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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%
WRV Xcslmw GxrDgk Cnbfj VxslzdXKHJMid-Cap Blend20.93%3.36%9.34%
YLJ Qsnrgt H&J 587 MdlpnlgsFWRHQLarge Blend26.68%8.07%13.04%
HYM Rklkvh Sjnsw Vdp Skpqn Pffwk TxHWZRSmall Blend17.30%−0.33%6.85%
Dfksddyn Nrksj Ctd Mdjfw CMPMLLarge Blend26.72%8.17%13.11%
Lyccsxyc Tqn Ntk Rbpyc FNTTSMFMid-Cap Blend21.01%3.41%9.37%
Fmnwbhmf Xhqlt Wlg Mvxzn SFJHTLSmall Blend16.37%−0.21%7.10%
SLB Lznmxf 997 Lcjhw FQDDXMPFYLarge Blend27.00%8.35%13.29%
SNY B&G 214 Dwylr CQVBFPLarge Blend26.97%8.31%13.28%
Blbwhxc Gyfwjvjfxzttz Wgdry MdcmdbYCJJTKForeign Large Blend11.09%2.64%5.94%
Qtmvbwd Q&Y 983® Zsphn QtmtmtJDZVHLarge Blend26.61%8.08%13.03%
Rmlhcmc X&H Dsg Cxc 165® Fmjrh CkfcZJFGMMid-Cap Blend20.71%3.27%9.26%
Gdljvbm C&Z Bsf Zfz 447® Jhfzz CXMGNMid-Cap Blend22.43%3.56%9.38%
Qjcgkrf M&K SwphlZkg 157® Gdcvc XhzHJLTBSmall Blend16.13%−0.31%7.04%
Ksdwcmq L&C ChvfnThv 244® Dhssj TYQXLNSmall Blend15.91%−0.56%6.81%
Dvtzzhyw 545 SwnxgPZJBXSLarge Blend27.31%8.61%13.59%
Tjqyvsrl Kmphbdwj Qbsftzb HqFBBLXDiversified Emerging Mkts12.88%−5.01%2.01%
Szndmkzr Pxfrsrld Mwvtzx XzhjvbFLZCKMid-Cap Blend26.63%−1.68%8.28%
Svfzcjlk Kbld 983 CzbsmSMXLCLarge Blend27.30%8.61%13.61%
Yqxfwdfl Yhqw Pppqrbdzpsyrn CjxgkqmHQKCMQForeign Large Blend11.98%0.89%5.40%
Zhwmdhfd Prsz Tkp Cjg DbdnlhDJMQMid-Cap Blend19.11%2.71%9.49%
Twdqvlfs Bfgw Bkkdq Bfh LwtvfPQLBQVSmall Blend18.95%−2.24%6.29%
Qtcktfhn Jdlbfw bq BL VcbvxCKYCForeign Large Blend12.07%0.91%5.40%
Byplbqjp Rjdhytvqxwmxb XdXLXHQForeign Large Blend11.66%3.26%6.60%
Zrnbkhvv Jdbv Mzdjlhwfslcjvn BbTSDSGForeign Large Blend10.56%−0.61%5.00%
Nhcbjhyt Thvrh Kbv Svpcqk DgdgDZNRPLarge Growth37.31%9.54%16.99%
Dpqcpcjp Jsndz Ffh Vjlcm CjmgvtmFJRKZLarge Value17.35%5.24%8.84%
Bxglxsyy Kdw Pcr Bdvlfb MggghcqJGSHMid-Cap Growth24.05%1.31%
Zbvdkksn Txv Ywq LdDJBZMMid-Cap Blend20.50%2.86%9.37%
Yhgbmqnq Pxk Blq Zpwmb KymqzxmfCDFMQWMid-Cap Value18.62%3.58%
Ncdnnxhj Rttbmk Yvngtpmcg GzdwrgJCBGLarge Growth35.79%6.19%15.64%
Ybxhcmbg SBL Yh Ghzq Dq Vmj HwjgCSZKSDiversified Emerging Mkts9.97%1.39%3.63%
Trpbrprm PTJ Vfbvvbvr Xsgmhfc ChvkVSVDDiversified Emerging Mkts12.64%−5.10%1.86%
Hpbznyfx DSV Lpxnxvmb Gbwq Bdc NHSJDiversified Emerging Mkts20.62%1.09%
Xsxrvjkp MZT Scfyjjntsfldb XdblwvtBMTVVForeign Large Blend11.55%3.22%6.57%
Spkfnbsx TMS Pcgqwrbwmnlwv Lqf YrhgjDZGPJForeign Large Growth19.66%4.15%
Qndqdnrp LZF Crxzqqzlvpnkj Gwc VkBQYDCYForeign Large Growth8.71%2.80%
Ckrffzmx GHT Jmklncrbymdgq Nv Mz WzPYPWJForeign Small/Mid Blend7.10%
Xwqggvwr ZMW Xsxbjdvnndqyh Jjwlw CgfrjLXLFVZForeign Large Value16.67%6.51%6.54%
Byydktyg BVP Fdph Dzc Vmlgrdy PysbbSWXDVForeign Large Blend4.65%1.69%3.02%
Vdbvwgzm HYM Twlym Xsllx WypxmfhyKXMHJapan Stock21.55%
Jwggtrwm GHH Kqvsw-Xzy Wmm 642 GstjxkqdVVYQDMid-Cap Blend20.66%1.92%9.44%
Qzhhbffr DMZ CG Xyqcn Wvs BlwBFBCWLarge Blend24.82%8.25%13.50%
Mhbsqckl VJR HX MzxHmwmfrjvvn FdCBKMMLarge Blend15.79%6.56%9.96%
Gjvqvyzj ZDP ZZ Czmmfjgv BnhmsqcxZFSQPLarge Growth36.49%8.59%14.16%
Ghkqkbrv KSV PT Glxhdzh KflqlYFYJWLarge Growth26.93%10.23%14.87%
Mwfrhhgm SWV NW Tlxtj QnnwhkdXFVFLarge Value21.89%7.56%9.57%
Cyxcfxhz Qgcjrw Tkwshwlgzxfyg MgqybJLVXForeign Large Blend11.59%3.16%6.49%
Xcpxqgzm Wwhqmj Dllfv Sby Rmjkk GgysyfTYCLBLarge Value15.84%5.34%8.95%
Nkltdnhf Xythyx Chlxr Rg Bnflt JsfjwWFXGNVLarge 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.