Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has announced a distribution payout of five sen per unit for Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) unitholders, for the year of 2021. The amount is comprised of a 4.25 sen distribution, along with a 0.75 sen bonus.

For comparison, the income distribution this year is marginally higher than the amount that was recorded in 2020 at 4.25 sen per unit. Back then, ASB unitholders earned a dividend of 3.5 sen distribution and 0.75 sen bonus.

PNB further shared that the total disbursement for the income distribution this year will amount to RM8.9 billion, which is expected to benefit 10.4 million unitholders. This brings the fund’s total cumulative income distribution and bonus since it was first introduced in 1990 to RM168.5 billion.

During the announcement, the group chairman of PNB, Tun Arifin Zakaria commented that this positive result can be attributed to the fund’s continuous effort in diversifying and strengthening its portfolio. “The stronger performance of our global equity investments has managed to cushion the impact of the challenging domestic market. This exemplifies the importance of a well-diversified portfolio in managing portfolio risks and delivering sustainable returns,” he said.

Specifically, PNB had increased ASB’s allocation for international investments from 5.9% in 2020 to 8.2% in 2021. Consequently, international public equities contributed to 30.7% of gross income this year, as compared to only 24.2% in the previous year.

“The total rate of five sen per unit translates into a spread of 315 basis points over the 12-month fixed deposit rate, which currently stands at 1.85%,” Tun Arifin further shared.

Meanwhile, the president and chief executive officer of PNB, Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn said that the company has posted a praiseworthy financial performance, attesting to its resilience as it steered its way around the uncertainties of 2021.

“Strengthening its Focus 4 strategy, PNB this year made significant progress in three focus areas, namely creating value in the performance of its domestic portfolio, continuing its diversification efforts into global markets through multiple asset classes, and accelerating its digital offerings,” Ahmad Zulqarnain explained. For context, Focus 4 is PNB’s strategic plan that will help guide the fund management company’s growth and transformation between 2020 to 2022.

Ahmad Zulqarnain also highlighted that PNB’s total asset under management (AUM) had increased by 4.9% to RM338.4 billion during the first 11 months of the year – which is an indication of continued trust from its unitholders. Additionally, ASB’s number of accounts surged by almost 200,000 to 10.4 million accounts, whereas units in circulation grew by 4.3% to 181.2 billion units.

(Source: The Edge Markets)

• TAGS:
• Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn
• Amanah Saham Bumiputera
• Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB)
• ASB
• Income Distribution Payout
• Permodalan Nasional Berhad
• PNB
• Tun Arifin Zakaria