6.35 sen dividend for ASW 2020

KUALA LUMPUR: Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), today announced an income distribution of 6.35 sen per unit for Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020 (ASW 2020) for the financial year ending Aug 31, 2010.

PNB chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said the income distribution will involve a total payout of RM777.53 million, up 32.30 per cent, compared with the previous year's total payment of RM587.70 million.

He said 892,825 unitholders, who currently hold 13.1 billion ASW 2020 units, will benefit from the payout.

For the 11 months between Sept 6, 2009 and Aug 6, 2010, the fund received a total of 20,226 new account holders, while net investments received during the year increased by 2.09 billion or 18.98 per cent, he told a media conference.

As of Aug 6, ASW 2020 recorded a gross income of RM887.05 million, profit from the sale of shares contributed RM454.57 million or 51.20 per cent, dividend income from investee companies totalled RM290.99 million or 32.80 per cent and RM141.49 million or 16 per cent is derived from investment in short-term instruments and other income, he said.

Ahmad Sarji said the income distribution calculation this year will be based on the average monthly minimum balance held throughout the financial year from Sept 1, 2009 until Aug 31, 2010.

The income distribution will be reinvested in the form of new units and will automatically be credited into the unitholders' account on Sept 1, he said.

All ASW 2020 transactions will be suspended from Aug 25 to Aug 31 to facilitate the income distribution calculation.

Unitholders will be able to update their accounts at ASNB head office; ASNB branch offices; or ASNB agents from Sept 1.

Investors who participated in ASW 2020 through the Employees Provident Fund (EPF) Members Investment Scheme will have their income distribution credited directly into their EPF accounts.

ASW 2020 unitholders will receive their income distribution statements together with the fund's annual report beginning mid-October.

ASW 2020 is an all-Malaysian fixed price equity fund. Fifty-one per cent of its shares are for Bumiputeras while 49 per cent for non-Bumiputeras aged six months and above. - BERNAMA