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Carpetright's Lord Harris sheds shares

Carpetright's (CPR) chairman, Lord Harris, has just sold millions of pounds worth of shares in the company.
September 25, 2014

Carpetright's (CPR) chairman, Lord Harris, has sold £13.3m worth of shares in the struggling floorings specialist, citing personal financial reasons - although he still owns nearly 11 per cent of the company.

IC TIP: Sell at 413p

The move follows a turbulent year for Carpetright. The retailer has struggled to stem falling sales and has also endured a number of board changes. This time last year, Lord Harris stepped back into the role of executive chairman after former chief executive Darren Shapland resigned. It was then announced that Lord Harris would hand over all executive responsibilities to the newly appointed chief executive Wilf Walsh in July, and become non-executive chairman with a view to retiring from the board after September's AGM. However, the search for a new chairman is ongoing, and Lord Harris has had to stay on in the role. Hopefully, Mr Walsh will be a success and the 72-year-old Lord won't need to be parachuted in again. "I have been planning a managed hand-over of my responsibilities for some time. I am delighted that Mr Walsh has agreed to join Carpetright as chief executive and am confident that I will be leaving the business in safe hands," he said.

Buys
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Aberdeen Asian Income FundC Clarke11 Sep 14             49,250 213.00            104,903             60,000 0.03
Aberforth Smaller Companies TrustMs. Paula Hay-Plumb16 Sep 14                  300 1020.00                3,060                  800 0.00
Anglo Pacific GroupMr. M Potter (cio)11 Sep 14             18,719 162.00              30,325           100,000 0.09
Armadale CapitalJ L G Lewis12 Sep 14       10,000,000 0.09                8,770       93,000,000 2.54
Ashmore GroupC Outhwaite12 Sep 14               6,000 327.28              19,637             46,000 0.01
AVEVA GroupP S Aiken (ch)16 Sep 14                  600 1540.00                9,240               1,537 0.00
AVEVA GroupJennifer Allerton16 Sep 14               1,000 1541.00              15,410               3,000 0.00
AVEVA GroupMr. J Brooks16 Sep 14               1,500 1544.00              23,160               1,500 0.00
Bankers PetroleumMr. D French (p & ceo)11 Sep 14             28,500 354.28            100,971           168,719 0.06
CapeM J Speakman (cfo)17 Sep 14               8,708 287.07              24,998             44,060 0.04
Cape♥J M Oatley (ceo)17 Sep 14               7,000 286.28              20,040             62,000 0.05
Carr's Milling IndustriesN Austin (fd)11 Sep 14               1,000 1630.00              16,300               2,000 0.02
Charlemagne CapitalM Baer (ch)17 Sep 14           300,000 14.38              43,125           800,000 0.28
Charlemagne CapitalJayne A Sutcliffe (ce)17 Sep 14           200,000 14.50              29,000       31,708,519 10.96
Compass GroupMs. Carol Arrowsmith11 Sep 14               4,035 985.99              39,785               4,035 0.00
Corac GroupP Cartmell (ceo)15 Sep 14           158,800 6.25                9,925         1,896,720 0.45
Corac GroupMr. R W King (ch)15 Sep 14           165,000 6.20              10,230           605,476 0.14
Enteq UpstreamD M Steel (fd & cs)12 Sep 14             20,000 32.70                6,540             68,581 0.12
Enteq UpstreamM Perry (ceo)12 Sep 14             50,000 32.70              16,350           958,802 1.63
Eurasia Mining D Suschov11 Sep 14       18,750,000 0.48              90,000     253,250,000 24.42
Gable HoldingsM B V Hirschfield (gfd)11 Sep 14             13,150 75.25                9,895           368,150 0.27
Gable HoldingsJ Pilgrim12 Sep 14             30,000 74.00              22,200             30,000 0.02
Gable HoldingsW Dewsall (ce)11 Sep 14           100,000 75.50              75,500       24,639,467 18.21
Grainger♥M Greenwood (fd)17 Sep 14             10,121 194.03              19,638           274,335 0.07
Henderson EuroTrustD J Marsh CBE11 Sep 14               4,073 803.66              32,733               4,073 0.02
Hogg Robinson GroupD J C Radcliffe (gce)12 Sep 14             25,000 50.75              12,688         2,453,062 0.76
Hydrogen Group♥T Smeaton (ceo)16 Sep 14             35,000 88.00              30,800         2,863,677 12.01
IFG GroupJ Cotter (gfd)12 Sep 14             50,000 164.00              82,000             50,000 0.05
IFG GroupMr. P McNamara (gceo)12 Sep 14           100,000 164.00            164,000           100,000 0.10
Immedia GroupG Howard-Spink (ch)17 Sep 14             34,200 14.39                4,921           447,280 3.07
International Personal FinanceEdyta Kurek15 Sep 14               2,092 510.50              10,680               3,879 0.00
Intu Properties♥R M Gordon16 Sep 14               5,000 334.00              16,700         6,999,818 0.53
John Laing Infrastructure Fund♥P J Lester CBE (ch)12 Sep 14             19,379 116.00              22,480           139,379 0.02
Kalibrate TechnologiesN Davis16 Sep 14             25,000 122.10              30,525             25,000 0.08
Lombard Risk ManagementMr. N J Gurney (cfo)15 Sep 14           110,000 13.50              14,850           110,000 0.04
Low & Bonar M C Flower (ch)12 Sep 14             75,000 65.50              49,125           556,912 0.17
Low & Bonar Mr. B Simpson (gceo)12 Sep 14             75,000 65.50              49,125             75,000 0.02
McBride C D Bull (ceo)15 Sep 14             20,000 89.00              17,800           360,000 0.20
Nature Group Mr. J F Vesseur15 Sep 14             20,000 21.65                4,330             20,000 0.03
NetPlay TV A Kumar (gfd &cs)12 Sep 14             83,333 11.00                9,167           310,400 0.10
Paragon EntertainmentM C Pyrah15 Sep 14           991,038              2.60               25,767       22,214,594 11.84
PetrofacT P Weller (cfo)16 Sep 14             20,000        1,033.03             206,606             77,068 0.02
Pets at Home Group Mr. P Moody11 Sep 14             27,470          179.25               49,240             27,470 0.01
ProPhotonixT P Losik (ceo)16 Sep 14             47,200 2.88                1,358           197,200 0.24
Sefton Resources* Dr. K A Morris17 Sep 14       10,883,840 0.17              18,503       19,549,671 2.15
Sefton Resources* M R Smith17 Sep 4       10,883,840 0.17              18,503       23,317,895 2.56
Sefton Resources* T G Milne17 Sep 14       10,883,840 0.17              18,503       20,960,581 2.30
SpaceandPeople G Dunlay (cfo & cs)11 Sep 14             10,000 46.00                4,600             10,000 0.05
SpaceandPeople G Watt11 Sep 14             25,000 47.00              11,750             25,000 0.13
SQS Software Quality Systems♥Mr. D W Bellin (ch)17 Sep 14               2,800 570.00              15,960               2,800 0.01
SQS Software Quality Systems♥Mr. D W Bellin (ch)17 Sep 14               2,800 570.00              15,960               5,600 0.02
Volex D Morris12 Sep 14             30,000 88.40              26,520           120,909 0.13
Zotefoams* R J Clowes17 Sep 14               4,000 220.00                8,800             44,000 0.10
Zotefoams* N G Howard (ch)17 Sep 14               6,300 220.00              13,860             69,300 0.16
Zotefoams* Ms. Marie-Louise Clayton17 Sep 14             11,800 220.00              25,960             29,800 0.07
Zotefoams* D B Stirling (md)17 Sep 14             15,000 220.00              33,000           335,233 0.77
Zotefoams* C G Hurst (fd)17 Sep 14             18,636 220.00              40,999           292,558 0.67

Sells
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Al Noor Hospitals Group♥F b J Alfalasi/Mr K H Hasan11 Sep 14         8,516,612 1030.00        87,721,104       23,373,242 20.00
Bank of Georgia Holdings M Gomarteli11 Sep 14             13,549        2,372.00             321,382             30,851 0.09
Carpetright Rt Hon Lord Harris (ch)12 Sep 14           500,000 430.00         2,150,000         9,762,837 14.40
Carpetright♥Rt Hon Lord Harris (ch)12 Sep 14         2,600,000 430.00        11,180,000         7,162,837 10.57
First Quantum MineralsM R Rowley16 Sep 14             24,370 1409.78            343,563             20,005 0.00
Optimal Payments K Butcher (cfo)12 Sep 14             64,000          525.10             336,064             80,624 0.05
Park Group♥P R Johnson (ch)17 Sep 14         5,000,000 52.00         2,600,000       45,546,066 23.36
Quintain Estates & Development N J Kempner11 Sep 14           100,000 86.00              86,000         2,667,738 0.51
Quintain Estates & Development N J Kempner12 Sep 14         1,650,000 85.32         1,407,780         1,017,738 0.19
Seeing Machines LtdM G Roberts15 Sep 14         8,500,000 6.22            528,700         4,995,376 0.61
Versarien* Mr. W Battrick (cto)16 Sep 14           375,000 29.50            110,625         7,625,000 7.23
Versarien* N G Ricketts (ceo)16 Sep 14           750,000 29.50            221,250       15,250,000 14.47
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party