PNB declares 6.75 sen income distribution for ASB2, 6.25 sen for ASM

KUALA LUMPUR: Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has declared an income distribution of 6.25 sen per unit for Amanah Saham Malaysia (ASM) and 6.75 sen per unit for Amanah Saham Bumiputera 2 (ASB 2) for the financial year ended March 31, 2018 (FY18).

PNB Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar said the income distribution for ASM and ASB 2 involved a total payout of RM1.7 billion and would benefit more than 889,000 account holders.

“ASB 2 will be paying a total of RM562.9 million in income distribution to its 348,000 unit holders who currently hold 9.4 billion units.

“For ASM, it involves a total payout of RM1.1 billion, which will benefit over 540,000 unit holders with 18.4 billion units,” he told a media briefing on the 'PNB 2017 Review and 2018 First Quarter Update' yesterday.

He said the returns for both funds were basically higher than the benchmark return of 3.69 per cent for ASM and 3.61 for ASB2.

Until Feb 28, 2018, Abdul Wahid said ASM recorded a net income of RM1.1 billion, contributed mainly by capital gains of RM649.17 million or 49.5 per cent, followed by dividends income from investments in companies at RM462.14 million or 35.3 per cent and other investments.

Meanwhile, he said ASB 2 recorded a net income of RM551.2 million as at Feb 28, 2017, with capital gain accounting for RM293.58 million or 49.3 per cent of net income.

Dividend income from investments in companies contributed RM230.09 million or 38.7 per cent, while RM71.26 million or 12 per cent was derived from other investments, he added.

He said the distribution declared by ASM and ASB 2 would be reinvested as additional units into the accounts of unit holders at RM1 a unit and would be automatically credited into the unit holders’ accounts on April 1, 2018 .

For FY17, PNB declared income distributions of 6.0 sen per unit and 6.5 sen per unit for ASM and ASB 2, respectively.

PNB also announced income distribution for Amanah Saham Gemilang (ASG), consisting of three funds, namely ASG-Pendidikan, ASG-Kesihatan and ASG-Persaraan. Abdul Wahid said that PNB had allotted RM211.6 million, which would benefit 185,590 unit holders who held 3.1 billion units.

For FY18, ASG-Pendidikan, ASG- Kesihatan and ASG-Persaraan announced income distributions of 4.8 sen, 5.2 sen and 5.15 sen per unit, respectively, compared with 4.5 sen, 4.25 sen and 5.15 sen, respectively previously.

As at Feb 28, 2018, ASG-Pendidikan registered a net income of RM43.8 million, while ASG-Kesihatan and ASG-Persaraan recorded a net income of RM92.4 million and RM22.9 million, respectively.

The calculation of income distribution for all the three funds under ASG is based on the balance of units as at March 31, 2018, said PNB.

PNB said the payment of distribution for the three funds would be automatically reinvested in the form of units and credited into unit holder’s account on April 1, this year.

PNB also announced that effective March 31 this year, it would disseminate income distribution statements, annual reports of all its unit trust funds and interim reports variable price funds to all unit holders via electronic means.