Singapore Exchange · ETF
Invest in ES3 ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy SPDR Straits Times Index ETF (ES3) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
ES3 at a glance
- Price
- S$5.81+S$0.01 (0.21%)
- Expense ratio
- 0.28%
- Day range
- S$5.80 – S$5.84
- Assets
- S$4.1B
- Domicile
- Singapore
- Holdings
- 31
- Launched
- 2002
- Dividends
- Distributing
- 1 month
- +0.73%
- 6 months
- +18.61%
- YTD
- +22.62%
- 1 year
- +33.92%
- 5 years
- +86.88%
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1DBS Group Holdings LtdD05.SI29.7%
- 2Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation LimitedO39.SI19.4%
- 3United Overseas Bank LimitedU11.SI9.6%
- 4Singapore Telecommunications LimitedZ74.SI5.9%
- 5Singapore Exchange Ltd.S68.SI3.4%
- 6Singapore Technologies Engineering LtdS63.SI3.1%
- 7Keppel Ltd.BN4.SI3.0%
- 8CapitaLand Integrated Commercial TrustC38U.SI2.7%
- 9Jardine Matheson Holdings LimitedJ36.SI2.5%
- 10Yangzijiang Shipbuilding (Holdings) Ltd.BS6.SI2.5%
ES3 holds 31 securities in total. These 10 are 81.7% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Sectors
- Financial Services61.6%
- Industrials13.6%
- Real Estate13.0%
- Communication Services6.3%
- Consumer Defensive2.1%
- Utilities1.0%
Countries
- Singapore91.7%
- Bermuda4.5%
- China2.5%
- Thailand0.6%
- Other0.3%
- Hong Kong0.2%
How to invest in ES3 from India
Step 1
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.
Step 2
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, and Interactive Brokers converts the dollars to SGD when you buy.
Step 3
Search ES3 and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, ES3, on the Singapore Exchange, and place your order.
Why invest in ES3 from India
What ES3 holds
The SPDR Straits Times Index Exchange Traded Fund (ETF) is an investment vehicle specifically designed to replicate the performance and returns of the Straits Times Index. This fund was established on April 4, 2002, and its principal operations are based in Singapore.
Paasa handles the paperwork
Investing abroad brings paperwork with it: remittance filings, capital gains reporting, foreign asset disclosure. Paasa prepares all of it for you. Your India-ready tax reports arrive at year end, ready to file.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy ES3 from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy SPDR Straits Times Index ETF (ES3) through Paasa. It is listed on the Singapore Exchange and trades in SGD. Your money leaves India under the RBI's Liberalised Remittance Scheme, and the units are held in your own name at Interactive Brokers.
What does ES3 invest in?
SPDR Straits Times Index ETF holds 31 securities. Its largest holdings are DBS Group Holdings Ltd (29.7%), Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited (19.4%) and United Overseas Bank Limited (9.6%). Financial Services is its largest sector at 61.6%. It is a distributing fund domiciled in Singapore.
What is the expense ratio of ES3?
SPDR Straits Times Index ETF has an expense ratio of 0.28% a year, taken from the fund's assets rather than billed to you. The fund manages about S$4.1B.
How are ES3 dividends taxed in India?
SPDR Straits Times Index ETF is a distributing fund. It pays the dividends from its holdings out to you in cash. Singapore levies 0% withholding tax on dividends from resident companies. Dividends are taxed at your slab rate in India. Paasa's dividend report lists the gross dividend and any tax withheld for each payment.
What tax do I pay in India when I sell ES3?
Singapore does not levy capital gains tax on the sale of shares, ETFs or REITs. In India, gains on foreign ETF units held for more than 24 months are long-term and taxed at 12.5% without indexation, and gains on units held for 24 months or less are short-term and taxed at your income-tax slab rate. Both are worked out in rupees at the SGD/INR rate on the day you bought and the day you sold, so the currency move is part of the gain. Paasa's capital-gains statement gives you the figures for your return.