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Great Portland director sells

A strong share price performance and incentive awards have prompted one director to lock in some profits.
August 28, 2014

The property market in London's West End has enjoyed a bonanza in recent years, helping companies like Great Portland Estates (GPOR) serve up impressive returns. In the year to March, for example, Great Portland achieved a 25 per cent uplift in book value, much of which came from making careful acquisitions earlier in the cycle.

IC TIP: Buy at 661p

Not surprisingly, directors have been rewarded through incentive schemes, and on 19 August portfolio director Neil Thompson sold 115,000 shares at 656p, raising a cool £753,800. But he still holds over 650,000 shares, and there is little sign of the buoyant trading conditions changing just yet. Trading in the quarter to the end of June saw a 3.8 per cent portfolio gain, with rental growth of 1.9 per cent. Since then, there have been over £1m of new lettings, with a further £4.2m under offer at an average 6 per cent premium to the March 2014 estimated rental values.

Buys       
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
21st Century Technology Glenn Robinson (fd)18 Aug 14205,1836.1312,5672,000,0002.145
21st Century Technology Russ Singleton (ce)18 Aug 14307,3466.1318,8253,007,3463.225
3i Infrastructure Paul Masterton14 Aug 1410,000138.4913,84910,0000.001
Africa Oilfield Logistics *Phil Edmonds (ch)15 Aug 14277,778925,0005,277,7781.341
Africa Oilfield Logistics *Carl Esprey (ce)15 Aug 14277,778925,000277,7780.071
Africa Oilfield Logistics *Andrew Groves15 Aug 14277,778925,0005,277,7781.341
Africa Oilfield Logistics *Ian Mann15 Aug 14277,778925,00010,132,9512.575
Berkeley Group Holdings (The) D Howell19 Aug 142,0002,57351,46010,6310.008
BlackRock World Mining Trust D Cheyne15 Aug 1420,000505.5101,10024,0000.014
Braveheart Investment  Trevor Brown18 Aug 1450,00012.56,2505,443,85520.121
Braveheart Investment  Trevor Brown19 Aug 1499,68912.512,4615,543,54420.490
Braveheart Investment *Trevor Brown14 Aug 141,185,00011.02130,5875,393,85519.936
Brewin Dolphin Holdings Simon Miller (ch)14 Aug 1410,000287.4528,74560,0000.022
Caledonia Investments Jamie Cayzer-Colvin14 Aug 148132,142.7417,420358,5780.647
Caledonia Investments ♥William Wyatt (ce)14 Aug 141,6702,142.7435,7841,045,0751.886
Caledonia Investments ♥Jamie Cayzer-Colvin14 Aug 142,5002,142.7453,569362,1780.654
CLS Holdings Sten Mortstedt (ch)18 Aug 147431,3019,66622,141,24647.934
CLS Holdings Sten Mortstedt (ch)19 Aug 141,7251,30122,44222,142,97147.938
Cyan Holdings *John Cronin (ch)20 Aug 147,142,8570.3525,00090,242,0482.025
Cyan Holdings *Simon Smith (cfo)20 Aug 147,142,8570.3525,00064,766,5881.453
Cyan Holdings *Peter Mainz20 Aug 144,285,7140.3515,0004,285,7140.096
Cyan Holdings *Harry Berry20 Aug 145,714,2860.3520,00010,714,2860.240
Cyan Holdings *Dr John Read20 Aug 144,285,7140.3515,00033,484,8150.751
Development Securities Richard Upton18 Aug 1472,450205148,5232,697,5662.161
EMED Mining Public Alberto Lavandeira Adan (coo)19 Aug 141,000,0008.2782,7481,000,0000.070
Feedback Trevor Brown15 Aug 141,000,0001.4514,50054,089,11128.357
Greggs Dr. Helena Ganczakowski14 Aug 141,000550.755,5081,000<0.001
Hornby CJ Caminada19 Aug 1422,32566.514,84622,3250.057
Inchcape Till Vestring18 Aug 1430,000658.58197,57461,3580.013
Michael Page International Robin Buchanan (ch)15 Aug 1444,987442.3198,978138,0270.043
MirLand Development Corp ♥Eliezer Fishman20 Aug 141,5002283,420330,7130.319
New Century AIM VCT Michael Barnard20 Aug 14136,98673100,0003,149,31029.843
Prudential The Hon. PJ Remnant14 Aug 141,1071,410.8415,6185,816<0.001
Red Rock Resources *ARM Bell (ch)15 Aug 142,215,3300.235,00010,657,6420.525
Renold Brian Tenner (fd)14 Aug 1433,69460.7520,469458,3960.205
SDL ♥Mark Lancaster (ce)18 Aug 148,329329.2527,4231,346,6371.664
Sirius Minerals ♥CN Fraser (ce)18 Aug 14342,00011.6639,877122,628,3146.274
Sula Iron & Gold Andrew Dacey18 Aug 14100,0002.2452,245100,0000.036
Sula Iron & Gold Matt Wood (fd)18 Aug 14217,8642.35,011662,3080.235
Sula Iron & Gold Nick Warrell (ce)20 Aug 14226,0002.24,97247,729,67716.956
Tarsus  Robert Ware14 Aug 145,75020912,018301,5850.298
TT electronics ♥Sean Watson (ch)20 Aug 1426,10017144,631216,1000.136
Vianet  Mark Foster (fd)15 Aug 143,00078.952,36978,0000.280
Witan Pacific Investment Trust Susan Platts-Martin18 Aug 144,000229.849,1944,0000.006
Sells       
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Bankers Petroleum Robert Cross20 Aug 14100,000395.35395,351300,0000.117
CRH Albert Manifold (ce)19 Aug 1415,0781,436.28216,56239,6680.005
Great Portland Estates Neil Thompson19 Aug 14115,000655.49753,814652,5820.190
Hyder Consulting †Russell Down (fd)20 Aug 1445,000730328,50000.000
Hyder Consulting †Jeffrey Hume (ch)20 Aug 1410,00073073,00000.000
Hyder Consulting †Ivor Catto (ce)20 Aug 14170,6477301,245,72300.000
Hyder Consulting †Kevin Taylor20 Aug 147,49073054,67700.000
Hyder Consulting †Paul Withers20 Aug 1450,000730365,00000.000
NWF  Richard Whiting (ce)19 Aug 1448,61214570,487307,3710.642
Sirius Real Estate Andrew Coombs (ce)15 Aug 1450,0003517,5002,514,0050.491
Solid State Gary Marsh (ce)18 Aug 1410,00056056,000543,4396.523
Solid State John Macmichael18 Aug 1460,000560336,000100,4931.206
Solid State John Lavery18 Aug 1410,00056056,000469,8275.639
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party † Following agreement to sell shares to ARCADIS N.V.