Iain Ferguson does not actually become chairman of Berendsen until after the annual meeting on 26 April, but that's not stopped him making his first investmet in the company.
Mr Ferguson, who will take over from Christopher Kemball, is currently the senior non-executive at the company. He's just bought 35,000 shares in the textile maintenance company at 518p a share, an investment of nearly £200,000.
He'll be inheriting a company in good shape, judging by a strong set of preliminary results released on 24 February. The impact of higher unemployment on Berendsen's profits hasn't materialised and progress elsewhere convinced us to abandon our sell tip. On a forward price-earnings ratio of 11, and with further restructuring benefits to come, the shares remain on hold.
Robert Ansted
Director buys
| Company | Director | Date | No. of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1pm | Ron Russell | 02 Mar 12 | 10,000,000 | 0.1 | 10,000 |
| Amlin | Richard Davey | 07 Mar 12 | 10,000 | 333.5 | 33,350 |
| Artemis VCT | Fiona Wollocombe | 02 Mar 12 | 20,733 | 50 | 10,367 |
| Avanti Communications | Paul Walsh | 07 Mar 12 | 20,000 | 253 | 50,600 |
| Avanti Communications | David Williams | 07 Mar 12 | 10,000 | 250 | 25,000 |
| AXA Property Trust | Charles Hunter | 28 Feb 12 | 13,985 | 35.752 | 5,000 |
| Berendsen | Iain Ferguson | 02 Mar 12 | 35,000 | 518 | 181,300 |
| BlackRock Frontiers Inv Trust | Sarmad Zok | 28 Feb 12 | 10,000 | 78.4 | 7,840 |
| BlackRock Frontiers Inv Trust | Sarmad Zok | 29 Feb 12 | 20,000 | 79.45 | 15,890 |
| Capital Shopping Centres | John Whittaker | 27 Feb 12 | 10,765 | 339.98 | 36,599 |
| City of London Investment | Lynn Ruddick | 05 Mar 12 | 4,000 | 371.4364 | 14,857 |
| City of London Investment | Rian dartnell | 06 Mar 12 | 10,000 | 362 | 36,200 |
| Dunelm | Matt Davies | 06 Mar 12 | 4,500 | 499 | 22,455 |
| Goals Soccer Centres | Phillip Burks | 28 Feb 12 | 30,000 | 102.33 | 30,699 |
| Goals Soccer Centres | Phillip Burks | 01 Mar 12 | 10,000 | 106 | 10,600 |
| Interior Services | John Barnes | 06 Mar 12 | 15,750 | 127 | 20,003 |
| International Power | Sir Rob Young | 02 Mar 12 | 1,900 | 360.6 | 6,851 |
| Interserve | Lesley Cullen | 05 Mar 12 | 4,000 | 303 | 12,120 |
| Laird | AM Robb | 05 Mar 12 | 2,500 | 179.3 | 4,483 |
| Laird | Jonathan Silver | 05 Mar 12 | 20,000 | 180.07 | 36,014 |
| Laird | Sir Christopher Hum | 05 Mar 12 | 2,500 | 179.81 | 4,495 |
| Low & Bonar | Michael Holt | 05 Mar 12 | 65,000 | 62.5 | 40,625 |
| McKay Securities | GP Salmon | 02 Mar 12 | 15,000 | 131 | 19,650 |
| MS International | Michael Bell | 06 Mar 12 | 7,000 | 294.5 | 20,615 |
| Mytrah Energy | Ravi Kailas (ch,ceo) | 02 Mar 12 | 10,000 | 99 | 9,900 |
| Mytrah Energy | Vikram Kailas (fd) | 02 Mar 12 | 10,000 | 100 | 10,000 |
| Mytrah Energy | Peter Neville | 02 Mar 12 | 10,000 | 100 | 10,000 |
| Mytrah Energy | Ravi Kailas (ch,ceo) | 05 Mar 12 | 20,000 | 103.25 | 20,650 |
| Mytrah Energy | Ravi Kailas (ch,ceo) | 06 Mar 12 | 16,500 | 112.74 | 18,602 |
| Mytrah Energy | Vikram Kailas (fd) | 06 Mar 12 | 6,000 | 113 | 6,780 |
| Northacre | Ken MacRae (fd) | 02 Mar 12 | 5,000 | 101 | 5,050 |
| Oxford Biomedica | Timothy Watts (cfo) | 07 Mar 12 | 1,000,000 | 3.022 | 30,220 |
| Oxford Biomedica | Paul Blake | 07 Mar 12 | 100,000 | 3.022 | 3,022 |
| Patagonia Gold | William Humphries (ceo) | 06 Mar 12 | 300,000 | 35.67 | 107,010 |
| Polar Capital Global Healthcare | Jsames Robinson | 06 Mar 12 | 10,000 | 111.4 | 11,140 |
| Premier & Energy & Water | Claire Burgess | 01 Mar 12 | 6,000 | 115.5 | 6,930 |
| Rexam | Leo Oosterveer | 06 Mar 12 | 4,000 | 408 | 16,320 |
| STV | David Shearer | 05 Mar 12 | 25,000 | 111.5 | 27,875 |
| Triple Plate Junction | Fraser McGee | 07 Mar 12 | 150,000 | 3.0795 | 4,619 |
| Tullett Prebon | Stephen Pull | 06 Mar 12 | 7,000 | 315.6 | 22,092 |
| UniVision | Stephen Koo (ch) | 05 Mar 12 | 1,250,000 | 0.585 | 7,313 |
| Weir | Melanie Brown | 05 Mar 12 | 2,500 | 1958 | 48,950 |
| Whitbread | Ian Cheshire | 01 Mar 12 | 300 | 1695.89 | 5,088 |
Director sells
| Company | Director | Date | No. of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| AZ Electronic Materials | Dr Ralph Dammel | 07 Mar 12 | 40,000 | 284.70 | 113,880 |
| Betfair | Josh Hannah | 06 Mar 12 | 75,000 | 880.96 | 660,720 |
| Euromoney Institutional Investor | AB Shale | 02 Mar 12 | 55,934 | 742 | 414,751 |
| Morgan Crucible | Andy Riley | 29 Feb 12 | 22,000 | 353.40 | 77,748 |
| Sanderson | Christopher Winn (ch) | 06 Mar 12 | 255,000 | 33.15 | 84,533 |
Table compiled by Robert Ansted.
Key to abbreviations: ch = chairman; ce = chief executive; cfo = chief financial officer; fd = finance director; coo = chief operating officer; cs =company secretary; md = managing director
