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Website founder compares the market - and sells

Moneysupermarket's founder Simon Nixon has hived off another giant tranche of shares in the price comparison site, following his £200m divestment in 2013
March 26, 2014

Simon Nixon, founder of Moneysupermarket.com (MONY), has pocketed just under £130m from the sale of around 13 per cent of the price comparison site - one of the more noteworthy survivors of the dot-com boom and bust. The sale comes on top of a £200m divestment last year, and it leaves Mr Nixon with a 16.6 per cent residual stake.

IC TIP: Hold at 185p

Although the shares boast strong institutional and retail support, they are down around 5 per cent over the past year. But the company still managed to bump up adjusted cash profits by over a quarter in 2013, consolidating a consistent record of year-on-year growth. The share price has also been underpinned by the company's willingness to return capital to shareholders. Interestingly, the sale of Mr Nixon's holding was finalised a day before the ex-date, meaning that he did not collkect a further £8.2m from the 5.12p final dividend for 2013.

Buys
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Abcam Dr Jonathan Milner (ce)14 Mar 14400,000413.541,654,16027,060,35513.547
Abcam ♥Dr Jonathan Milner (ce)13 Mar 14100,000407.24407,24027,200,35513.617
BBA Aviation Sir Nigel Rudd 17 Mar 144,000331.7913,2724,0000.001
French Connection  Adam Castleton (fd)13 Mar 1442,0005924,78075,0000.078
GKN Adam Walker (fd)19 Mar 1465,000389.2252,98065,0000.004
Goals Soccer Centres *Keith Edelman (ch)14 Mar 1420,000216.543,30020,0000.034
Goals Soccer Centres *Philip Burks14 Mar 1480,000216.5173,200243,4780.419
GoldBridges Global Resources *Dr KS Assaubayev (ch)19 Mar 14358,172,4472.1757,790,2511,440,076,04065.122
GoldBridges Global Resources *A Assaubayev (ce)19 Mar 14358,172,4472.1757,790,2511,440,076,04065.122
Hochschild Mining Nigel Moore13 Mar 1413,56617623,87640,0000.011
Innovation Group (The) *Jane Hall (fd)14 Mar 14184,0933258,9101,932,9770.160
Innovation Group (The) *David Thorpe14 Mar 14150,7583248,2431,582,9650.131
Innovation Group (The) *Andrew Roberts (ce)14 Mar 14401,61332128,5164,216,9400.350
Innovation Group (The) *Dr Chris Harrison14 Mar 1417,970325,750188,6940.016
Innovation Group (The) *James Morley14 Mar 1499,8823231,962455,0140.038
International Personal Finance Adrian Gardner (cfo)13 Mar 1415,00053680,40015,0000.006
Investors Capital Trust John Evans19 Mar 1415,00095.7514,36315,0000.016
Kalibrate Technologies Phil Lawler (ch)13 Mar 1413,37811114,85063,5320.191
Kenmare Resources Michael Carvill14 Mar 14100,00013.213,2004,902,0300.176
Kenmare Resources Tony McCluskey (fd)19 Mar 1475,00014.811,100681,2500.024
Kenmare Resources AC Lowrie13 Mar 14440,44713.9361,3545,370,8910.193
Kenmare Resources G Smith13 Mar 14100,00013.8913,890100,0000.004
Majedie Investments Paul Gadd13 Mar 1410,000211.37721,13830,0000.058
Management Consulting  Nick Stagg (ce)13 Mar 14100,00022.7522,7501,364,9720.276
Morgan Sindall ♥ Stephen Crummett17 Mar 1412,00075790,84012,0000.028
Northern Bear Thomas Hayes (fd & cs)19 Mar 1450,0003115,50050,0000.283
Ocado  Ruth Anderson14 Mar 145,000472.323,61560,0000.010
Persimmon ♥Jeff Fairburn (ce)18 Mar 148,8391,372.38121,305125,7040.041
Persimmon ♥Jeff Fairburn (ce)17 Mar 142561,405.373,598116,8650.038
Playtech Alan Jackson (ch)14 Mar 1410,00070770,70015,0000.005
QinetiQ  Susan Searle14 Mar 145,00021010,5005,0000.001
Rare Earth Minerals David Lenigas (ch)13 Mar 145,000,0000.4522,5007,000,0000.135
Rightmove Peter Williams19 Mar 143,7282,66899,4633,7280.004
Senior Giles Kerr14 Mar 1410,000298.829,88010,0000.002
Smith & Nephew Roberto Quarta13 Mar 1410,000921.592,15010,0000.001
St Ives Helen Stevenson13 Mar 141,500199.942,9994,9690.004
St Ives Helen Stevenson14 Mar 142,031199.694,0567,0000.006
Trinity Mirror Helen Stevenson14 Mar 14935213.81,9993,5970.001
Trinity Mirror Helen Stevenson14 Mar 142,662213.755,6902,6620.001
Trinity Mirror Helen Stevenson14 Mar 141,403213.692,9985,0000.002
Vectura * Dr Trevor Phillips 18 Mar 146,45215510,00127,4790.007
Vectura * Bruno Angelici (ch)18 Mar 1412,90315520,00012,9030.003
Vectura * Paul Oliver (cfo & cs)18 Mar 146,45215510,00165,1160.016
Vectura * Dr Christopher Blackwell (ce)18 Mar 1416,12915525,000692,9490.173
Vectura * Neil Warner18 Mar 149,67715514,99930,4770.008
Victoria Oil & Gas Austen Titford14 Mar 141,200,0001.1313,5602,007,6920.046
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Sir Ian Gibson (ch)14 Mar 1419,695203.140,001127,7500.005
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Penny Hughes14 Mar 149,848203.120,0019,848<0.001
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Richard Gillingwater CBE14 Mar 1419,695203.140,00119,6950.001
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Johanna Waterous14 Mar 1413,500203.127,41920,2160.001
Wm Morrison Supermarkets Philip Cox14 Mar 1425,000203.150,77525,0000.001

Sells 
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Aviva Patrick Regan (cfo)14 Mar 14179,789507911,530236,5830.008
Ferrexpo Christopher Mawe (cfo)14 Mar 141,415138.81,964234,5610.040
Grainger Nick Jopling18 Mar 148,000238.1619,053400,8320.097
Hangar8 Dustin Dryden (ce)13 Mar 14500,0002601,300,0002,766,93329.320
Moneysupermarket.com  Simon Nixon18 Mar 1470,000,000185129,500,00089,795,13016.567
NCC  Paul Mitchell (ch)18 Mar 14550,0002001,100,000629,6000.302
NCC  Rob Cotton (ce)18 Mar 145,500,00020011,000,0005,297,1912.541
Ricardo Dave Shemmans (ce)17 Mar 141,0007107,100184,1700.352
Ricardo ♥Dave Shemmans (ce)17 Mar 142,00071014,200182,1700.349
Signet Jewelers Michael Barnes (ce)15 Mar 148,0315,906.38474,342203,7080.254
Sinclair (William) Holdings Peter Williams (fd & cs)14 Mar 1462,23910766,596200,0001.158
Sportech Ian Hogg14 Mar 14302,26084.5255,410285,9110.140
Sportech Ian Penrose14 Mar 14301,71984.5254,953850,0000.415
Unilever J Huet (cfo)14 Mar 142,3732,36356,07485,5530.007
Xchanging David Bauernfeind (cfo)13 Mar 1450,00016482,000350,0000.145
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party