News

Directors in Italian restaurant chain Prezzo have made few splashes in the dealing pool since the firm came to market nearly five years ago.

However, following a trio of sales last September from its top three directors, chief executive Jonathan Kaye has sold again netting £350,000 from the sale of 500,000 shares in Prezzo at 70p per share.

Kaye retains a stake of 22.37m shares in the group, equivalent to about 9.8% of the issued share capital. Five months ago he sold 4m shares.

Operations director Kuldip Sehmi also exercised options over 200,000 shares and sold the lot at 73p per share. Sehmi retains options over 3.3m shares and owns 144,000.

In addition the Emily Settlement Trust, of which Jonathan Kaye's uncle Phillip is a non-beneficial trustee, also sold 500,000 shares.

Philip Kaye, founder of ASK Central, remains the largest shareholder in Prezzo with a total beneficial and non-beneficial stake of 103.3m, equivalent to 45.4% of the share capital.

The company has made no update on trading since its interims last September but shares in Prezzo have nevertheless climbed around 30% since the start of the year to new record highs. Full year results are due in April.
Top Director Buys

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Mr Keith Butler-Wheelhouse
Amount purchased: 44,082 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £470,853

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Mr John Langston
Amount purchased: 18,685 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £199,580

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Mr David P Lillycrop
Amount purchased: 17,579 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £187,767

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Mr Srini Seshadri
Amount purchased: 12,658 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £135,204

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Dr John Ferrie
Amount purchased: 12,611 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £134,702

Royal Dutch Shell 'A' (RDSA)
Director name: Mme Christine Morin-Postel
Amount purchased: 3,800 @ 1,740.54p
Value: £66,141

Gartmore Irish (GIR)
Director name: Mr William Cotter
Amount purchased: 6,880 @ 941.00p
Value: £64,741

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Mr Paul R Cox
Amount purchased: 4,002 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £42,747

JPMorgan European Fledgling (JFF)
Director name: Mr Michael Wrobel
Amount purchased: 5,000 @ 765.00p
Value: £38,250
Top Director Sells

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Mr Keith Butler-Wheelhouse
Amount sold: 369,250 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £3,944,070

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Mr David P Lillycrop
Amount sold: 187,537 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £2,003,139

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Mr John Langston
Amount sold: 176,147 @ 1,068.16p
Value: £1,881,532

Prezzo (PRZ)
Director name: Mr Jonathan Kaye
Amount sold: 500,000 @ 70.00p
Value: £350,000

Ashtead Group (AHT)
Director name: Mr Cliff Miller
Amount sold: 107,684 @ 177.00p
Value: £190,601

Touchstone Group (TSE)
Director name: Mr Keith Birch
Amount sold: 83,750 @ 180.00p
Value: £150,750

Prezzo (PRZ)
Director name: Mr Kuldip Sehmi
Amount sold: 200,000 @ 73.00p
Value: £146,000

Smiths Group (SMIN)
Director name: Dr John Ferrie
Amount sold: 7,817 @ 1,068.13p
Value: £83,496

JPMorgan European Fledgling (JFF)
Director name: Mr Michael Wrobel
Amount sold: 4,408 @ 762.96p
Value: £33,631