News

This week office space provider Workspace Group turned in yet another solid performance driven by a valuation surplus on its properties.

News that the mid-cap firm hiked first half pre-tax profits by 52% to £69.4m led the shares to a new all time high and prompted more director dealing in the group.

Chief executive Harry Platt reduced his stake in the group, selling 410,000 shares at 451p per share. The transaction netted him £1.85m and reduces his stake to 454,000.

Platt splashed out on 32,000 shares in June this year, although in the previous twelve months he sold a total of 367,000.

Finance director Mark Taylor also chose to bank profits, exercising options over 345,000 shares at between 113p and 119p per share. He then sold the lot at 451p per share making a profit of about £1.1m.

David Whelan, the former chairman of sportswear retailer JJB Sports has sold down more of his holding in the group as the shares hit a two year high.

Whelan, who resigned as chairman in July last year, sold 1.5m shares at 227p per share netting £3.4m in the process. The sale takes his stake to 31.18m, or 13% of the issued share capital.

He announced last year that he was stepping down in order to spend more time on his football club, Wigan Athletic.

Earlier this month Whelan also disposed of 950,000 shares in the retailer.
Top Director Buys

Games Workshop Group (GAW)
Director name: Mr Tom Kirby
Amount purchased: 142,000 @ 350.00p
Value: £497,000

Whatman (WHM)
Director name: Mr Bob Thian
Amount purchased: 125,000 @ 245.00p
Value: £306,250

Whatman (WHM)
Director name: Mr Bob Thian
Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 245.00p
Value: £245,000

Volvere (VLE)
Director name: Mr Jonathan Lander
Amount purchased: 118,750 @ 120.00p
Value: £142,500

Whatman (WHM)
Director name: Mr Bob Thian
Amount purchased: 50,000 @ 241.50p
Value: £120,750

Home Retail Group (HOME)
Director name: Mr Oliver Stocken
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 424.50p
Value: £63,675

MJ Gleeson (GLE)
Director name: Mr D J Gleeson
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 360.00p
Value: £36,000

Oxford Instruments (OXIG)
Director name: Mr Michael Hughes
Amount purchased: 12,216 @ 203.00p
Value: £24,798

Huntsworth (HNT)
Director name: Mr Robert H Alcock
Amount purchased: 20,000 @ 96.00p
Value: £19,200
Top Director Sells

JJB Sports (JJB)
Director name: Mr David Whelan
Amount sold: 1,500,000 @ 227.00p
Value: £3,405,000

Workspace Group (WKP)
Director name: Mr Harry Platt
Amount sold: 410,000 @ 451.00p
Value: £1,849,100

Workspace Group (WKP)
Director name: Mr R Mark Taylor
Amount sold: 345,000 @ 451.00p
Value: £1,555,950

LionOre Mining (LOR)
Director name: Mr Gilbert E Playford
Amount sold: 25,000 @ 453.11p
Value: £113,278

Caledonia Investment (CLDN)
Director name: Mr Timothy C W Ingram
Amount sold: 7,895 @ 2,170.00p
Value: £171,322

Anglo-Eastern (AEP)
Director name: Mr Peter E O'Connor
Amount sold: 50,000 @ 312.00p
Value: £156,000

Anzon Energy (AEL)
Director name: Mr Charles Jonathan Pope
Amount sold: 150,000 @ 101.00p
Value: £151,500

Anzon Energy (AEL)
Director name: Mr Charles Jonathan Pope
Amount sold: 100,000 @ 101.50p
Value: £101,500

Anzon Energy (AEL)
Director name: Mr Charles Jonathan Pope
Amount sold: 75,000 @ 102.00p
Value: £76,500

Adv.Dev.Mkts (ADD)
Director name: Mr J.G Robinson
Amount sold: 10,000 @ 327.12p
Value: £32,712