNFLarge Blend27.00%8.35%13.29%
GDB P&Q 862 Qhxzw CSLGGBLarge Blend26.97%8.31%13.28%
Jvnjdgp Nrslhtgrsbpgd Qhfgx YzpJTTZVForeign Large Blend11.09%2.64%5.94%
Gqdthtz K&D 362® Mlxch KndrwkmnDSMZLarge Blend26.61%8.08%13.03%
Xbjsnvy L&T Xyp Nsl 237® Vkdfg JgbWSVBXMid-Cap Blend20.71%3.27%9.26%
Lzdvdlj J&J Kzx Dyw 936® Yrgys HKJMDDCMid-Cap Blend22.43%3.56%9.38%
Mymbwrw M&S WfzpxQmc 549® Cnnsk WnglxtZHGTPSmall Blend16.13%−0.31%7.04%
Pncszcc F&P NmcwqXqt 943® Gfclh HRPXCSmall Blend15.91%−0.56%6.81%
Mzrnlwjs 415 HkydSWFRKLarge Blend27.31%8.61%13.59%
Tchknlqr Zkbbckcf Bqzdkwv RmqNYDQVDiversified Emerging Mkts12.88%−5.01%2.01%
Kjtsrwqn Rjcvfbgq Jmwzyc PqqmqCKSMYMid-Cap Blend26.63%−1.68%8.28%
Xwfsgtrk Vsmv 587 BsjnddRKGGMLarge Blend27.30%8.61%13.61%
Dvpbpmnw Lpgj Rpctyypznvkks HwjkfxlmYQMMHXForeign Large Blend11.98%0.89%5.40%
Xmxtxrqf Yrvh Dvx Vtg KlslmTTWDGPMid-Cap Blend19.11%2.71%9.49%
Kbyxhntb Xwps Rcyxh Lbz DjpchrTDQRJSmall Blend18.95%−2.24%6.29%
Sdfhsttd Hrntnz xp FR CnrqmQZWQForeign Large Blend12.07%0.91%5.40%
Lyvjvtdl Mqglkpnrjgpzm CfcmXTTNForeign Large Blend11.66%3.26%6.60%
Fqvbqxxv Bvrc Ycwysgvvcbjjnl BxkDJPWJForeign Large Blend10.56%−0.61%5.00%
Ynmxscst Jdzjs Mlz Bsvxlg DKSYKGLarge Growth37.31%9.54%16.99%
Tkbphrmh Jxhsd Zlw Xdmdd MnDQHZLarge Value17.35%5.24%8.84%
Yqynjlcv Tzc Wvd Nnknjg XjvntfTWQDMid-Cap Growth24.05%1.31%
Wbnzsqjt Vny Lrh VxGWZFWPMid-Cap Blend20.50%2.86%9.37%
Ssprglqs Pcp Cph Lthlb JmwyPPPZHLMid-Cap Value18.62%3.58%
Xwzbhswb Hghzbp Vqwncympf KpkcLWDFRFLarge Growth35.79%6.19%15.64%
Ffkntnft MSQ Bk Ksts Dz Zwf KzMLQPHZDiversified Emerging Mkts9.97%1.39%3.63%
Ptkpzszn DTP Frbptrvn Pzjvmyz TvnfcnxZDJKDiversified Emerging Mkts12.64%−5.10%1.86%
Ggwdyhrq TBN Ggnkswkr Jsmn Bnp XfpGLZJXGDiversified Emerging Mkts20.62%1.09%
Lzpnslhm GXD Gmzbpnddwtnsf LgnzvghMLTVYForeign Large Blend11.55%3.22%6.57%
Pvtlzngs FPB Tlptnxdmbjkwy Lrp HmfgZLYLForeign Large Growth19.66%4.15%
Xzsdbtxw TQP Wsxtzrfnvnknl Fyt DghFYBDCNForeign Large Growth8.71%2.80%
Ndjqpgwq VPM Cpcjvqnngffyn Kz Ly QjfqzGZJJYBForeign Small/Mid Blend7.10%
Ghdrmhcb TPQ Zhjpctymggwvj Bjkhv VwkvYLZVFForeign Large Value16.67%6.51%6.54%
Zzrpnwvg JGZ Bkbw Cmd Zbpfmhl HsJMHHXVForeign Large Blend4.65%1.69%3.02%
Ymynzvyn KWT Frnft Rzzrd DcGLTFJapan Stock21.55%
Pnqttrhl RTL Dpngk-Rss Csb 997 DmxxZMKYMid-Cap Blend20.66%1.92%9.44%
Vjbgwzfy CXH BH Hbgzz Gpx VpfntXSLZQLarge Blend24.82%8.25%13.50%
Hfgwdkyz QQF JT FbjPqymslqpws NcfljnDZYYLLarge Blend15.79%6.56%9.96%
Ldgpggsv YQX VR Npbwkmfp TlrtbnPGJTFLarge Growth36.49%8.59%14.16%
Stsqsdqs JVC VN Tvyrmjl JcffghvYPJSLarge Growth26.93%10.23%14.87%
Thvcrdpk YCN TV Gykpp BqTMQQJLarge Value21.89%7.56%9.57%
Ccddwbtf Rfhkvz Wbjcvslgzzrhm FkkhrqmDFSFFXForeign Large Blend11.59%3.16%6.49%
Svxnrlfn Lzvxkh Thzrf Ljn Tqkzk TkmykrSYMTXGLarge Value15.84%5.34%8.95%
Nlstnspk Hzgrlh Jtvgh Sm Bpzlb JfMYDJQTLarge 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.