ASNB declares five sen income distribution for ASN 3

KUALA LUMPUR: Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), a wholly- owned unit of Permodalan Nasional Bhd ( PNB), has announced an income distribution of five sen per unit for Amanah Saham Nasional 3 Imbang (ASN 3) for financial year ending Nov 30, 2017.

In a statement yesterday, PNB said, the income distribution will involve a total payment of RM64.77 million and benefit over 43,000 unit holders who currently owned over 1.29 billion units of ASN 3.

It said the FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI index showed an improved performance in the current financial year of ASN 3, recording a price return of 5.9 per cent, a recovery after two years of consecutive market decline.

The market opened at 1,619 points on Nov 30, 2016 and closed at 1,714 points on Nov 28, 2017, it said.

Group chairman Tan Sri Abdul Wahid Omar said the positive performance of the market for the current financial year of ASN 3 has enabled ASNB to deliver competitive returns to ASN 3 unit holders.

“The local bourse has benefited from strong economic performance and higher commodity prices. Strong inflows from non-resident investors were apparent in the first half of this year.

“The second half of 2017, however, saw the market hit by heightened geopolitical concerns and uncertainties surrounding US monetary policy,” he said.

Abdul Wahid said as of Oct 31, this year, ASN 3 recorded a net income of RM62.25 million which was translated into a dividend yield of 4.9 per cent contributing to year-to- date total return of 5.9 per cent, in line with its focus to give balanced returns through investments in equities and fixed income.

PNB said the calculation of the income distribution will be based on the units held on Nov 30, 2017.

It said the income distribution will be re-invested into additional units and will be automatically credited into the unit holders’ accounts on Dec 1, 2017 based on the net asset value of ASN 3 as at Nov 30, 2017.

“Unit holders who subscribed for ASN 3 through the Employees Provident Fund Members’ Investment Scheme will have the income distribution credited directly into their respective EPF accounts,” it said.

All transactions for ASN 3 had been suspended beginning Nov 28, 2017 until Dec 3, 2017 to facilitate the computation of income distribution, it said. — Bernama