Business

Thursday August 20, 2009

RM14.5bil new funds raised by PNB this year


KUALA LUMPUR: Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB) has raised RM14.5bil in new funds so far this year, including nearly RM2bil from the recently-launched Amanah Saham 1Malaysia (AS 1Malaysia).

Bumiputra investors accounted for RM7.7bil, while non-bumiputras took up RM6.8bil in all funds managed by PNB during the past eight months, president and group chief executive Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman told a press conference yesterday to announce Amanah Saham Wawasan 2020 (ASW 2020) income distribution of 6.3 sen per unit, which will translate to a return of 6.3% for the year ending Aug 31.

The dividend will be credited automatically into unitholders’ accounts in the form of new units from Sept 1. This year’s payout is lower than the 7 sen per share paid in September 2008 due to the fund’s 41% increase in size over the past one-year period.

The total payout amounted to RM592mil this year, which is higher than RM498mil made last year. ASW 2020 made a gross profit of RM661mil over the one-year period to Aug 17, which was 12.6% better than the RM587mil posted in the previous corresponding period.

PNB chairman Tun Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid (left) and Tan Sri Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman showing the ASW 2020 income distribution of 6.3 sen per unit at the press conference yesterday

Dividend investment in companies contributed to 33.8% of ASW 2020’s gross income, while profits from sale of shares generated 47%.

The rest of its income came from investment in short-term investment instruments. Over that period, ASW 2020’s fund size had grown from RM7.76bil to RM11.01bil on sales of new units.

Like ASW 2020, AS 1Malaysia is a fixed price fund with each unit sold at RM1.

“For Malaysians who missed the opportunity to invest in ASW 2020, they can invest in AS 1Malaysia which has similar features,” Hamad Kama Piah said.

As of yesterday, the AS 1Malaysia portion reserved for Chinese saw a take-up rate of 56%, with 1.66 billion units of RM1 each sold in the past two weeks.

A total of RM1.93bil worth of AS 1Malaysia units were subscribed as at yesterday. The racial quota set for AS 1Malaysia would be lifted from Sept 5.

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