Sources: http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=462106

ASNB Declares Dividend Of 7.30 Sen Per Unit For ASB

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 (Bernama) -- Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), has announced an income distribution of 7.30 sen per unit and a bonus of 1.25 sen per unit for Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB), for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2009.

Last year, the government-owned fund manager declared an income distribution of 7.0 sen per unit and a bonus of 1.75 sen per unit. Announcing the dividend and bonus for ASB on Monday, PNB chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said the income distribution would involve a total payout of RM4.95 billion by ASNB, an increase of 19.56 per cent from the RM4.14 billion paid out in 2008.

The bonus portion, meanwhile, would involve a total payout of RM537.65 million by PNB.

The payment will benefit 6.78 million unit holders who currently hold more than 70 billion ASB units.

"Although the total numbers (dividend and bonus) looks lower this year at 8.55 sen per unit from 8.75 sen per unit last year, but in terms of total amount that we are paying out, it is higher at RM5.48 billion from RM4.79 billion last year," said PNB group chief executive and president Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman.

Hamad Kama Piah said PNB was in a strong position and would make sure of continued dividend payouts.

"Based on our fund reserve, our capacity is more than 11 sen per unit but we are just paying 7.30 sen per unit and bringing forward the balance of 3.70 sen for 2010.

"This is a long term fund and we want to make sure that we are able to use the money to buy more shares and do more investment because at the end of the day, we still have to pay again," he added.

ASB recorded a gross income of RM5.46 billion up to Dec 10, an increase of 3.4 per cent from RM5.28 billion in the corresponding period last year.

Dividend income from investee companies contributed RM1.48 billion, or 27 per cent of the gross income.

Profit from the sale of shares contributed RM3.67 billion, or 67 per cent, while the remaining RM309 million or 6.0 per cent came from investments in short-term instruments and other investments.

The income distribution and bonus will be automatically credited into the unit holders' accounts.

All transactions for ASB will be suspended from Dec 21 until January 3 to enable the calculation of income distribution and bonus. Unit holders will be able to update their accounts from January 4.

ASB is a fixed price equity income fund, opened for Bumiputera aged 12 years and above. It is aimed at generating long term, consistent and competitive returns to the unit holders.
-- BERNAMA

I aim for 9% total. But 8.55% total is good enough during this recession

thanks very much for the info

my only comment is, if they were able to make profit in this tough year, then they should have maintained the same payout like last year. after all next year definitely will be growth in the economy. or perhaps...oh well, anything above 8 is ok i suppose

This post has been edited by elru: Dec 14 2009, 10:08 PM

Why the unit trusts for bumi should be higher? Any reason?

mmm sry me takla tau. . .

Thanks for the good news.. its good enough returns.. more than I was hoping for.

Sensitive issue

You need to study the history of PNB and why it was formed? PNB is the product of Dasar Ekonomi Baru (NEP in english). It helps to increase the life quality of Bumiputera (which mostly Malays and Orang Asli). ASN and ASB are one of the first funds that created by PNB thru its subsidiary ASNB in 1980s, PNB then used the fund collected from the Bumiputera to buy shares into the Public Listed companies that required 30% Bumi Holding/ownership.

In 1996, when Tun M was in power, he formed a fund called ASW2020 where 51% allocation for bumi and the remaining 49% is for non bumi, this was the 1st ever fund of PNB that open for non bumi subject to the 49% allocation. As this fund is not 100% bumiputera owned, so this fund could be used to invest in other non-syariah compliances stocks such as banking, with this fund in mind, PNB's investment will be well diversified. This fund has been obtaining good responds from all malaysian includin bumi/non bumi. Thereafter, we have ASN3/ ASM/ and recently launched AS1M due to the good response from the investors. These funds are more flexible in terms of investment porfolio.

As the PNB is DEB's products, so PNB will usually declare higher return for 100%-bumi funds compare to its other funds due to obvious reasons.
To see the fund performance, we need to look at the fianncial statement of the funds, however, ASNB is the only mutual fund company in the country that exempted from declaring their financial statements of each funds to their investors. So without the financial staement of each funds, we are not able to tell which funds of PNB are performs better. There is lack of transparency when it comes to this issue.

True in your statement....... as the pnb is form to help bumis, sure they will declare higher dividend. That's the main purpose. It is good they "open-up" the pnb unit trust to non bumi with the 1st one asw2020 in year 1996. pnb needs the money to do "rolling" purpose, which to give dividend and others "national-unknown" reason... pnb test the market with asw2020 which is a huge success whereas all the 49% quota taken-up very short period. they then launch new unit trust asm with no quota (after that-got 200m unit special sale for bumi-don't know much about the info, but heard somewhere). ASM also a huge success . Then asn3, asg, now as1m.....

As long PNB pays my dividend around 6-8% per year, it is good for me. Sure i also want higher dividend, but if we cannot get, what to do... if want to be rich, just play/invest stock market. apply IPO. among the best/biggest in the year is maxis bhd. others also can, but bluechip stock are very less in malaysia now. dividend stock also very less. BAT, Calsberg,Tanjong plc, digi,berjaya sport toto among the highest paid dividend paid company which the gambling/alcohol company-Calsberg,tanjong,sport-toto not invested by PNB. It's haram. No comment on that.

Thank You.
Happy investing..

This post has been edited by davinz18: Dec 16 2009, 03:38 PM

Someone said that PNB does invest in Genting and Genting, as we all know derived majority of their income from gambling business.

PNB invest in genting?????? Are u sure???? I thought PNB do not invest in Gambling & alcohol company.....

It was mentioned here several months ago on this very same thread. You can scroll back several pages back.

[/quote]Not listed in the list of companies that form the ASB and ASN funds.
The other funds like the wawasan2020 might have I don't have the list

This post has been edited by rosdi1: Dec 17 2009, 08:43 PM

I have viewed the ASW2020 annual report, only the top 20 top holdings are listed, most of the listed counters are halal in nature, except for 3 biggest bank in Malaysia namely Maybank, CIMB and PBB. No gaming/alcohol companies are listed.

This post has been edited by lonelyplanet92: Dec 18 2009, 04:44 PM

yah, they cannot invest the money into gaming or alcohol industries..dats include in their terms..

Those banking and sin (alcoho/gambling) stocks tend to perform better than those average/halal shares. Thus, I guess ASW/ASM should logically do better than ASB. Why always lagging behind in dividens distribution?

if now my savings in ASB is RM20,000..

hw much dividen i'll get?

ASB (or any fixed price products of PNB), dividend is counted on monthly rest basis based on the lowest balance of the month, pay out on yearly basis.

when will PNB declare AS1M's dividend?
Say if i park my $ today (Dec 2009) and cash out on Apr 2010, the dividend is on Aug 2010, will i still eligible for dividend (prorate for period of Dec 2009 to Apr 2010), thks~

so..plz guide me on the calculation for ASB plz..