By S BIRRUNTHA / Pic by TMR FILE PIX

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.

PNB group chairman Tun Arifin Zakaria said 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. 

He added that the total payout for the income distribution will be RM8.9 billion, benefitting a total of 10.4 million unitholders.

This brings the fund’s total cumulative income distribution and bonus to RM168.5bil since it was first introduced in 1990. 

Commenting further, Tun Arifin 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.” 

Meanwhile, PNB said ASB allocation in international investments increased from 5.9% in 2020 to 8.2% this year. 

International public equities contributed 30.7% share to gross income in 2021 as compared to 24.2% last 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%.