ETF Education Report: ESSENTIAL 40 STOCK ETF (ESN)

What this ETF is trying to do

The ESSENTIAL 40 STOCK ETF (ticker: ESN) is an exchange-traded fund that holds a collection of different stocks. Based on its top holdings, it includes companies from various industries like technology, healthcare, and energy. This report uses data as of October 9, 2026.

What the numbers show

The current price of one share is $20.56. To understand how the price has changed, we can look at two different types of returns:

• Price Return: This measures only the change in the share price. The year-to-date (YTD) price return is approximately 19.80%. Over the last year, the price return was approximately 19.33%.

• Total Return: This measures the overall return, which includes both price changes and distributions (cash paid out). The one-year total return was approximately 20.41%, and the YTD total return was approximately 19.80%.

Because the one-year total return (20.41%) is higher than the one-year price return (19.33%), it shows that distributions added to the overall value.

We can also look at an estimated price from roughly one year ago, which was $17.23. If you had bought a share at that estimated price, the share price has grown significantly since then.

Income and distribution explanation

Some investors look for "yield," which is the cash an ETF pays out. The distribution yield for ESN is approximately 0.76%. This represents the cash distributions relative to the current ETF price. The data shows that distributions are paid irregularly or less frequently, with one payout recorded in the last 12 months. It is important to remember that a distribution yield is not the same as total return.

NAV erosion explanation

"NAV erosion" refers to a situation where the value of the underlying assets in the fund decreases significantly. StockValueFinder uses an "erosion-risk score" to measure this risk. For ESN, the erosion score is 100, and the label indicates "No price erosion detected." There is no severe erosion-risk flag for this ETF.

Top Holdings

The following are the top holdings in this portfolio (note that this is a partial list):

• Intel Corp (6.67%)

• Palo Alto Networks Inc (3.99%)

• Marathon Petroleum Corp (3.23%)

• Delta Air Lines Inc (3.01%)

• CVS Health Corp (2.94%)

• Johnson & Johnson (2.74%)

• UnitedHealth Group Inc (2.72%)

• Masco Corp (2.59%)

• Enterprise Products Partners LP (2.58%)

• Eli Lilly and Co (2.56%)

Holdings can change over time. This data was last updated on October 4, 2026.

Pros

• The ETF has shown positive price returns both year-to-date and over the last year.

• The erosion-risk measurement is rated as "good."

Cons

• Distributions are described as irregular or less frequent.

• The list of holdings provided is only a partial view of the total 43 holdings.

Beginner takeaway

When looking at an ETF like ESN, it is helpful to distinguish between the price return (how much the share price moved) and the total return (the price move plus any cash paid out). While this ETF provides a distribution yield, the total return gives a more complete picture of how the investment performed.