Essential 40 Stock ETF
Essential 40 Stock ETF (NASDAQ: ESN) is an exchange-traded fund listed on NASDAQ, trading at $20.59 (about ₹1,975 a unit) as of 25 Sep 2026, 4:00 PM ET. It has an expense ratio of 0.95%. Indian residents can buy ESN through Paasa under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme.
Quote
Today's low
$20.45
Today's high
$20.60
52 week low
$16.62
52 week high
$21.06
ESN opened at $20.56, closed previously at $20.60, and has traded between $16.62 and $21.06 over the past 52 weeks.
About
The ESN fund is an Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) designed to track the performance of a specific index comprising leading U.S. blue-chip corporations. While it primarily holds all 40 securities that constitute this underlying index, the fund maintains the flexibility to modify its holdings under certain predefined circumstances. A dedicated committee is responsible for selecting the companies included in the index. This selection process employs a qualitative methodology, focusing on identifying businesses of significant economic importance and stability across various critical sectors, such as technology, consumer goods, energy, and healthcare. The committee's goal is to ensure diverse representation by choosing firms considered vital to the nation's economy. During its annual rebalancing, ESN assigns an equal weighting to each constituent firm, ensuring uniform exposure across all components. However, the fund retains the ability to adjust these weightings throughout the year, allowing for strategic over- or underweighting of positions to optimize its alignment with the index's composition. Furthermore, ESN has the discretion to allocate up to 20 percent of its total assets to strategies involving S&P 500 futures and options. Notably, ESN recently transitioned from a mutual fund structure to an ETF, launching with $70 million in assets under management.
Key statistics
Expense ratio
0.95%
Assets (AUM)
$348.0M
Holdings
—
NAV
$20.70
Avg. volume
—
1-year price change
+21.69%
5-year price change
—
Price change excludes dividends.
Top 10 holdings
These 10 are 34.8% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Countries
How to buy ESN from India
Indian residents can buy ESN units through Paasa in three steps. Funds leave India under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme and the units are held in your own name with Interactive Brokers.
Open your Paasa account
KYC takes a few minutes: PAN, Aadhaar and address proof. Your brokerage account is opened in your own name with Interactive Brokers.
Add funds from your Indian bank account
Remit up to $250,000 a year under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme. Your bank converts the rupees to US dollars at its rate on the day you remit.
Search ESN and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, ESN, on NASDAQ, and place your order. Fractional units are available and there is no minimum trade size, so you can buy by amount.
Read the full guide: how to invest in ESN from India
Trading and taxes when buying ESN from India
Trading and limits
- Trading hours
- 9:30 am – 4:00 pm ET
- LRS limit
- $250,000Per financial year, under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme.
Tax for Indian residents
- TCS on remittance
- 20%Collected by your bank on LRS remittances above ₹10 lakh in a financial year. The TCS is adjustable against your income-tax liability.Adjusting TCS against your tax
- Capital gains in India
- 12.5% or slab rateGains on foreign ETF units held for more than 24 months are long-term and taxed at 12.5% without indexation. Gains on units held for 24 months or less are short-term and taxed at your income-tax slab rate.Capital gains explained
- Dividends
- Slab rateIt pays the dividends from its holdings out to you in cash, and dividends are taxed at your slab rate in India. The US withholds tax on dividends paid to Indian residents at the treaty rate; Paasa files Form W-8BEN for you, and the tax withheld can generally be claimed as a credit in India.Dividend tax explained
- US estate tax
- May applyUS-situs assets such as US-listed shares can be exposed to US estate tax for non-US persons.US estate tax calculator
Custody. Units are held in your own name at Interactive Brokers LLC and are SIPC-insured up to $500,000 in total, including $250,000 for cash.
FAQs
What is the ESN price today?
Essential 40 Stock ETF (ESN) last traded at $20.59 on NASDAQ, as of 25 Sep 2026, 4:00 PM ET. That is ₹1,975 a unit at the 25 Sep 2026 USD/INR rate.
When does ESN trade, in Indian time?
NASDAQ trades 7:00 pm – 1:30 am IST, so the close lands after midnight. The window shifts to 8:00 pm – 2:30 am IST when the US is on standard time. Orders can only execute during that window.
How big is ESN, and what does it cost to hold?
Essential 40 Stock ETF manages about $348.0M. Its expense ratio is 0.95% a year, deducted inside the fund. It launched in 2014.
What are ESN's largest holdings?
The top three are INTEL CORP (6.9%), MARATHON PETROLE (4.7%) and PALO ALTO NETWOR (4.5%). ESN's 10 largest positions make up 34.8% of the fund.
Does ESN pay dividends?
Yes. ESN is a distributing fund and pays the dividends from its holdings out in cash. In India they are taxed at your slab rate. The US withholds 25% tax on dividends before they reach you; Paasa files Form W-8BEN for you, and the tax withheld can generally be claimed as a credit when you file in India.
How are gains on ESN taxed in India?
Units held for more than 24 months are long-term and taxed at 12.5% without indexation; units held for 24 months or less are taxed at your income-tax slab rate. The gain is worked out in rupees, so the currency move counts.
Can I buy fractional units of ESN?
Yes. You can buy ESN by amount rather than by whole unit, and there is no minimum trade size.
How has ESN performed?
ESN's price is up 21.7% over the past year. These figures are price change only and exclude dividends; past performance does not guarantee future returns.