This year started badly for BT (BT.A): an accounting scandal in Italy, a profit warning, news of stagnation in its public sector business and a strong set of results from rival group Sky (SKY), all of which have created a bleak outlook. If ever shareholders needed a boost of confidence, it would be now, so a mass director share purchase might have come at just the right time.
IC TIP:
Hold
at
310p
Five directors have shelled out more than £500,000 for shares which, on 25 January, were trading at their 12-month low. Chairman Mike Rake is included in this merry band, as his wife spent £45,300 on 15,000 shares.
The recent share price slump marks a sudden change of events for BT, which at the end of 2015 was riding a wave of positive sentiment after winning the exclusive rights to broadcast the Champions League and successfully acquiring EE.
| Buys | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| Albion Development VCT* | Ben Larkin | 31 Jan 17 | 70,721 | 70.7 | 50,000 | 70,721 | 0.104 |
| Albion Development VCT* | Jonathan Thornton | 31 Jan 17 | 9,897 | 70.4 | 6,967 | 122,524 | 0.181 |
| Albion Enterprise VCT* | Maxwell Packe (ch) | 31 Jan 17 | 20,120 | 99.4 | 19,999 | 428,613 | 0.858 |
| Albion Venture Capital Trust* | Ebbe Dinesen | 31 Jan 17 | 11,126 | 71.9 | 8,000 | 36,552 | 0.043 |
| Amati VCT* | Peter Lawrence (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 136,184 | 73.43 | 100,000 | 303,110 | 0.522 |
| Amati VCT*♥ | Peter Lawrence (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 136,184 | 73.43 | 100,000 | 439,294 | 0.756 |
| Amati VCT*♥ | Peter Lawrence (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 136,184 | 73.43 | 100,000 | 575,478 | 0.990 |
| BT | Anthony Ball | 30 Jan 17 | 70,000 | 302 | 211,400 | 93,652 | 0.001 |
| BT | Iain Conn | 30 Jan 17 | 3,616 | 302 | 10,920 | 8,058 | 0.000 |
| BT | Iain Conn | 30 Jan 17 | 11,384 | 302 | 34,380 | 19,442 | 0.000 |
| BT♥ | Nick Rose | 30 Jan 17 | 75,000 | 302 | 226,500 | 125,000 | 0.001 |
| BT | Isabel Hudson | 31 Jan 17 | 4,872 | 306 | 14,908 | 8,424 | 0.000 |
| BT♥ | Mike Rake (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 15,000 | 302 | 45,300 | 148,584 | 0.001 |
| Braemar Shipping Services | Alastair Farley | 27 Jan 17 | 20,000 | 247.5 | 49,500 | 33,366 | 0.111 |
| Braemar Shipping Services | David Moorhouse (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 49,351 | 252 | 124,365 | 49,351 | 0.164 |
| Crown Place VCT* | James Agnew | 31 Jan 17 | 19,543 | 30.7 | 6,000 | 40,343 | 0.029 |
| Daily Mail and General Trust | Paul Zwillenberg (ceo) | 27 Jan 17 | 5,000 | 693.76 | 34,688 | 10,077 | 0.003 |
| easyHotel | Jonathan Lane (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 57,500 | 87 | 50,025 | 120,000 | 0.119 |
| Ecofin Global Utilities and Infrastructure Trust | Martin Nѐgre | 31 Jan 17 | 19,783 | 115.5 | 22,849 | 2,321,665 | 2.527 |
| EnQuest | Carl Hughes | 26 Jan 17 | 20,000 | 48.45 | 9,690 | 20,000 | 0.002 |
| Findel | Ian Burke (ch) | 26 Jan 17 | 40,000 | 205 | 82,000 | 40,000 | 0.046 |
| Griffin Mining♥ | Adam Usdan | 27 Jan 17 | 50,000 | 51.9 | 25,950 | 30,634,556 | 17.984 |
| Griffin Mining♥ | Adam Usdan | 31 Jan 17 | 25,000 | 52.75 | 13,188 | 30,659,556 | 17.999 |
| Impax Environmental Markets | John Scott (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 10,000 | 219 | 21,900 | 45,087 | 0.024 |
| Impax Environmental Markets | Aine Kelly | 31 Jan 17 | 10,000 | 217.4 | 21,740 | 10,000 | 0.005 |
| JPMorgan Euro Smaller Companies Trust | Marc van Gelder | 31 Jan 17 | 30,000 | 306 | 91,800 | 30,000 | 0.019 |
| Jersey Electricity | David Padfield | 26 Jan 17 | 964 | 417.2 | 4,022 | 3,416 | 0.029 |
| Lowland Investment Co | Karl Sternberg | 30 Jan 17 | 1,000 | 1397 | 13,970 | 8,010 | 0.030 |
| M Winkworth | Andrew Nicol (cfo) | 27 Jan 17 | 4,800 | 100 | 4,800 | 4,800 | 0.038 |
| Mortgage Advice Bureau♥ | Nathan Imlach | 31 Jan 17 | 381 | 367 | 1,398 | 23,041 | 0.046 |
| Mortgage Advice Bureau♥ | Richard Verdin | 31 Jan 17 | 333 | 367 | 1,222 | 18,451 | 0.037 |
| Next | Jonathan Bewes | 26 Jan 17 | 1,750 | 3832 | 67,060 | 1,750 | 0.001 |
| PZ Cussons | Caroline Silver (ch) | 31 Jan 17 | 10,000 | 304.671 | 30,467 | 20,000 | 0.005 |
| Regency Mines | Andrew Bell (ch & ceo) | 30 Jan 17 | 1,955,956 | 0.5252 | 10,273 | 4,258,391 | 1.045 |
| Sage | Donald Brydon (ch) | 26 Jan 17 | 10,000 | 599.938 | 59,994 | 63,024 | 0.006 |
| Sage | Stephen Kelly (ceo) | 26 Jan 17 | 25,000 | 5.965 | 1,491 | 237,346 | 0.022 |
| Tethyan Resources | Chris Goss (ch) | 26 Jan 17 | 50,000 | 4.19 | 2,095 | 193,518 | 0.133 |
| Tethyan Resources | Chris Goss (ch) | 27 Jan 17 | 250,000 | 4.1 | 10,250 | 443,518 | 0.304 |
| Tethyan Resources | Didier Fohlen | 26 Jan 17 | 120,000 | 4.25 | 5,100 | 3,933,333 | 2.695 |
| Touchstar | Ian Martin (ch) | 27 Jan 17 | 25,000 | 80.6 | 20,150 | 300,250 | 4.759 |
| Touchstar | Ian Martin (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 10,000 | 84.5 | 8,450 | 310,250 | 4.918 |
| Whitbread | David Atkins | 01 Feb 17 | 1,425 | 3943 | 56,188 | 1,425 | 0.001 |
| WideCells | David Bridgland (cfo) | 30 Jan 17 | 20,000 | 13.375 | 2,675 | 252,552 | 0.467 |
| WideCells | Graham Hine (ch) | 30 Jan 17 | 20,000 | 13.37 | 2,674 | 3,198,698 | 5.917 |
| WideCells | Marilyn Orcharton | 30 Jan 17 | 20,000 | 13.445 | 2,689 | 135,952 | 0.251 |
| WideCells | Lopes Gil | 30 Jan 17 | 20,000 | 13.25 | 2,650 | 8,020,000 | 14.836 |
| WideCells | João Andrade (ceo) | 30 Jan 17 | 20,000 | 13.25 | 2,650 | 8,020,000 | 14.836 |
| Sells | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| CVS♥ | Nick Perrin (fd) | 27 Jan 17 | 1,950 | 1042 | 20,319 | 28,286 | 0.044 |
| IG | Stephen Hill | 26 Jan 17 | 70,000 | 529.97 | 370,979 | 15,966 | 0.004 |
| Polar Capital | Brian Ashford-Russell | 31 Jan 17 | 200,000 | 374.75 | 749,500 | 6,075,000 | 6.646 |
| Titon | Tyson Anderson | 30 Jan 17 | 28,150 | 135 | 38,003 | 693,750 | 6.389 |
| Triad | Nick Burrows (fd) | 31 Jan 17 | 18,000 | 78 | 14,040 | 9,893 | 0.065 |
| Workspace♥ | Graham Clemett (cfo) | 26 Jan 17 | 15,000 | 757.32 | 113,598 | 147,674 | 0.090 |
| Workspace | Graham Clemett (cfo) | 26 Jan 17 | 15,000 | 757.32 | 113,598 | 162,674 | 0.100 |
| Workspace | Jamie Hopkins (ceo) | 26 Jan 17 | 11,848 | 757.32 | 89,727 | 165,525 | 0.101 |
| Workspace♥ | Jamie Hopkins (ceo) | 26 Jan 17 | 35,000 | 757.32 | 265,062 | 130,525 | 0.080 |
| *Placing/tender/open offer ♥Spouse/connected party | |||||||
