UK infrastructure trailed off markedly in July, according to Barbour ABI, the construction consultancy that supplies figures to the Office for National Statistics. The 20 per cent month-on-month dip was perhaps predictable as the dust settled following the referendum vote, but it will only increase the pressure on Theresa May and her administration to accelerate the national infrastructure programme she hopes will drive the domestic economy post-Brexit.
Greater urgency in this area will doubtless be welcomed by Hill & Smith (HILS) as it looks to build on a strong out-turn through to the end of June. The group's order book provides strong top-line visibility, supported through the UK government's road investment strategy, but a renewed commitment to infrastructure spending across the pond is driving activity at Hill & Smith's galvanising services business in the US - so things are looking up.
| Buys | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| BT | Gavin Patterson (ceo) | 12 Aug 16 | 574 | 398 | 2,285 | 2,869,983 | 0.029 |
| BT♥ | Gavin Patterson (ceo) | 12 Aug 16 | 331 | 399 | 1,321 | 2,870,314 | 0.029 |
| Chemring♥ | Michael Flowers (ceo) | 11 Aug 16 | 15,000 | 133 | 19,950 | 165,982 | 0.059 |
| Games Workshop | Elaine O'Donnell | 15 Aug 16 | 1,800 | 541.46 | 9,746 | 3,300 | 0.010 |
| Games Workshop♥ | Elaine O'Donnell | 15 Aug 16 | 1,793 | 543.36 | 9,742 | 5,093 | 0.016 |
| GLI Finance | Emma Stubbs (cfo) | 17 Aug 16 | 113,145 | 26.5 | 29,983 | 178,178 | 0.058 |
| Hardide* | Robert Goddard (ch) | 15 Aug 16 | 2,500,000 | 0.8 | 20,000 | 6,723,050 | 0.480 |
| Hardide* | Yuri Zhuk | 15 Aug 16 | 1,250,000 | 0.8 | 10,000 | 6,281,132 | 0.448 |
| Hardide* | Andrew Boyce | 15 Aug 16 | 1,250,000 | 0.8 | 10,000 | 266,546,226 | 19.030 |
| Hardide* | Peter Davenport (fd) | 15 Aug 16 | 1,250,000 | 0.8 | 10,000 | 4,376,667 | 0.312 |
| Hardide* | Philip Kirkham (ceo) | 15 Aug 16 | 1,250,000 | 0.8 | 10,000 | 2,004,717 | 0.143 |
| Hardide* | Jan Ward | 15 Aug 16 | 1,250,000 | 0.8 | 10,000 | 1,250,000 | 0.089 |
| Imperial Brands | David Haines | 12 Aug 16 | 140 | 4,100.5 | 5,741 | 992 | 0.000 |
| Imperial Brands | Karen Witts | 12 Aug 16 | 140 | 4,100.5 | 5,741 | 453 | 0.000 |
| Imperial Brands | Michael Herlihy | 12 Aug 16 | 128 | 4,100.5 | 5,249 | 5,275 | 0.001 |
| Imperial Brands | Malcolm Wyman | 12 Aug 16 | 140 | 4,100.5 | 5,741 | 3,932 | 0.000 |
| Imperial Brands | Mark Williamson (ch) | 12 Aug 16 | 770 | 4,100.5 | 31,574 | 10,028 | 0.001 |
| JPMorgan Eur Smaller Companies Trust | Nicholas Smith | 16 Aug 16 | 6,600 | 301.58 | 19,904 | 11,600 | 0.007 |
| Laird | Kjersti Wiklund | 17 Aug 16 | 3,000 | 307.84 | 9,235 | 16,000 | 0.006 |
| MX Oil | Stefan Olivier (ceo) | 11 Aug 16 | 2,500,000 | 0.93 | 23,250 | 2,500,000 | 0.219 |
| MX Oil | Stefan Olivier (ceo) | 11 Aug 16 | 2,500,000 | 0.95 | 23,750 | 5,000,000 | 0.438 |
| MX Oil | Stefan Olivier (ceo) | 12 Aug 16 | 5,000,000 | 0.99 | 49,500 | 10,000,000 | 0.876 |
| Paragon Entertainment | John Dobson | 16 Aug 16 | 253,984 | 1.97 | 5,000 | 4,034,020 | 2.149 |
| Paragon Entertainment | John Dobson | 16 Aug 16 | 2,142,250 | 2.10 | 44,998 | 6,176,270 | 3.291 |
| Paragon Entertainment | John Dobson | 16 Aug 16 | 2,250,000 | 2.25 | 50,636 | 8,426,270 | 4.490 |
| Paragon Entertainment | John Dobson | 17 Aug 16 | 773,503 | 2.32 | 17,919 | 9,199,773 | 4.902 |
| Schroder Real Estate IT | Stephen Bligh | 11 Aug 16 | 25,000 | 54.95 | 13,738 | 25,000 | 0.005 |
| Share | Gareth Thomas | 15 Aug 16 | 16,995 | 29.42 | 5,000 | 44,709 | 0.031 |
| Stock Spirits♥ | David Maloney (ch) | 11 Aug 16 | 20,000 | 164.3 | 32,860 | 60,000 | 0.030 |
| Stock Spirits♥ | Lesley Jackson (cfo) | 12 Aug 16 | 20,000 | 163 | 32,600 | 219,555 | 0.110 |
| Stock Spirits♥ | Miroslaw Stachowicz (ceo) | 12 Aug 16 | 45,670 | 163 | 74,442 | 92,358 | 0.046 |
| U and I | Marcus Shepherd (fd) | 11 Aug 16 | 3,013 | 164.9 | 4,968 | 138,301 | 0.111 |
| Sells | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| Churchill Mining | Gregory Radke | 11 Aug 16 | 22,000 | 27 | 5,940 | 403,399 | 0.273 |
| GB Group | Richard Linford | 16 Aug 16 | 34,363 | 303 | 104,120 | 270,183 | 0.202 |
| GB Group | Dave Wilson (fd) | 16 Aug 16 | 54,133 | 303 | 164,023 | 345,591 | 0.259 |
| GB Group♥ | Dave Wilson (fd) | 16 Aug 16 | 49,999 | 303 | 151,497 | 295,592 | 0.221 |
| Greggs | Richard Hutton (fd) | 12 Aug 16 | 41,170 | 1,050 | 432,285 | 36,924 | 0.037 |
| Hill & Smith Holdings♥ | Derek Muir (ceo) | 12 Aug 16 | 27,700 | 1,178 | 326,306 | 246,221 | 0.313 |
| Hill & Smith Holdings | Derek Muir (ceo) | 12 Aug 16 | 2,300 | 1,178 | 27,094 | 273,921 | 0.349 |
| PHSC | Stephen King (ce) | 17 Aug 16 | 517,490 | 28 | 144,897 | 3,215,000 | 24.568 |
| Witan Investment Trust♥ | Harry Henderson (ch) | 11 Aug 16 | 2,400 | 833.36 | 20,001 | 720,332 | 0.392 |
| * placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party | |||||||
