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.
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 | |||||||
Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
21st Century Technology | Glenn Robinson (fd) | 18 Aug 14 | 205,183 | 6.13 | 12,567 | 2,000,000 | 2.145 |
21st Century Technology | Russ Singleton (ce) | 18 Aug 14 | 307,346 | 6.13 | 18,825 | 3,007,346 | 3.225 |
3i Infrastructure | Paul Masterton | 14 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 138.49 | 13,849 | 10,000 | 0.001 |
Africa Oilfield Logistics * | Phil Edmonds (ch) | 15 Aug 14 | 277,778 | 9 | 25,000 | 5,277,778 | 1.341 |
Africa Oilfield Logistics * | Carl Esprey (ce) | 15 Aug 14 | 277,778 | 9 | 25,000 | 277,778 | 0.071 |
Africa Oilfield Logistics * | Andrew Groves | 15 Aug 14 | 277,778 | 9 | 25,000 | 5,277,778 | 1.341 |
Africa Oilfield Logistics * | Ian Mann | 15 Aug 14 | 277,778 | 9 | 25,000 | 10,132,951 | 2.575 |
Berkeley Group Holdings (The) | D Howell | 19 Aug 14 | 2,000 | 2,573 | 51,460 | 10,631 | 0.008 |
BlackRock World Mining Trust | D Cheyne | 15 Aug 14 | 20,000 | 505.5 | 101,100 | 24,000 | 0.014 |
Braveheart Investment | Trevor Brown | 18 Aug 14 | 50,000 | 12.5 | 6,250 | 5,443,855 | 20.121 |
Braveheart Investment | Trevor Brown | 19 Aug 14 | 99,689 | 12.5 | 12,461 | 5,543,544 | 20.490 |
Braveheart Investment * | Trevor Brown | 14 Aug 14 | 1,185,000 | 11.02 | 130,587 | 5,393,855 | 19.936 |
Brewin Dolphin Holdings | Simon Miller (ch) | 14 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 287.45 | 28,745 | 60,000 | 0.022 |
Caledonia Investments | Jamie Cayzer-Colvin | 14 Aug 14 | 813 | 2,142.74 | 17,420 | 358,578 | 0.647 |
Caledonia Investments ♥ | William Wyatt (ce) | 14 Aug 14 | 1,670 | 2,142.74 | 35,784 | 1,045,075 | 1.886 |
Caledonia Investments ♥ | Jamie Cayzer-Colvin | 14 Aug 14 | 2,500 | 2,142.74 | 53,569 | 362,178 | 0.654 |
CLS Holdings | Sten Mortstedt (ch) | 18 Aug 14 | 743 | 1,301 | 9,666 | 22,141,246 | 47.934 |
CLS Holdings | Sten Mortstedt (ch) | 19 Aug 14 | 1,725 | 1,301 | 22,442 | 22,142,971 | 47.938 |
Cyan Holdings * | John Cronin (ch) | 20 Aug 14 | 7,142,857 | 0.35 | 25,000 | 90,242,048 | 2.025 |
Cyan Holdings * | Simon Smith (cfo) | 20 Aug 14 | 7,142,857 | 0.35 | 25,000 | 64,766,588 | 1.453 |
Cyan Holdings * | Peter Mainz | 20 Aug 14 | 4,285,714 | 0.35 | 15,000 | 4,285,714 | 0.096 |
Cyan Holdings * | Harry Berry | 20 Aug 14 | 5,714,286 | 0.35 | 20,000 | 10,714,286 | 0.240 |
Cyan Holdings * | Dr John Read | 20 Aug 14 | 4,285,714 | 0.35 | 15,000 | 33,484,815 | 0.751 |
Development Securities | Richard Upton | 18 Aug 14 | 72,450 | 205 | 148,523 | 2,697,566 | 2.161 |
EMED Mining Public | Alberto Lavandeira Adan (coo) | 19 Aug 14 | 1,000,000 | 8.27 | 82,748 | 1,000,000 | 0.070 |
Feedback | Trevor Brown | 15 Aug 14 | 1,000,000 | 1.45 | 14,500 | 54,089,111 | 28.357 |
Greggs | Dr. Helena Ganczakowski | 14 Aug 14 | 1,000 | 550.75 | 5,508 | 1,000 | <0.001 |
Hornby | CJ Caminada | 19 Aug 14 | 22,325 | 66.5 | 14,846 | 22,325 | 0.057 |
Inchcape | Till Vestring | 18 Aug 14 | 30,000 | 658.58 | 197,574 | 61,358 | 0.013 |
Michael Page International | Robin Buchanan (ch) | 15 Aug 14 | 44,987 | 442.3 | 198,978 | 138,027 | 0.043 |
MirLand Development Corp ♥ | Eliezer Fishman | 20 Aug 14 | 1,500 | 228 | 3,420 | 330,713 | 0.319 |
New Century AIM VCT | Michael Barnard | 20 Aug 14 | 136,986 | 73 | 100,000 | 3,149,310 | 29.843 |
Prudential | The Hon. PJ Remnant | 14 Aug 14 | 1,107 | 1,410.84 | 15,618 | 5,816 | <0.001 |
Red Rock Resources * | ARM Bell (ch) | 15 Aug 14 | 2,215,330 | 0.23 | 5,000 | 10,657,642 | 0.525 |
Renold | Brian Tenner (fd) | 14 Aug 14 | 33,694 | 60.75 | 20,469 | 458,396 | 0.205 |
SDL ♥ | Mark Lancaster (ce) | 18 Aug 14 | 8,329 | 329.25 | 27,423 | 1,346,637 | 1.664 |
Sirius Minerals ♥ | CN Fraser (ce) | 18 Aug 14 | 342,000 | 11.66 | 39,877 | 122,628,314 | 6.274 |
Sula Iron & Gold | Andrew Dacey | 18 Aug 14 | 100,000 | 2.245 | 2,245 | 100,000 | 0.036 |
Sula Iron & Gold | Matt Wood (fd) | 18 Aug 14 | 217,864 | 2.3 | 5,011 | 662,308 | 0.235 |
Sula Iron & Gold | Nick Warrell (ce) | 20 Aug 14 | 226,000 | 2.2 | 4,972 | 47,729,677 | 16.956 |
Tarsus | Robert Ware | 14 Aug 14 | 5,750 | 209 | 12,018 | 301,585 | 0.298 |
TT electronics ♥ | Sean Watson (ch) | 20 Aug 14 | 26,100 | 171 | 44,631 | 216,100 | 0.136 |
Vianet | Mark Foster (fd) | 15 Aug 14 | 3,000 | 78.95 | 2,369 | 78,000 | 0.280 |
Witan Pacific Investment Trust | Susan Platts-Martin | 18 Aug 14 | 4,000 | 229.84 | 9,194 | 4,000 | 0.006 |
Sells | |||||||
Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
Bankers Petroleum | Robert Cross | 20 Aug 14 | 100,000 | 395.35 | 395,351 | 300,000 | 0.117 |
CRH | Albert Manifold (ce) | 19 Aug 14 | 15,078 | 1,436.28 | 216,562 | 39,668 | 0.005 |
Great Portland Estates | Neil Thompson | 19 Aug 14 | 115,000 | 655.49 | 753,814 | 652,582 | 0.190 |
Hyder Consulting † | Russell Down (fd) | 20 Aug 14 | 45,000 | 730 | 328,500 | 0 | 0.000 |
Hyder Consulting † | Jeffrey Hume (ch) | 20 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 730 | 73,000 | 0 | 0.000 |
Hyder Consulting † | Ivor Catto (ce) | 20 Aug 14 | 170,647 | 730 | 1,245,723 | 0 | 0.000 |
Hyder Consulting † | Kevin Taylor | 20 Aug 14 | 7,490 | 730 | 54,677 | 0 | 0.000 |
Hyder Consulting † | Paul Withers | 20 Aug 14 | 50,000 | 730 | 365,000 | 0 | 0.000 |
NWF | Richard Whiting (ce) | 19 Aug 14 | 48,612 | 145 | 70,487 | 307,371 | 0.642 |
Sirius Real Estate | Andrew Coombs (ce) | 15 Aug 14 | 50,000 | 35 | 17,500 | 2,514,005 | 0.491 |
Solid State | Gary Marsh (ce) | 18 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 560 | 56,000 | 543,439 | 6.523 |
Solid State | John Macmichael | 18 Aug 14 | 60,000 | 560 | 336,000 | 100,493 | 1.206 |
Solid State | John Lavery | 18 Aug 14 | 10,000 | 560 | 56,000 | 469,827 | 5.639 |
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party † Following agreement to sell shares to ARCADIS N.V. |