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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 Blend10.24%2.62%5.94%
QTZ Pmqcbj WsdTkx Qprmt NcnNPWNQMid-Cap Blend19.62%3.22%9.44%
ZCX Jxgnzw J&G 527 BwngswVBKXLarge Blend24.24%7.73%12.98%
BDQ Kfzxjf Jhvwc Xyx Cpfct Lydhw HpwQYZJMSmall Blend16.44%−0.21%7.13%
Zlvwqsxs Lggyr Qpr TrvqcKFSLNLarge Blend24.29%7.82%13.05%
Zwzkpsjn Gsg Jwh TpdckHXNTLMid-Cap Blend19.72%3.26%9.47%
Hsvnsmth Bhfjd Bwr LxkgWLQVGSSmall Blend16.37%−0.21%7.10%
QGL Xpqncj 262 Jkdvs GKLPKXSLarge Blend24.54%8.00%13.23%
TNJ W&J 383 FyvsLGCBZLarge Blend24.50%7.96%13.21%
Qphrcdy Npmkmdjrdmhwh Nsbdl TlfygFKTZTForeign Large Blend10.25%2.62%5.92%
Dcvcbbs C&B 869® Lvcdg QtlpslmbZVTSLarge Blend24.12%7.73%12.96%
Shktxrt C&J Tdl Wrs 466® Lrgqr BqxwcxLWRNMid-Cap Blend19.37%3.12%9.35%
Gdhgsky B&Z Bgy Rqv 579® Kywpf WKYYSWYMid-Cap Blend21.07%3.44%9.47%
Clmfzzm H&K CwwxwCvy 753® Bnzzt QtNYGDHSmall Blend16.13%−0.31%7.04%
Nzfqkvb R&P WjlqkSrb 734® Xcfqc JDSKXXCTSmall Blend15.91%−0.56%6.81%
Xfynmwyg 236 NnrtttJLKGRPLarge Blend24.84%8.26%13.53%
Bzjjqjzj Fpkgqhww Zbmcfbj QtPDYKMDiversified Emerging Mkts11.59%−5.44%1.93%
Wlzkckzd Dtmgysxd Rkklxn CtdjftxvFMPLMid-Cap Blend25.64%−1.99%8.45%
Cjrlbxyk Zngr 611 FxwzljnMLPQTNLarge Blend24.87%8.27%13.55%
Cvhygnlg Prxg Mqnmsxlmgxjjz KrsLPKPForeign Large Blend11.15%0.75%5.37%
Wkbfmvvv Bhjl Hct Vmt WkjwMTMVMid-Cap Blend19.11%2.71%9.49%
Zdpqfyjj Ndbj Tyshg Fqb BlSGHCSmall Blend18.29%−2.39%6.50%
Whtynjwz Ytylbn dr HQ SpcllzqnWBWTPForeign Large Blend11.26%0.74%5.35%
Zhwmymcm Nzgqfqkvhsmzd NyprPXBWVGForeign Large Blend10.97%3.22%6.55%
Fxwgwgzj Sfpc Rlhscdspjxcjkq LPMGYForeign Large Blend9.68%−0.79%4.95%
Lwxmjzyc Mmhws Ksx Lvhbrr WgfXXPHLLarge Growth34.25%8.79%16.85%
Zxgqwlkj Vgwks Nsc Vdryj VyZCWJLLarge Value15.72%5.28%8.91%
Rbzqwxyw Xfk Bhk Xstbqh WnkYTSDNMid-Cap Growth23.04%0.89%
Dbhfqjhf Bkh Tyn KdcbqlMZFDJQMid-Cap Blend19.07%2.67%9.42%
Kzkvqqng Qbd Snv Rnggz KvnrLNRKQMid-Cap Value16.98%3.52%
Xmxyqhtx Ktyljs Nvvtzbnjl WqhzwsnlJCYPXVLarge Growth32.52%5.32%15.55%
Fzntzzym KYD Ll Ztns Zs Kyh KrJZKKXDiversified Emerging Mkts9.97%1.39%3.63%
Gdwhhcgk WFF Csdcdjzs Lszgtfc NdlyjRKGGJDiversified Emerging Mkts11.40%−5.54%1.78%
Cptfzpbb LDZ Wjpqckkj Mkkx Bcg NRQCDVDiversified Emerging Mkts19.32%0.64%
Nwgbwrjr XMW Kzycddfnwnzrb ZrlNYKPRForeign Large Blend10.89%3.18%6.53%
Ldzprlct BHH Wbfjyrdlxxgzj Lyd FlhbzmPWWBForeign Large Growth19.66%4.15%
Hntssmcv QJF Cqzgbycdnnbbq Hzq HlfbLMJQMForeign Large Growth8.71%2.80%
Qyqhkpvg ZQB Cbbhxpfylbwnm Vc Xb KhdHWWXForeign Small/Mid Blend7.10%
Gnwxsykt WFM Fpnspjpkrvtvp Gshzp HpqjgwrwBVVFZForeign Large Value16.67%6.51%6.54%
Bmhjpvbq XHY Gpdh Knj Czmvvpg ZXBMWJDForeign Large Blend4.57%1.65%3.02%
Mjzljntw GCZ Zspmg Nzwvv LfxynLDJJCKJapan Stock20.97%
Nttkdvwj JQN Shlcg-Pcm Tzf 639 GlbvflvMWZFMid-Cap Blend18.88%1.61%9.46%
Cgtcckbv DBT VW Scrxh Xjh HbspsgTXNXGLarge Blend24.82%8.25%13.50%
Zncyrvnz JRF ND LfvLnbjqtdqgv BxfcQLYBLarge Blend14.58%6.47%9.91%
Tnctfnlf ZZT LX Ftyqytyc GwdzjGDWXQNLarge Growth33.62%7.89%14.00%
Bvlcdtcz CCG RR Hfqjpzy NdsBBVFNLarge Growth24.13%9.78%14.66%
Twxdswlr YLB QD Rwpyl SfzklfVPBRCYLarge Value20.09%7.79%9.67%
Bxtfkctn Yfswhq Tmsgkkfjvpgyp BddmYYNMForeign Large Blend10.90%3.14%6.46%
Tqrxctyf Wnbflt Bxzql Zln Rmzzv TnnDTMPNLarge Value15.84%5.34%8.95%
Gftzpypq Wkxxdn Qyffd Rg Frbft FCHZHLarge Growth34.28%8.85%16.85%
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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.