At a glance
NFTY charges 0.8% a year, above the 0.7% average of the 7 funds most like it (the 6th cheapest of 8). It has $132.0M in assets, the 6th largest of that group; it paid 2.02% of its price in distributions over the past 12 months, semiannual. Over the past year it returned −13.1% with distributions reinvested (S&P 500: +11.5%), 2nd of those 8 funds; over three years it returned +4.0% a year. At its worst it fell 40.1% in the 2020 crash (S&P 500: 33.7%) and 18.6% in the 2022 bear market (S&P 500: 24.5%), and was back at its earlier high 8 months and 12 months after the lows. Its ten largest positions make up 21.0% of the fund, out of 50 in all.
The short version
First Trust India NIFTY 50 Equal Weight ETF (NFTY) tracks the NIFTY 50 Equal Weight Index. That index holds the same 50 large Indian companies as the Nifty 50 but gives each one about the same weight, so no single giant dominates. As of June 30, 2026, its largest position, Maruti Suzuki India, was only about 2.2% of assets. The trade-off is cost: its 0.80% expense ratio is above the 0.70% average of similar India funds.
Price history
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NFTY -13.1% over the year to Oct 27, 2026, total return with distributions reinvested.
How it has behaved
| YTD | 1 yr | 3 yr | 5 yr | 10 yr | Since start | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFTY official prospectus, to Dec 31, 2025 | — | +5.73% | — | +10.79% | +9.41% | +7.06% |
| NFTY price data to Oct 27, 2026 | -11.9% | -13.1% | +4.0% | +2.6% | — | +4.8% |
- Over the year to Oct 27, 2026, NFTY returned -13.1%, 2nd of 8 among similar funds.
- Its 5-year annualized return was +2.6%.
- In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 40.1% and regained its old high 7.7 months after the low.
- Its worst full calendar year was 2022 (-3.5%); its best was 2021 (+26.9%).
- The deepest fall in its price history was 46.8% (Apr 18, 2018 to Mar 23, 2020), recovered by Dec 17, 2020.
Show as a table
| Year | Price data | Prospectus (official) |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | -11.9% | — |
| 2025 | +5.5% | — |
| 2024 | +5.2% | +5.73% |
| 2023 | +24.0% | +5.27% |
| 2022 | -3.5% | +24.44% |
| 2021 | +26.9% | -4.45% |
| 2020 | +10.0% | +26.22% |
| 2019 | +0.6% | +10.83% |
| 2018 | — | +0.88% |
| 2017 | — | -2.67% |
| 2016 | — | +22.54% |
| 2015 | — | +10.31% |
| 2008 financial crisis stocks fell Oct 9, 2007 – Mar 9, 2009 | Before this security existed |
|---|---|
| 2020 COVID crash stocks fell Feb 19, 2020 – Mar 23, 2020 | Lost 40.1% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 40.1%, back to its old high 7.7 months after the low |
| 2022 bear market stocks fell Jan 3, 2022 – Oct 12, 2022 | Lost 9.6% over that stretch · deepest drop along the way 18.6%, back to its old high 12.4 months after the low |
Dividends and income
Show as a table
| Year | Per share | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 (to date) | $0.3100 | |
| 2025 | $0.7200 | -20.0% |
| 2024 | $0.9000 | +1185.7% |
| 2023 | $0.0700 | -97.3% |
| 2022 | $2.5700 | +247.3% |
| 2021 | $0.7400 | +221.7% |
| 2020 | $0.2300 | -34.3% |
| 2019 | $0.3500 |
What's inside
As of Jun 30, 2026, the fund held 50 securities; the ten largest made up 21.02% of assets.
| Holding | Weight | |
|---|---|---|
| MARUTI SUZUKI INDIA LTD | 2.18% | |
| MAX HEALTHCARE INSTITUTE LTD | 2.13% | |
| ETERNAL LTD | 2.11% | |
| INTERGLOBE AVIATION LTD | 2.11% | |
| SHRIRAM FINANCE LTD | 2.09% | |
| DR. REDDY'S LABORATORIES LTD | 2.09% | |
| CIPLA LTD | 2.08% | |
| TITAN COMPANY LTD | 2.08% | |
| NESTLE' INDIA LTD | 2.08% | |
| BAJAJ FINANCE LTD | 2.07% | |
| APOLLO HOSPITALS ENTERPRISES LTD | 2.07% | |
| TRENT LTD | 2.07% | |
| TATA MOTORS PASSENGER VEHICLES LTD | 2.06% | |
| HDFC BANK LTD | 2.06% | |
| MAHINDRA & MAHINDRA LTD | 2.05% |
By country
India 101.66%By asset type
Stocks 101.66%What changed recently
- Over the three months to Jun 30, 2026, investors withdrew a net $21.4M (creations minus redemptions, per the N-PORT report).
- Monthly total returns reported for that quarter: +7.16%, -0.37%, +0.63%.
How it works
NFTY is an index fund. It normally puts at least 90% of its net assets into the stocks in the NIFTY 50 Equal Weight Index, which is owned and run by NSE Indices Limited. The starting point is the Nifty 50 Index: 50 blue-chip companies, which are the largest and most actively traded stocks on the National Stock Exchange of India. Together they cover about 66% of the exchange's float-adjusted market value, meaning the value of shares that are actually available to trade. The equal-weight version holds those same 50 companies but gives each one an equal slice instead of sizing them by market value.
Prices move between reviews, so the index resets the weights back to equal every quarter and reviews its membership twice a year. It can also make changes outside that schedule if a company leaves the Nifty 50 through a delisting, merger or suspension. The fund follows these changes shortly after they are announced. Portfolio turnover, the share of holdings replaced over the year, was 22%.
A few mechanics are worth knowing. The fund must keep its registration as a Foreign Portfolio Investor with India's securities regulator to trade Indian shares. It may handle creations and redemptions in cash, which can make it less tax-efficient than ETFs that swap shares in kind. Changes in the rupee against the dollar also affect its value.
What it really costs
- NFTY charges 0.8% a year, versus an average of 0.7% for the similar funds below (6th of 8, cheapest first).
In a retirement portfolio
It is a single-country emerging-market stock fund that has fallen more than 40% in a crash, so it fits better as a small add-on than as a foundation.
NFTY could add exposure to India's largest companies without letting a few giants dominate. Its swings have been large, though. In the 2020 COVID crash it fell 40.1% and took about 7.7 months to recover. In 2022 it fell 18.6% from January to June and needed about 12.4 months to recover. Its deepest drop in the available price history was 46.8%, running from April 2018 to March 2020. In its worst full calendar year, 2022, it lost only 3.5%, but it was down 11.9% for 2026 through October 27. Anyone who might need to sell shares in a bad year could have to sell at a steep loss. The fund paid a trailing yield of 2.02% as of October 27, 2026, in two payments a year, and it costs 0.80% a year. Past results don't predict the future, and a plan should look at the whole portfolio, not one fund.
Who it may suit — and who should look elsewhere
May suit
- Investors who want India's 50 largest companies with each held at about 2%, rather than weighted by size.
- Long-term holders adding a small emerging-market slice who can sit through drops like the 40.1% fall in early 2020.
- Those comfortable with modest, twice-yearly income: a trailing yield of 2.02% as of October 27, 2026.
Look elsewhere if
- Cost-focused investors. Franklin FTSE India ETF (FLIN) charges 0.19%, compared with NFTY's 0.80%.
- Anyone who may need to sell in a downturn. The 2022 decline took about 12.4 months to recover.
- Investors wanting broad diversification. All holdings are Indian stocks, the fund leans toward financial companies, and it carries rupee currency risk.
Close alternatives
Matched by holdings overlap from the latest N-PORT reports.
| Fund | Overlap | Cost | Net assets | 1 yr | 3 yr |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| NFTY this fund | — | 0.8% | $132.0M | -13.1% | +4.0% |
| INDY iShares India 50 ETF | 66% | 0.89% | $558.0M | -16.3% | +1.2% |
| INDA iShares MSCI India ETF | 50% | 0.62% | $6.75B | -14.6% | +3.1% |
| FLIN Franklin FTSE India ETF | 48% | 0.19% | $2.72B | -14.7% | +3.9% |
| EPI WisdomTree India Earnings Fund | 44% | 0.87% | $2.12B | -13.6% | +4.3% |
| IMVP Invesco India ETF | 30% | 0.78% | $107.1M | -22.7% | -0.1% |
| INDE Matthews India Active ETF | 30% | 0.79% | $14.1M | -6.2% | +6.4% |
| INCO Columbia India Consumer ETF | 25% | 0.75% | $225.9M | -14.0% | +5.0% |
Questions investors ask
What does NFTY invest in?
First Trust's NFTY holds the same 50 large Indian companies as the Nifty 50 Index, but gives each roughly the same weight, so smaller members count as much as the biggest. It tracks the NIFTY 50 Equal Weight Index from NSE Indices Limited. The index is rebalanced, or reset to equal weights, every quarter. As of June 30, 2026, the largest positions were Maruti Suzuki, Max Healthcare Institute, Eternal and InterGlobe Aviation, each about 2% of assets. The top 10 made up about 21%.
What is NFTY's expense ratio?
NFTY's expense ratio, the yearly fee taken from fund assets, is 0.80%, according to the prospectus filed April 30, 2026. That is above the 0.70% average of the similar India ETFs compared here. It ranks 6th of 8 on cost, counting from the cheapest. Franklin FTSE India ETF (FLIN) charges 0.19% and iShares MSCI India ETF (INDA) charges 0.62%. NFTY may also be less tax-efficient than some ETFs because it handles some or all share creations and redemptions in cash rather than by swapping securities.
What's the difference between NFTY and INDY?
NFTY costs less than iShares India 50 ETF (INDY) and has done better over one and three years, though INDY is much larger. About 66% of their holdings overlap. NFTY charges 0.80% a year versus 0.89% for INDY. As of June 30, 2026, NFTY had about $132 million in net assets and INDY about $558 million. In the year to October 27, 2026, NFTY lost 13.1% and INDY lost 16.3%. Over three years, NFTY gained 4.0% a year versus 1.2% for INDY. Past returns do not predict future results.
Does NFTY pay dividends?
Yes. NFTY pays dividends twice a year. In the year to October 27, 2026, it paid about $1.03 per share, a trailing yield of 2.02%. A trailing yield looks back at what was paid, so future payouts can be higher or lower. Because the fund owns Indian stocks, the dollar value of its income rises and falls with the exchange rate between the Indian rupee and the US dollar. Twice-yearly payments are also less frequent than the monthly checks some retirees prefer.
Is NFTY a good investment for retirement?
NFTY may suit retirement investors who want targeted exposure to India's largest companies and can live with deep drops. It is a single-country emerging-market fund, meaning it invests in a developing economy with added political, currency and regulatory risks. Its prospectus reports average annual returns, as of December 31, 2025, of 5.73% over one year, 10.79% over five years and 9.41% over ten. But it fell 40.1% in the 2020 COVID crash before recovering by November 2020. It also lost 13.1% in the year to October 27, 2026.