Kuala Lumpur: Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASN), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), has announced an income distribution of 8.00 sen per unit and a bonus of 1.00 sen per unit for Skim Amanah Saham Bumiputera (ASB) for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2007.
"The payment will benefit 6.35 million unit holders which currently hold 55.22 billion units of ASB," PNB Chairman, Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid, told reporters after announcing the income distribution and bonus here Tuesday.
Last year, the income distribution was 7.30 sen and bonus 1.25 sen.
Ahmad Sarji said up to Dec 13 this year, ASB has recorded a gross income of RM5.130 billion, an increase of RM1.159 billion, or 29.19 percent, compared with RM3.971 billion recorded in the previous corresponding period.
"The dividend income from investee companies contributed RM2.811 billion, or 54.80 percent, of the gross income.
"Profit from the sale of shares contributed RM2.005 billion, or 39.08 percent, and the rest of the income of RM314 million, or 6.12 percent, was derived from investments in short-term instruments," he said.
He said the calculation of the income distribution was based on the average monthly minimum balance held throughout the financial year of ASB ending Dec 21 this year.
The calculation of the bonus, he said, was based on the average monthly minimum balance held by the unit holders in the past 10 years, starting from 1998 up to 2007.
"The income distribution and bonus will be automatically credited into the respective unit holders' accounts," he said.- Bernama