KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 19): Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has declared total income distribution of 5.75 sen a unit for its flagship fund, Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB), for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2025 (FY2025).
The distribution, comprising a dividend of 5.20 sen and a bonus of 0.55 sen per unit, will be paid out by PNB's wholly owned unit trust manager, Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB). In total, payout amounted to RM10.4 billion for the benefit of 11.4 million ASB unitholders, according to a Friday statement.
PNB group chairman Tan Sri Arshad Raja Tun Uda said: “We are pleased to sustain ASB's dividend distribution of 5.75 sen, with RM10.4 billion payout being the highest quantum of annual distribution paid since ASB’s inception. This brings ASB’s cumulative income distribution to RM206.7 billion, reflecting the resilience and strength of ASB’s investment portfolio.”
“We are aware of the broader challenge of insufficient savings and the need to cultivate stronger savings habits among Malaysians.
"To address this, we plan to amplify our financial literacy efforts, guided by our purpose, to uplift the financial lives of Malaysians across generations,” he added.
The ASB payout is the same as FY2024's dividend and above the benchmark of Malayan Banking Bhd's (KL:MAYBANK) 12-month fixed deposit rate, which recorded an average rate of 2.29%, amid the backdrop of a challenging domestic equity market where the FBM KLCI recorded a drop of 0.3% in price return in 2025.
PNB noted that the domestic equity market was affected by persistent foreign fund outflows and cautious investor sentiment despite the positive underlying economic performance in Malaysia with 2025 gross domestic product growth expected to hit 4.0% to 4.8%, significant inbound investments and strengthening of the ringgit which rose 8.7% to RM4.09 per US dollar.
In addition, ASNB has distributed total dividends of RM15.3 billion in 2025, the highest ever, bringing total distribution since inception to RM279 billion, reflecting a positive and consistent performance trajectory across all its 18 unit trust funds, which include ASB and Amanah Saham Malaysia (ASM) for fixed price funds, as well as ASN Equity, ASN Imbang and ASN Sara for variable price funds.
Distribution rates of ASNB's fixed price funds improved year-on-year, maintaining healthy spreads above the average 12-month fixed deposit benchmark, ensuring competitive returns for its unitholders.
At the same time, ASNB’s variable price funds continued to perform strongly with all of its funds outperforming their respective benchmarks and four of the total 12 funds ranked in the top quartile of their respective segments, based on their rolling three-year total return, the statement read.
"This resilient performance was driven by an increasingly diversified investment portfolio, supported by prudent asset allocation, disciplined investment strategies and proactive risk management.
Datuk Abdul Rahman Ahmad, the president and group chief executive of PNB, said: "As we enter the second year of implementing PNB’s LEAP-6 Strategic Plan, we have performed well across key priorities of growing customer net inflows, delivering sustainable income distribution to unitholders, and strengthening PNB’s proprietary capital, resulting in a 4.5% increase in assets under management (AUM) to RM364 billion.
"We had made good progress in the past year and are on track towards our target of achieving RM400 billion in AUM by 2027.”
ASNB’s unique account holders remained steady at 13 million, supported by a gross addition of 560,000 account holders during the year, demonstrating sustained public trust and loyalty.