Amanah Saham Nasional Bhd (ASNB), wholly-owned unit of Permodalan Nasional Bhd (PNB), has announced an income distribution of six sen per unit for Amanah Saham Nasional 3 Imbang (ASN 3), for financial year ending Nov 30, 2016.

In a statement today, PNB said, the income distribution will involve a total payment of RM70.78 million, which will benefit over 38,000 unit holders who currently held over 1.17 billion units of ASN 3.

"It has been a challenging period for ASN 3 considering that in the current financial year, the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index has remained relatively flat, moving sideways from 1,672.16 points on Nov 30, 2015 to 1,628.66 points as of Nov 28, 2016," said PNB.

Further, asset returns have been affected by depressed commodity prices, increased volatility in major global currencies and low interest rates where the three-month Kuala Lumpur Interbank Offered Rate decreased by 37 basis points to 3.40 per cent over the same period, it said.

"Notwithstanding these challenges, ASN 3 managed to declare the income distribution of six sen a unit out of a gross income of RM84.45 million, as at Nov 28, 2016," it said.

PNB said profit from the sale of shares contributed RM39.65 million, or 47 per cent, while dividend income from investee companies contributed RM26.16 million or 31 per cent, to the total gross income.

Meanwhile, the remaining RM18.64 million, or 22 per cent, were derived from investments in short term instruments and other income, it said.

It said the calculation of the income distribution for ASN 3 will be based on the units held on Nov 30, 2016.

"The income distribution will be re-invested into additional units and will be automatically credited into the unit holders' accounts on Dec 1, 2016 based on the net asset value of ASN 3 as at Nov 30, 2016," it said.

PNB said unit holders who subscribed to ASN 3 through the Employees Provident Fund's (EPF) Members Investment Scheme will have the income distribution credited directly into their respective EPF accounts. -- BERNAMA