KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 23): Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has announced a total distribution of five sen per unit for Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) unitholders, comprising a 4.25 sen distribution and a 0.75 sen bonus for the year ending Dec 31, 2021.
The income distribution for the year is higher than last year's total distribution of 4.25 sen per unit, comprising a 3.5 sen distribution and a 0.75 sen bonus.
The total payout for the income distribution will be RM8.9 billion, benefitting 10.4 million unitholders, bringing the fund's total cumulative income distribution and bonus to RM168.5 billion to date since its inception in 1990.
PNB group chairman Tun Arifin Zakaria said the fund's continuous efforts in diversifying and strengthening its portfolio had yielded positive results.
“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 added.
Notably, PNB highlighted that ASB’s allocation for international investments increased from 5.9% in 2020 to 8.2% this year.
International public equities contributed 30.7% of gross income in 2021, compared with 24.2% last year, it added.
“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 elaborated.
Meanwhile, PNB president and chief executive Ahmad Zulqarnain Onn shared that despite the challenging environment, PNB demonstrated its resilience in navigating the uncertainties of 2021, posting a commendable financial performance.
“For the first 11 months of the year, PNB’s total assets under management increased by 4.9% to RM338.4 billion, reflecting continued trust by its unitholders.
“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,” Zulqarnain shared.
According to PNB, ASB’s number of accounts increased by almost 200,000 to 10.4 million accounts, while units in circulation rose by 7.4 billion or 4.3% to 181.2 billion units.