Ashtead (AHT) exited its April year-end in decent shape, as its fourth-quarter profit growth outstripped the year as a whole. The equipment rental group was gathering momentum at a time when many industry rivals were finding the going tough. A rebound in North American construction markets helped matters, and the relative flexibility of the group's capital model was cited as one of the main reasons it has been faring better than many of its peers.
The group's progress is reflected in the fact that the share price has risen by a fifth over the past 12 months, so it's perhaps unsurprising that Ashtead non-executive chairman Chris Cole, a former chief executive of WSP Group, recently decided to liquidate just under a fifth of his holding, realising £296,500 in the process.
Buys | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
Altitude | Martin Varley (ceo) | 27 Jul 16 | 40,000 | 14 | 5,600 | 12,137,559 | 28.287 |
Amino Technologies♥ | Thomas Keith Todd (ch) | 21 Jul 16 | 12,246 | 135.5 | 16,593 | 457,690 | 0.649 |
BCA Marketplace | Avril Palmer-Baunack (ch) | 21 Jul 16 | 13,626 | 176.1 | 23,995 | 680,293 | 0.087 |
BCA Marketplace♥ | Avril Palmer-Baunack (ch) | 27 Jul 16 | 11,028 | 181.2 | 19,983 | 691,321 | 0.089 |
Caledonia Investments | Charles Gregson | 21 Jul 16 | 1,000 | 2336.24 | 23,362 | 1,610 | 0.003 |
Cropper (James) | M Cropper (ch) | 22 Jul 16 | 5,000 | 755 | 37,750 | 1,234,593 | 13.380 |
EasyJet | Andreas Bierwirth | 27 Jul 16 | 1,480 | 1004 | 14,859 | 5,251 | 0.001 |
Electra Private Equity | Edward Bramson | 25 Jul 16 | 300 | 3828 | 11,484 | 11,426,086 | 28.373 |
French Connection | Christos Angelides | 22 Jul 16 | 50,000 | 35.5 | 17,750 | 50,000 | 0.052 |
French Connection | Christos Angelides | 26 Jul 16 | 25,000 | 37 | 9,250 | 75,000 | 0.078 |
French Connection | Christos Angelides | 27 Jul 16 | 25,000 | 37 | 9,250 | 100,000 | 0.104 |
Grafton | Michael Roney | 21 Jul 16 | 1,188 | 548.65 | 6,518 | 11,529 | 0.005 |
Grafton | Michael Roney | 21 Jul 16 | 3,158 | 548.58 | 17,324 | 10,341 | 0.004 |
Hammerson | Andrew Formica | 27 Jul 16 | 7,000 | 555.43 | 38,880 | 22,000 | 0.003 |
Huntsworth | Derek Mapp (ch) | 26 Jul 16 | 165,755 | 40.1 | 66,468 | 300,000 | 0.091 |
Huntsworth | Neil Jones (cfo) | 26 Jul 16 | 90,000 | 39.82 | 35,838 | 285,000 | 0.087 |
Huntsworth | Paul Taaffe (ceo) | 26 Jul 16 | 100,000 | 39.65 | 39,650 | 300,000 | 0.091 |
Kenmare Resources* | Michael Carvill | 26 Jul 16 | 53,065 | 239 | 126,827 | 77,575 | 0.071 |
Kenmare Resources* | Tony McCluskey (fd) | 26 Jul 16 | 31,928 | 239 | 76,309 | 35,334 | 0.032 |
Kenmare Resources* | Steven McTiernan (ch) | 26 Jul 16 | 10,789 | 231.7 | 24,998 | 63,018 | 0.057 |
Kenmare Resources* | Steven McTiernan (ch) | 26 Jul 16 | 51,085 | 239 | 122,095 | 52,229 | 0.048 |
Kenmare Resources* | Terry Fitzpatrick | 26 Jul 16 | 9,578 | 239 | 22,892 | 10,122 | 0.009 |
Kenmare Resources* | Elizabeth Headon | 26 Jul 16 | 4,789 | 239 | 11,446 | 5,032 | 0.005 |
Kenmare Resources* | Sofia Bianchi | 26 Jul 16 | 335,249 | 239 | 801,257 | 343,267 | 0.313 |
Liontrust Asset Management♥ | Vinay Abrol (cfo) | 25 Jul 16 | 22,000 | 275.14 | 60,531 | 914,463 | 2.011 |
Marwyn Management Partners♥ | James Corsellis | 22 Jul 16 | 88,868 | 2 | 1,777 | 3,246,963 | 0.430 |
Marwyn Management Partners♥ | James Corsellis | 25 Jul 16 | 10,054,463 | 2 | 201,089 | 13,301,426 | 1.760 |
Marwyn Management Partners♥ | Mark Brangstrup Watts | 22 Jul 16 | 88,868 | 2 | 1,777 | 3,246,953 | 0.430 |
Marwyn Management Partners♥ | Mark Brangstrup Watts | 25 Jul 16 | 10,054,463 | 2 | 201,089 | 13,301,416 | 1.760 |
President Energy* | Peter Levine (ch & ceo) | 25 Jul 16 | 300,000 | 9.5 | 28,500 | 122,788,336 | 23.374 |
Rambler Metals and Mining | Norman Williams (ceo) | 25 Jul 16 | 100,000 | 4.60 | 4,597 | 100,000 | 0.024 |
Severfield | John Dodds (ch) | 21 Jul 16 | 100,000 | 49.25 | 49,250 | 419,833 | 0.141 |
St Modwen Properties | Ian Bull | 25 Jul 16 | 10,000 | 273.8 | 27,380 | 25,000 | 0.011 |
Staffline | Christopher Pullen (cfo) | 27 Jul 16 | 12,000 | 905 | 108,600 | 12,000 | 0.043 |
Tate & Lyle | Lars Frederiksen | 25 Jul 16 | 15,000 | 698.5 | 104,775 | 15,000 | 0.003 |
Tethyan Resources | Peter Mullens (ceo) | 21 Jul 16 | 50,000 | 3.95 | 1,975 | 7,521,975 | 8.433 |
Tethyan Resources | Peter Mullens (ceo) | 22 Jul 16 | 50,000 | 3.95 | 1,975 | 7,471,975 | 8.377 |
Trans-Siberian Gold | Charles Ryan (ch) | 27 Jul 16 | 5,145,792 | 22.2 | 1,142,366 | 6,076,306 | 5.521 |
Trans-Siberian Gold | Robert Sasson | 27 Jul 16 | 514,579 | 22.2 | 114,237 | 709,279 | 0.644 |
Tristel | David Orr | 21 Jul 16 | 12,511 | 121.7 | 15,226 | 12,511 | 0.030 |
Tungsten Corp | Richard Hurwitz (ceo) | 27 Jul 16 | 50,000 | 43.5 | 21,750 | 714,000 | 0.566 |
Volga Gas | Andrey Zozulya (ceo) | 21 Jul 16 | 50,000 | 47.25 | 23,625 | 50,000 | 0.062 |
Volga Gas | Andrey Zozulya (ceo) | 25 Jul 16 | 14,907 | 47.25 | 7,044 | 64,907 | 0.080 |
Volga Gas | Andrey Zozulya (ceo) | 25 Jul 16 | 35,093 | 47 | 16,494 | 100,000 | 0.123 |
Zegona Communications | Robert Samuelson | 21 Jul 16 | 8,500 | 114.5 | 9,733 | 780,002 | 0.398 |
Sells | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
Ashtead | Chris Cole (ch) | 26 Jul 16 | 25,000 | 1,186 | 296,500 | 110,082 | 0.022 |
GB♥ | Richard Law (ce) | 27 Jul 16 | 750,000 | 293 | 2,197,500 | 1,316,045 | 0.986 |
GlaxoSmithKline | Sir Andrew Witty (ceo) | 27 Jul 16 | 10,000 | 1,693.50 | 169,350 | 1,118,770 | 0.023 |
Trifast | Geoffrey Budd | 22 Jul 16 | 75,000 | 132 | 99,000 | 232,264 | 0.195 |
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party |