PNB declares income distribution of 5.25 sen for ASB

KUALA LUMPUR: Permodalan Nasional Bhd’s (PNB) wholly-owned unit trust management company, Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), has declared a total income distribution of 5.25 sen a unit for its flagship fund, Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2023.

The total distribution consists of an income distribution of 4.25 sen per unit and a bonus of 1.00 sen a unit.

The total payout amounts to RM9.3 billion and will benefit 10.8 million ASB unitholders, it said in a statement today.

According to PNB, ASB continues to deliver sustainable and competitive returns, outperforming the benchmark of Maybank's 12-month Fixed Deposit rate.

ASB’s number of accounts increased by over 200,000 to 10.8 million accounts in 2023, indicating continued confidence in ASB as an essential savings and investment tool for Bumiputeras in their financial planning.

"Despite the volatile market conditions, PNB has consistently delivered competitive returns through our fixed-price funds, all of which have outperformed their benchmark over the years.

"Therefore, people are encouraged to continue saving for the long term and a secure future,” said PNB group chairman, Raja Tan Sri Arshad Raja Tun Uda said.

He said that this year, PNB saw the number of accounts increase to 15.6 million as of October 2023 from 15.2 million last year.

"The sustained popularity of our unit trust products was evident through the findings from the 2023 RinggitPlus Malaysian Financial Literacy Survey (RMFLS), with ASNB products maintaining their position as the most popular investment choice,” he said.

According to the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia’s economy is projected to grow 4.0 per cent in 2023, with continuous support from strong domestic consumption, infrastructure spending, and a rebound in the tourism sector.

Malaysia’s economy registered a stronger growth of 3.3 per cent in the third quarter of 2023 (3Q 2023), compared to 2Q 2023 (2.9 per cent). - Bernama