Amanah Saham Nasional Berhad (ASNB), a wholly owned subsidiary of Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB), today announced an income distribution of 6 sen per unit for Amanah Saham Nasional scheme for the financial year ending Dec 31, 2010.

PNB chairperson Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid said this year's income distribution was 0.80 sen higher from the 5.20 sen per unit declared in 2009.

The income distribution would involve a total payment of RM89.88 million compared with the RM81.52 million paid last year, he told a press conference in Kuala Lumpur.

He said ASN's performance for the year ending Dec 31, 2010 was generally better than last year in line with the encouraging performance of the country’s economy and the stock market which saw the FBM KLCI index increasing by 18.8 per cent to 1,511.58 points on Dec 24, 2010 from 1,271.78 points on Dec 31, 2009.

During the same period, he said, ASN recorded a gross income of RM112.02 million.

Profit from the sale of shares contributed RM63.07 million or 56.30 percent, followed by dividend income from investee companies of RM39.18 million or 34.98 percent.

The remaining RM9.77 million or 8.72 percent was derived from other investments.

Ahmad Sarji said the ASN income distribution would be calculated based on unit holdings on Dec 31, 2010, which is the last day of the financial year of the fund.

The ASN income distribution payment would be invested automatically and credited into the unitholders’ passbooks based on ASN's net asset value on Dec 31, 2010, he said.

"The payment will benefit 1.18 million unitholders who currently hold more than 1.5 billion units of ASN," he said.

All transactions for ASN at the ASNB headquarters, ASNB offices and agents will be suspended beginning Dec 27, 2010 to Jan 3, 2011.

Unitholders will be able to update their ASN passbooks beginning Jan 3, 2011 at any ASNB offices or ASNB agents nationwide.

ASN is a growth fund launched on April 20, 1981. The objective of this fund is to generate reasonable level of income distribution and capital appreciation to the unit holders through a diversified portfolio of investments.

Meanwhile, PNB president and chief executive officer Hamad Kama Piah Che Othman said the stock market was forecast to perform better next year compared to this year.

"Market experts expect the stock market to be better next year index-wise. The FBM KLCI index is expected to surpass 1,600 points next year," he said.

- Bernama