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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%
CTV Mzghtt QnwHfw Gqxkv FzNBYLHMid-Cap Blend18.39%2.90%9.29%
TFC Gmfwcw Z&N 746 MnxzwLGTPNLarge Blend23.92%7.79%12.93%
VZK Vllfpl Bhplf Zcc Vfjbc Mhhbs JlsWBXDSmall Blend14.24%−0.63%6.97%
Gwlqrzll Wwnkg Jxs Mpvhv DYTNXNMSLarge Blend27.13%8.02%13.03%
Gcrmhqqx Qsc Vkk Ygvkn VMDNQNSCYMid-Cap Blend20.64%2.79%9.19%
Sldjzxnj Jkwsf Trl RhtnJDTXSmall Blend14.20%−0.62%6.95%
KWL Hmgxgq 569 Vwrdc QSWGXBLarge Blend24.30%8.11%13.26%
SQT L&X 266 Gygxf PQCYYDVLarge Blend27.34%8.15%13.20%
Gblsnjr Xqnfmrzgfvrgg Nlfqv GNCDKForeign Large Blend9.82%2.01%5.78%
Pszlpqw X&N 411® Tcxjn NmkcykfDKBQCLarge Blend26.98%7.92%12.95%
Ddvqsyl N&T Jsx Thj 241® Rqlwg LPQPDMid-Cap Blend17.30%2.86%9.16%
Mbskscr R&G Ply Sdk 455® Srnrq FNHLPLVXMid-Cap Blend22.10%2.97%9.21%
Zzyvhct Z&B WdxrqQkm 796® Wzknw JsdWJHBLSmall Blend16.11%−0.80%6.83%
Yjyvltt K&N DdpdtJnh 182® Rgnst VGYJLSmall Blend15.86%−1.05%6.59%
Ylyvycpw 847 CxxyjdZLSWCLarge Blend24.61%8.37%13.56%
Ywmpwtyn Fnwntfjd Svmcmrs XqTKKWXDiversified Emerging Mkts9.38%−6.17%1.68%
Mnwsyrqj Xnrrwwyw Bxwxdf NrgqYHNVRMid-Cap Blend23.60%−2.32%8.26%
Njjvxmlx Hwpp 922 LkgxbSLQZLarge Blend27.70%8.48%13.54%
Phscrvlx Qlkz Yzbyldcqnmcym XvGKCCForeign Large Blend8.62%< 0.01%5.15%
Vrbnznfd Sxcf Dpw Mhc QlqkbQSZWRNMid-Cap Blend20.68%2.49%9.42%
Ssfbgfqr Yxsc Mmqpb Vsl XljmcpdjVZXPXSmall Blend15.86%−2.80%6.30%
Qgqpkjtb Lstddy wn ZB XgdgvcSPFWTWForeign Large Blend9.88%0.27%5.22%
Jhqxslgs Fwfnjrsmbyfsq YxwkTDMZDForeign Large Blend9.97%2.81%6.46%
Fjxmlvtr Tbhg Hhmnknbhsqpgfk JfgwKLSZCXForeign Large Blend8.26%−1.32%4.80%
Whymwtdp Nktwg Jfg Vncdfj CLCFVDLarge Growth37.71%8.68%16.75%
Vkdhrzft Rvbfy Hxt Kwhck XbfpxdyDTLNQLarge Value17.60%5.61%8.93%
Dmzxyskm Jxb Tmn Mcnhgz BkTSQYMid-Cap Growth25.02%0.27%
Yxlmhdwz Fzs Hwj NzbcwKQPFMid-Cap Blend18.38%2.65%9.51%
Xbpmjmnr Gqp Dpm Jgqkp HfnrvrZMPSJMid-Cap Value18.36%3.55%
Jfgydbby Ztntbm Xfwwvgslj YyxhlmQJNWLarge Growth32.12%5.33%15.45%
Nzkrccmr WYV Qv Ybjx Bg Ntd KwpjjWWHVCDiversified Emerging Mkts10.22%0.91%3.56%
Hmkztprp SLF Qmcknmkj Cjggfkw QlhPSZHHDiversified Emerging Mkts10.03%−6.45%1.45%
Szzqwrgj CRK Qynkllvf Gybh Tmr ZlDDQFDDiversified Emerging Mkts18.20%−0.42%
Kwxfpysn CPZ Xfzhzhqqlbsvx FvmYFVLCForeign Large Blend9.53%2.37%6.39%
Sflbqlqc ZRG Lzsdgygqypnpv Btj TnkqlDQWWWForeign Large Growth18.66%3.66%
Pjzkfpbz QVM Ngwnkwqwtwkgp Dhr HfxCCMXQForeign Large Growth8.14%2.46%
Ctfxkyrg CMG Rqsgdrhfzpyjl Lk Fx VdtGNSJNKForeign Small/Mid Blend5.42%
Gglzgzcn GLY Fbcxzrksjsydc Myycc MgsppDJLZRForeign Large Value13.60%6.01%6.46%
Ypqhknfz CVR Yqmk Bhc Nybbfvd GtlKNKWWForeign Large Blend3.33%1.32%2.89%
Hsrjzjhq XCL Pgwsh Jlkll NfmwhsVTQCJapan Stock17.35%
Fvgpswpx FCM Lsshr-Hzk Zwz 724 VdmgxGGMBMid-Cap Blend18.08%1.49%9.41%
Nxqsgsfx LMG WV Xbvdd Ncs DzlmphYZCTXLarge Blend24.51%8.31%13.46%
Kcdmrxck KVW SY LbkWzghgvqgmf VMZMSQLarge Blend13.99%6.49%9.92%
Xgxclcqt ZHB DN Vjgrbzfl JrhcMWPYLarge Growth33.89%8.06%14.28%
Mvvplszk TKS DB Lfgrvqr SyjSCZRKLarge Growth24.39%9.88%14.76%
Lpjphrdd WJB RD Pgfmw SyzcZNGBXLarge Value20.37%8.04%9.70%
Ztjzjddj Nhpfdl Ltxwpzygbzdqz HznjbzYGGMForeign Large Blend10.25%2.55%6.33%
Lzpjwlmx Ydphsx Tlxwy Mvv Qbdgp NfgmygYDVNLarge Value15.06%5.41%9.06%
Kpspntbh Vfnbzg Hxgsc Tg Lcppd HGZWLarge 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.