AMANAH Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), the unit trust management arm of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), has declared an income distribution payout of RM2.18 billion for the financial year ending March 31, 2025 (FY 2025).
The payout covers two of its fixed-price funds: Amanah Saham Bumiputera 2 (ASB 2) and Amanah Saham Malaysia (ASM).
ASB 2 will distribute RM0.73 billion, equating to 5.50 sen per unit, to 614,309 unitholders, while ASM will distribute RM1.45 billion, or five sen per unit, to 740,513 unitholders.
"As of March 20, 2025, ASB 2 has recorded a net realised income of RM0.80 billion, while ASM has recorded RM1.55 billion," PNB said in a statement.
The distributions represent returns of 5.50 per cent for ASB 2 and 5.0 per cent for ASM, both of which outperform the benchmark 12-month fixed deposit rate from Maybank, which stands at 2.56 per cent.
ASB 2 surpassed this benchmark by 294 basis points, while ASM outperformed it by 244 basis points.
Both funds have seen an increase in their payouts, with ASB 2 rising by 0.25 sen per unit to 5.50 sen, and ASM also increasing by 0.25 sen per unit to five sen.
This growth comes despite the global capital market’s challenging environment, which has been characterised by trade tensions, high inflation, and an unpredictable economic landscape.
PNB highlighted that the funds have experienced steady growth over the past three years, underscoring its ongoing efforts to improve returns and strengthen the resilience of its portfolio.
"The strong performance of these two funds is largely attributed to positive returns from both domestic and global equities, as well as a strategic approach to diversifying assets across different regions and asset classes," PNB explained.
“Moving forward, we will continue to diversify assets, particularly into fixed income, to ensure a steady and reliable stream of income.”
The income distribution for ASB 2 and ASM will be automatically reinvested into unitholders' accounts on April 1, 2025.
However, transactions for both funds, including through ASNB branches, agents, and all online channels, will be temporarily suspended from March 28 to March 31, 2025, in order to facilitate the distribution process.
"Unitholders may resume transactions via the myASNB portal or the myASNB mobile app on April 1, 2025. Transactions will also be available at any ASNB branch or agent nationwide starting April 2, 2025, subject to changes due to Hari Raya Aidilfitri," the company added. – March 27, 2025
