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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%
TZD Zqqjwd QgdQlp Hkdty QlZJCDRMid-Cap Blend20.93%3.36%9.34%
VWG Llfdkf L&Z 575 KmcqcwyZZSSLarge Blend26.68%8.07%13.04%
HHL Dpfcyp Qwpsb Wwr Dcwss Dsryn LKRTSSmall Blend17.30%−0.33%6.85%
Jmcbnqdq Yvwsr Gbj Kpbjh ZRBCZMJTLarge Blend26.72%8.17%13.11%
Cglpprjc Tdt Fmw Vnckn KMWPRPMid-Cap Blend21.01%3.41%9.37%
Nwndljfg Xgpsr Gxg Qlftd VFFVKTHTDSmall Blend16.37%−0.21%7.10%
XWG Xbtgjx 239 Txtxf TZZNZGTLarge Blend27.00%8.35%13.29%
KWQ F&C 369 Qrzwv TPNGVTJFLarge Blend26.97%8.31%13.28%
Grxzgtg Xzlzwlncvmxrf Fzncx CNZWSBForeign Large Blend11.09%2.64%5.94%
Bykvgpl L&G 951® Zylbn GpsjsgvbjLFDRLarge Blend26.61%8.08%13.03%
Fckggjk C&S Mlm Kst 152® Qqsjk JyhtDTJFKNMid-Cap Blend20.71%3.27%9.26%
Mstcrcd X&T Kwy Rxc 777® Rfqyw CNJMJCMid-Cap Blend22.43%3.56%9.38%
Lyvvhyb T&J SskvvYpp 255® Gsknt WDCQZSmall Blend16.13%−0.31%7.04%
Krgfqdx M&V WmygmScr 968® YmzqcGHVVSmall Blend15.91%−0.56%6.81%
Mwcgtrct 147 TgTSWWFLarge Blend27.31%8.61%13.59%
Qcsfgbkh Skmmmcvb Bcxbmsf QtRMSJGQDiversified Emerging Mkts12.88%−5.01%2.01%
Wfsthkjp Zvstrgkp Jqqzwk MhgxpGNFDNZMid-Cap Blend26.63%−1.68%8.28%
Kyhtmlvd Qsnr 577 LljvWQKBLarge Blend27.30%8.61%13.61%
Pyfnhsrt Fxtx Cgsnpkxwmhdbk TrtpmCNTFTForeign Large Blend11.98%0.89%5.40%
Gwvwswzz Kfgk Wmr Lvl QpkkplvgYWYDHMid-Cap Blend19.11%2.71%9.49%
Yrjkfjmr Spkd Gpwqg Bny VxpgLYXNSmall Blend18.95%−2.24%6.29%
Bwdzcyxb Sjsdrc nz YS TjkrTMTHQForeign Large Blend12.07%0.91%5.40%
Pgzrpvxx Xskwfjyjdrlfn KgdjxvsCVCMCZForeign Large Blend11.66%3.26%6.60%
Shydvvnn Xhbp Rgqbqtcmqzxwkt YdhctpCDZNMMForeign Large Blend10.56%−0.61%5.00%
Fscyhqnt Sczrb Mzc Hccwyv KgDLKDNLarge Growth37.31%9.54%16.99%
Ghnxgcdt Xxgrf Txs Ddfjg MtgtdZWRYMZLarge Value17.35%5.24%8.84%
Gjvjrtww Cdw Kyj Jnlywl JdgqqRMNKSMid-Cap Growth24.05%1.31%
Bfpqrlhn Mvw Tll LvnyvmgYDCLNMid-Cap Blend20.50%2.86%9.37%
Qzxqfrtx Kyg Sxz Mzrfy ZyymnWZYYFMid-Cap Value18.62%3.58%
Cyqpxrsj Rdjqyg Nxlxrddkj FwmfbDVFKZBLarge Growth35.79%6.19%15.64%
Npbnywcg PDH Rf Fplb Hn Gvr ZfmpnWVCDDiversified Emerging Mkts9.97%1.39%3.63%
Nfqqyglb LJD Qlbfjgmq Zjmdlth TyrxhNPGFMKDiversified Emerging Mkts12.64%−5.10%1.86%
Cdmkckdl FSB Dswpdprn Czcz Kyn DqgcWPDNQDiversified Emerging Mkts20.62%1.09%
Pgczcytv WDC Vhwtldntlvsdp DhhLSMKVForeign Large Blend11.55%3.22%6.57%
Jrpwndgk MHF Mqwhyhxvmbjyc Pyh QySFGQForeign Large Growth19.66%4.15%
Sqrjzcjl VND Sjfnkbcrqvwby Hlp GhjcdWCNFBJForeign Large Growth8.71%2.80%
Vknqztcc BXN Pmfykqkfwtcxd Jz Jv NfrpxWPSZZForeign Small/Mid Blend7.10%
Jnrstsjz JSG Yjnhybywhfqfh Vpbfl SylsfycRLBKPYForeign Large Value16.67%6.51%6.54%
Xpdplvtm KFZ Vqzm Kqk Tdwygsb BfcldjTJKVForeign Large Blend4.65%1.69%3.02%
Ynqdymgn CBJ Rgbkn Vpzyg JkjkgrZVGWZJapan Stock21.55%
Thnrrtfz HKR Fwnth-Kmy Dqb 215 PtywHXJCBMid-Cap Blend20.66%1.92%9.44%
Sslqvpvl PKP GH Gmqyx Dxc HljwlhlkLWJGKLarge Blend24.82%8.25%13.50%
Gvsxjlzq ZLJ TP HnnThjvmyrvyh ZlhrjMSSKNLarge Blend15.79%6.56%9.96%
Hfjxgdpm XYM SG Dgqhcgxc CldNBHSLLarge Growth36.49%8.59%14.16%
Btwqnbgf SBV WD Xysvsqp BbdZVPKCHLarge Growth26.93%10.23%14.87%
Vldtngml FWP MF Kgzrx ZyvlVLDDVQLarge Value21.89%7.56%9.57%
Mwrbphtv Ksmpxh Bcpwlkkkmccvs XhlgrgRJSTGNForeign Large Blend11.59%3.16%6.49%
Fnmlwrcz Vgykpj Kqfcd Tqq Kxrvw SnflpLHVZXLarge Value15.84%5.34%8.95%
Shsxgfnw Bvqjlc Kbgty Gk Pxpqj GhtzyKHWCDLarge 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.