Andrew Mackenzie, the man responsible for cutting costs and trimming the fat at the world’s biggest mining group by market capitalisation, BHP Billiton (BLT), can be happy with his performance since taking over at the helm last year.
Last month the chief executive announced plans to spin off BHP’s non-core assets via a multi-billion-dollar demerger, which was generally well received by the market. He also demonstrated impressive operational improvements: underlying profits shot up 10 per cent to $13.4bn (£8.1bn) in the year ended 30 June. That was the first time since 2011 that BHP registered year-on-year profit growth.
True, BHP’s share price has only climbed a few percentage points during his tenure at the top. But Mr Mackenzie is still benefiting handsomely from the company’s minor revival, having been with the company since 2008. This month Mr Mackenzie was awarded nearly 100,000 BHP shares under various incentive schemes, including long-term performance shares and dividend-equivalent payments. They’re worth nearly £1.9m at the current share price of 1,920p, so he sold £621,000 worth of stock to cover expected tax obligations.
| Buys | |||||||
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| Aberdeen Asian Income Fund | PAK Arthur (ch) | 22 Aug 14 | 241 | 207.5 | 500 | 41,901 | 0.022 |
| AGA Rangemaster | Shaun Smith (fd) | 22 Aug 14 | 3,846 | 157 | 6,038 | 171,843 | 0.248 |
| AGA Rangemaster | William McGrath (ce) | 22 Aug 14 | 6,410 | 157 | 10,064 | 247,696 | 0.358 |
| APC Technology | Leonard Seelig (ch) | 27 Aug 14 | 39,496 | 37.9 | 14,969 | 128,649 | 0.220 |
| APC Technology ♥ | Leonard Seelig (ch) | 27 Aug 14 | 39,496 | 37.9 | 14,969 | 126,471 | 0.216 |
| BlackRock Throgmorton Trust | The Rt Hon L Latymer (ch) | 26 Aug 14 | 51 | 290.5 | 148 | 30,843 | 0.042 |
| BlackRock Throgmorton Trust | ESC Stobart | 26 Aug 14 | 170 | 290.5 | 494 | 21,335 | 0.029 |
| BlackRock Throgmorton Trust | SD Beart | 26 Aug 14 | 160 | 290.5 | 465 | 32,070 | 0.044 |
| BlackRock Throgmorton Trust | SD Beart | 26 Aug 14 | 176 | 290.5 | 511 | 32,246 | 0.044 |
| Braveheart Investment | TE Brown | 22 Aug 14 | 1,315,439 | 12.5 | 164,430 | 6,858,983 | 25.352 |
| Glencore | Patrice Merrin | 26 Aug 14 | 40,000 | 361.04 | 144,416 | 40,000 | <0.001 |
| Gresham Computing ♥ | M Royde | 21 Aug 14 | 37,500 | 116.992 | 43,872 | 5,913,154 | 9.351 |
| Imaginatik | Matt Cooper (ch) | 21 Aug 14 | 50,000 | 5 | 2,500 | 13,220,317 | 21.411 |
| Imagination Technologies | Kate Rock | 22 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 201.5 | 20,150 | 10,000 | 0.004 |
| Jersey Electricity | Geoffrey Grime (ch) | 22 Aug 14 | 3,000 | 328 | 9,840 | 10,000 | 0.086 |
| JPMorgan Russian Securities | A Easton | 27 Aug 14 | 2,018 | 443.13 | 8,942 | 12,018 | 0.023 |
| Martin Currie Pacific Trust | G Shenkman | 21 Aug 14 | 5,072 | 293.5 | 14,886 | 5,072 | 0.013 |
| Murray Income Trust ♥ | PAF Gifford (ch) | 22 Aug 14 | 128 | 776.5 | 994 | 41,173 | 0.061 |
| Palace Capital * | Neil Sinclair | 27 Aug 14 | 19,354 | 310 | 59,997 | 173,767 | 0.866 |
| Palace Capital * | Stanley Davis (ch) | 27 Aug 14 | 161,290 | 310 | 499,999 | 1,565,287 | 7.797 |
| Palace Capital * | Anthony Dove | 27 Aug 14 | 32,258 | 310 | 100,000 | 75,258 | 0.375 |
| Palace Capital * | Richard Starr | 27 Aug 14 | 32,258 | 310 | 100,000 | 82,258 | 0.410 |
| Partnership Assurance | Steve Groves (ce) | 22 Aug 14 | 100,000 | 117 | 117,000 | 9,601,534 | 2.400 |
| Primary Health Properties | Steven Owen | 27 Aug 14 | 883 | 347.68 | 3,070 | 8,474 | 0.008 |
| Primary Health Properties | Steven Owen | 27 Aug 14 | 886 | 346.75 | 3,072 | 7,591 | 0.007 |
| PZ Cussons | Brandon Leigh (cfo) | 27 Aug 14 | 18,069 | 371 | 67,036 | 118,297 | 0.028 |
| QinetiQ ♥ | Michael Harper | 27 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 214.81 | 21,481 | 30,000 | 0.005 |
| SABMiller | John Manser (ch) | 27 Aug 14 | 3,000 | 3,318.19 | 99,546 | 8,000 | <0.001 |
| SABMiller | Jan du Plessis | 01 Sep 14 | 30,000 | 3,312.50 | 993,750 | na | na |
| Standard Chartered | Andy Halford (fd) | 26 Aug 14 | 2,000 | 1,226.85 | 24,537 | 2,000 | <0.001 |
| SThree | Gary Elden (ce) | 22 Aug 14 | 33,614 | 0 | 0 | 3,217,733 | 2.587 |
| Tangent Communications | David Steyn | 27 Aug 14 | 250,000 | 8 | 20,000 | 550,000 | 0.198 |
| TT electronics | John Shakeshaft | 22 Aug 14 | 5,936 | 167 | 9,913 | 57,142 | 0.036 |
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party † In respect of voting rights held indirectly by ARCADIS N.V. | |||||||
| Sells | |||||||
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| BAE Systems | Paul Anderson | 21 Aug 14 | 50,000 | 442.2 | 221,100 | 10,000 | <0.001 |
| BHP Billiton | Andrew Mackenzie (ce) | 21 Aug 14 | 31,809 | 1,952 | 620,912 | 266,164 | 0.013 |
| Boot (Henry) | John Sutcliffe (fd) | 27 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 204 | 20,400 | 502,955 | 0.383 |
| First Quantum Minerals | Peter St George | 26 Aug 14 | 35,000 | 0 | 0 | 471,660 | 0.079 |
| Hyder Consulting † | Russell Down (fd) | 21 Aug 14 | 45,000 | 730 | 328,500 | 0 | 0 |
| Hyder Consulting † | Jeffrey Hume (ch) | 21 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 730 | 73,000 | 0 | 0 |
| Hyder Consulting † | Ivor Catto (ce) | 21 Aug 14 | 170,647 | 730 | 1,245,723 | 0 | 0 |
| Hyder Consulting † | Kevin Taylor | 21 Aug 14 | 7,490 | 730 | 54,677 | 0 | 0 |
| Hyder Consulting † | Paul Withers | 21 Aug 14 | 50,000 | 730 | 365,000 | 0 | 0 |
| PHSC | Stephen King (ce) | 26 Aug 14 | 30,000 | 30 | 9,000 | 3,203,100 | 25.248 |
| Ultra Electronics Holdings | Christopher Bailey | 22 Aug 14 | 2,500 | 1,815 | 45,375 | 0 | 0 |
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party † In respect of voting rights held indirectly by ARCADIS N.V. | |||||||
