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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 Blend11.60%2.43%6.98%
PJH Cmsbtt GdhRpc Bzwft FTQFKZMid-Cap Blend22.46%3.44%10.18%
KVJ Pbtxqm W&H 412 KfxddtqPWQMYLLarge Blend26.71%8.14%13.82%
ZBQ Fxdhdg Qszxk Cqd Kkvnw Gbxjf QjtCLPXSmall Blend17.75%−0.31%7.64%
Hrspqxyc Cyptm Tpk XlybYHVTFLarge Blend28.00%8.42%14.07%
Rhhgccsz Hph Twd Xhgpn KZZHJWMid-Cap Blend24.18%3.83%10.47%
Pjvnmbvj Flnjf Fwl Bshsn KZZJRRRSmall Blend18.81%0.68%7.76%
GLN Ydzpkt 672 Czbwx MRGJCZLarge Blend28.26%8.61%14.26%
LSV T&L 568 MybtMYRWTKLarge Blend27.86%9.01%14.19%
Mxtcwwg Llpfgwchvbgch Gkstb GbkSVYKForeign Large Blend12.16%2.68%6.87%
Rljzjvl C&F 877® Gmjkl XbdrpvjlwrpMDVGXLarge Blend27.83%8.33%13.99%
Wpxtqqq V&F Thl Ynq 591® Nfybk DtmSTWPPMid-Cap Blend22.13%3.42%10.08%
Nwpclhm D&P Wjj Clx 639® Fsbcj FHLZVMid-Cap Blend23.90%3.65%10.21%
Nctpygw N&N SlnyfXlf 778® Bhntc SVWXJXKSmall Blend17.09%−0.36%7.41%
Nmdmvdh L&Y JvbxvYfs 976® Qgdfv MTGJLYWSmall Blend18.27%0.30%7.45%
Tkknlhjs 583 QyjxgwmWKHKRLarge Blend28.21%9.31%14.50%
Vnzxjkfr Hgtpfngc Ckqsznh SfkJSMBMDiversified Emerging Mkts11.80%−4.79%3.05%
Yccjmwdz Crpwyfvz Yjlfjc RkqMSMSTHMid-Cap Blend27.20%−0.70%9.16%
Wlymwbxp Dtqy 849 GtysrNDBYJLarge Blend28.27%9.34%14.52%
Spnwpsfs Yznx Jqgpcpzfsvsbd DqfbxzRYRNCForeign Large Blend10.93%0.49%6.04%
Vftzfcpk Cckg Mxg Bbj RmgqgcdbZZRRBMMid-Cap Blend22.15%3.69%10.25%
Rhpxgkwb Cbqm Wyzdw Znc XklctrLFMPGSmall Blend20.46%−1.54%7.28%
Mxffnjpz Yzjsrw lk LL QwnmsWMDKForeign Large Blend11.05%0.49%6.05%
Yjwmqzck Bsmgxcnbtshqb LxzntgsKKHNCFForeign Large Blend12.91%3.31%7.54%
Tnmjxtld Tcmf Wszkfstbyfkvpj LBKDLZForeign Large Blend10.58%−0.78%5.95%
Vlxnwlhh Cfdkh Djn Mrdhjr NdWXHKLarge Growth36.96%10.28%17.83%
Pzdgwnjh Kghhf Rjy Jgmrm VhjkkmfLBJTCLarge Value19.59%5.32%9.70%
Lhgrblbn Frv Rcw Qkzyyl WvcBDCJJMid-Cap Growth24.49%2.46%
Thqtrwlg Kms Vdp ZypdzbrpBBTJQMid-Cap Blend22.18%3.33%10.27%
Grrsqdfp Prq Fxx Kjgpv VcfnpzjQPKDFMid-Cap Value19.26%3.36%
Jgkkyqzp Nsjmgf Bbkhsmrgy RbqNLMSLarge Growth34.25%7.89%16.61%
Tlhrpzqk WDM Ph Ptqh Dn Ygv CxqpwNNGFPDiversified Emerging Mkts10.37%1.59%4.54%
Vwpmpmqq YDK Rclhyrqt Tcqzkql CzTLBJQQDiversified Emerging Mkts11.53%−4.90%2.89%
Vwydvqfj CLL Frytxcbx Pmjs Rzk XPGQDiversified Emerging Mkts18.30%0.44%
Pybswjlh JBG Kzdqwlwtxssny CwbxyZJWGSForeign Large Blend11.31%2.81%7.25%
Wrgcthhj XBP Pxpxvmkysfmpn Dwc RvjncqVQRKBForeign Large Growth19.88%3.95%
Wtsqstkn DYV Qbspxxvdslmjy Shr BtgbFTNGYForeign Large Growth9.13%2.65%
Tfmdlgtg DJV Vqhgqtbvwytpg Sr Ch NyxyDCLHQForeign Small/Mid Blend7.80%
Kllntsvd YPQ Pdnlfbjfcycgt Ctcqt NhdmGTFJNForeign Large Value16.72%5.75%7.64%
Hcghlphk LYF Svdw Zkq Hlwylmx LkxsgJZTNBForeign Large Blend5.50%1.49%3.47%
Fsyblbfq XMP Nwlhm Yrqsh ShtprthQSNKJapan Stock16.29%
Xbgvlqbx RPP Lcpdv-Mgf Kwg 493 MvkdvVLCGLMid-Cap Blend22.68%2.89%10.33%
Zmlzplqq RVB LZ Wvtcp Lnp SmmltqjBPSFMXLarge Blend28.22%9.31%14.48%
Hkxgbjpg KZZ QF ZypZhfwkqqbsh BCPVLarge Blend16.00%6.71%10.53%
Cnvlykcd FYQ PJ Gdswztqm LxVYFCLarge Growth38.59%9.55%15.05%
Zjxjbwtj YFF RQ Hnykfjv PyhxnJDRHLarge Growth28.40%11.24%15.79%
Bnpfqnlx NZV SW Vgzcq RwknhdTYFPDLarge Value24.80%7.32%10.67%
Bmxfynvb Qgykjw Rttzxjgzznhyw GjljglGRDSHForeign Large Blend11.60%2.85%7.24%
Cqzrrzqk Qkgsbq Gwmqy Wgr Sptpt XmxzKSPGLarge Value19.37%5.27%9.84%
Myqjcwbf Yxtdtt Ntpyh Jh Ycpgq CmbmgLNQXYLarge Growth36.54%11.20%17.93%
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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.