KUALA LUMPUR (May 22): The Employees Provident Fund’s (EPF) external fund managers brought in a record 24% of the provident fund's total investment income of RM74.46 billion in 2024.

In 2023, external fund managers brought in 22% of total investment income.

EPF, in a statement on Thursday, said external fund managers managed 17%, or RM213.21 billion, of EPF’s RM1.25 trillion total investment assets in 2024.

In 2024, equities contributed two-thirds of EPF's investment income, with 29% coming from fixed income instruments, which had a return of 4.27%. 

EPF delivered a 6.3% dividend rate for both Simpanan Konvensional and Simpanan Shariah, totalling RM73.24 billion. Of this, RM63.05 billion went to Simpanan Konvensional and RM10.19 billion to Simpanan Shariah.

EPF chairman Tan Sri Mohd Zuki Ali said the strong performance highlighted the teamwork between EPF and its external fund managers. Despite market challenges, they delivered long-term value. He also emphasised EPF's focus on innovation through AI and automation, along with prioritising environmental, social and governance (ESG) factors to ensure sustainable growth.

EPF awarded 12 top-performing external fund managers. Nomura Asset Management won Best External and Global Equity Fund Manager. BNP Paribas Asset Management Malaysia took Best Equity return on investment (ROI), while its Shariah unit won Best Domestic Equity Fund Manager (Shariah). Franklin Templeton won Best Domestic Equity Fund Manager (Conventional). Nomura Islamic Asset Management won best fixed income ROI.