London Stock Exchange ETF segment · UCITS ETF
Invest in SMEA ETF from India
Indian and foreign residents can buy iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF (SMEA) units directly through Paasa.
By Paasa · Updated
SMEA at a glance
- Price
- £88.30-£0.68 (0.76%)
- Expense ratio
- 0.12%
- Day range
- £88.30 – £89.46
- Assets
- £13.6B
- Domicile
- Ireland
- Holdings
- 386
- Launched
- 2009
- Dividends
- Accumulating
- 1 month
- -3.01%
- 6 months
- +8.90%
- YTD
- +7.53%
- 1 year
- +14.57%
- 5 years
- +63.78%
Price change, excluding dividends.
Top 10 holdings
- 1ASML HOLDING4.9%
- 2HSBC HOLDINGS PLC2.5%
- 3ROCHE PS PAR AG2.2%
- 4SHELL2.0%
- 5NOVARTIS AG1.9%
- 6ASTRAZENECA PLC1.8%
- 7NESTLE SA1.7%
- 8SIEMENS N AG1.7%
- 9SAP1.5%
- 10BANCO SANTANDER1.5%
SMEA holds 386 securities in total. These 10 are 21.7% of the fund.
Where the money is invested
Sectors
- Financial Services25.0%
- Industrials19.3%
- Healthcare12.8%
- Technology9.3%
- Consumer Defensive8.3%
- Consumer Cyclical6.2%
Countries
- United Kingdom21.6%
- Switzerland15.1%
- Germany13.5%
- France13.3%
- Netherlands10.5%
- Spain6.1%
Similar funds
| Fund | Expense ratio | Assets |
|---|---|---|
| IEURAMEXiShares Core MSCI Europe ETF | 0.1% | 9.4B |
| ISEULSEiShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF | 0.12% | 12.0B |
| XMEDLSEXtrackers MSCI Europe UCITS ETF 1C | 0.12% | 9.6B |
| DBEUAMEXXtrackers MSCI Europe Hedged Equity ETF | 0.45% | 774.5M |
| EL42XETRADeka MSCI Europe UCITS ETF | 0.3% | 1.0B |
Assets are shown in each fund's own reporting currency.
How to invest in SMEA 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 GBP when you buy.
Step 3
Search SMEA and buy
Find the fund by its ticker, SMEA, on the London Stock Exchange ETF segment, and place your order.
Why invest in SMEA from India
What SMEA holds
This investment fund's primary objective is to closely mirror the financial returns of a specific market benchmark. This benchmark is comprised of companies operating within developed European economies.
Outside US estate tax
SMEA is domiciled in Ireland, not the US, so it is not a US-situs asset and US estate tax does not apply to it.
Dividends reinvested for you
Dividends from SMEA's holdings are reinvested inside the fund, so nothing is paid out to you and there is no dividend to declare in India.
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.
Why SMEA's UCITS structure matters for Indian investors
SMEA is domiciled in Ireland, not the US, so it is not a US-situs asset and US estate tax does not apply to it.
On the US shares the fund holds, the 15% US dividend withholding is paid inside the fund, and you cannot claim it as a Foreign Tax Credit in India.
Capital gains are taxed in India the same way as on a US-listed ETF.
Frequently asked questions
Can I buy SMEA from India?
Yes. Indian residents can buy iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF (SMEA) through Paasa. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange ETF segment and trades in GBP. 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 SMEA invest in?
iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF holds 386 securities. Its largest holdings are ASML HOLDING (4.9%), HSBC HOLDINGS PLC (2.5%) and ROCHE PS PAR AG (2.2%). Financial Services is its largest sector at 25.0%. It is an accumulating fund domiciled in Ireland.
What is the expense ratio of SMEA?
iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF has an expense ratio of 0.12% a year, taken from the fund's assets rather than billed to you. The fund manages about £13.6B.
Is SMEA a UCITS ETF, and why does that matter for Indian investors?
Yes. iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF is a UCITS fund domiciled in Ireland. Because it is domiciled outside the US, it is not a US-situs asset, so US estate tax does not apply to it. On the US shares the fund holds, the 15% US dividend withholding is paid inside the fund, and you cannot claim it as a Foreign Tax Credit in India.
Does SMEA pay dividends?
No. iShares Core MSCI Europe UCITS ETF is an accumulating fund. Dividends from its holdings are reinvested inside the fund, so nothing is paid out to you and there is no dividend to declare in India.
What tax do I pay in India when I sell SMEA?
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 GBP/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.