KUALA LUMPUR (Dec 18): State asset manager Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) announced an income distribution of 7.5 sen per unit and a bonus of 1 sen per unit for Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) for the financial year ended Dec 31, 2014.
 
"The income distribution will involve a total payout of RM10.16 billion, which is a 10.8% increase as compared to the RM675.93 million paid-out last year. The payment will benefit 8.6 million unit holders which currently holds a total of 137.07 billion units of ASB," PNB president and group CEO Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman told reporters in a media briefing today.
 
According to Hamad, this year's income distribution for ASB is 0.2 percentage point lower than last year, which was at 7.7 sen per unit. But he stressed that the total payout has breached the RM10 billion mark, the highest that it has ever announced.
 
"We have the capacity to pay a dividend of 10 sen per unit, but we are being prudent and only pay 7.5 sen per unit this year. The balance of 2.5 sen will be brought forward next year to enhance our investment capabilities," he explained.
 
As at Dec 16, PNB estimates that ASB attained a gross income of RM10.55 billion, with dividend income from investee companies contributing RM4.64 billion or 44% to the overall gross income.
 
Meanwhile, profit from the sale of shares contributed RM4.23 billion or 40.1% of the gross income and the balance of RM1.68 billion or 15.9% are derived from other income.
 
"Overall, ASB performed satisfactorily despite falling equity market. As at Dec 16, the FBM KLCI has fallen by 10.3% to 1,673.94 points from 1,866.96 points previously, following [the] continuing drop in global crude oil prices.
 
ASB is a fixed-price equity income fund that was launched on Jan 2, 1990. The fund is opened for Bumiputera aged six months and above.
 
The fund, which aims at generating competitive return whilst ensuring capital preservation at minimal risk tolerance level, is managed by Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd, a wholly-owned subsidiary of PNB.