Higher dividend for ASB

Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has declared an income distribu on for Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) comprising a dividend of seven sen a unit, bonus of 0.25 sen a unit and a special bonus of one sen a unit for balances of up to 10,000 units.

KUALA LUMPUR: Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has declared an income distribution for Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) comprising a dividend of seven sen a unit, bonus of 0.25 sen a unit and a special bonus of one sen a unit for balances of up to 10,000 units in conjunction with its 40th Anniversary in March 2018.

The income distribution is for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2017 (FY17).

“The units re-invested from the dividend and bonus will be credited into unitholders’ accounts on Jan 1, 2018, whereas the special anniversary bonus will be credited on March 1, 2018,” Group Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar told a media briefing on PNB 2017 fourthquarter update yesterday.

He said the total distribution of RM10.7 billion would benefit 9.1 million unitholders who owned more than 145.6 billion units in ASB.

“The majority of unitholders, numbering some 7.5 million with balances of up to 10,000 units will get an effective return of 8.25 sen a unit, 800,000 unitholders who own between 10,001 and 40,000 units will receive at least 7.5 sen.

“The remaining 700,000 unitholders will receive at least 7.26 sen,” he said.

PNB also announced an income distribution of 3.65 sen per unit for its first variableprice fund, Amanah Saham Nasional (ASN) for FY17.

“This also translates to a dividend yield of five per cent and contributing to year-todate total return of 15 per cent as at Dec 21, 2017,” said Abdul Wahid.

As at Nov 30, 2017, ASN recorded a net income of RM72.65 million, and the total income distribution of RM69.4 million will benefit 1.2 million unitholders with 1.9 billion units in the fund.

Describing 2017 as an eventful year for PNB, Abdul Wahid said the company’s net income grew 7.1 per cent to RM15.4 billion while the total assets under management rose 4.6 per cent to RM276.5 billion as of November 2017 from RM264.3 billion in the same period last year.

“Unit trust funds constitute RM232.6 billion of this amount, while the remaining RM43.9 billion is PNB’s own proprietary funds,” he said.

Meanwhile Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in his tweet yesterday said he hopes the announcement on the income distribution for ASB can directly empower equity and share ownership for Bumiputeras.

“Alhamdulillah, as a result of good management, the return on income for ASB this year is announced at 8.25 sen, 12 per cent higher than the return for last year.

“Hopefully, this government initiative can directly empower equity and share ownership for Bumiputeras, ”he said. Bernama