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Babcock directors up stakes

The group's higher-ups bought shares on the cheap, a few days before the close period began
April 6, 2017

Engineering support services group Babcock (BAB) saw a flurry of share purchases from directors on 27 March, the same day it revealed its Magnox nuclear decommissioning contract would be cut short. This will reduce the order book in the short term, but the group could win the work again once it's put back up for tender by the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority. Shares in the group fell 4 per cent on the back of this news.

IC TIP: Buy at 879.5p

Company chairman Mike Turner topped up his holding by 10,000 shares, bringing his total stake to 0.015 per cent of the group. Chief executive Archie Bethel followed suit, buying 6,837 shares, while his wife Doreen bought 6,081 more.

Since then, the group has announced it is the preferred bidder for a Royal Navy support contract potentially worth around £360m over seven years.

Buys       
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
7digital*  Matthew Honey (cfo)29 Mar 17153,8476.510,000353,8470.221
7digital*  Mark Foster29 Mar 17153,8476.510,000171,0900.107
7digital*  Eric Cohen29 Mar 17316,5566.520,576316,5560.198
7digital*  Simon Cole (ceo)29 Mar 17250,0006.516,2502,731,0461.709
7digital*  Paul McGowan29 Mar 171,538,4626.5100,0001,788,4621.119
7digital*  Donald Cruickshank (ch)29 Mar 17769,2316.550,0001,712,2311.071
Babcock International  Mike Turner (ch)27 Mar 1710,000887.588,75075,3840.015
Babcock International♥   Archie Bethel (ceo)27 Mar 17792882.816,992351,3330.069
Babcock International  Archie Bethel (ceo)27 Mar 171,165883.5210,293345,2520.068
Babcock International♥   Archie Bethel (ceo)27 Mar 171,585882.87513,994350,5410.069
Babcock International♥   Archie Bethel (ceo)27 Mar 173,704883.5232,726348,9560.069
Babcock International  Archie Bethel (ceo)27 Mar 175,672881.4749,997344,0870.068
Berendsen Iain Ferguson (ch)24 Mar 1715,000785117,750140,0000.081
Capital Gearing Trust Jean Matterson28 Mar 171,500384257,6307,0000.157
Computacenter Gregory Lock (ch)24 Mar 1750,000724.5362,250650,0000.530
Greggs Richard Hutton (fd)23 Mar 173,0081,012.577330,45832,7320.032
Greggs Raymond Reynolds23 Mar 172,6841,012.577327,17867,1680.066
Greggs Roger Whiteside (ceo)23 Mar 1711,7011,012.5773118,482147,2700.146
Ibstock♥  Jamie Pike (ch)24 Mar 1772,500207150,07598,5000.024
Jackpotjoy James Ryan29 Mar 1710,000564.9456,49410,0000.014
LondonMetric Property* Andrew Livingston23 Mar 1732,89515250,00068,8980.010
Low & Bonar♥  Michael Powell28 Mar 1711,00070.57,75525,0000.008
Low & Bonar♥  Michael Powell28 Mar 1714,000719,94014,0000.004
Next Michael Roney27 Mar 175,0004,137.9206,8955,0000.003
Next Michael Roney27 Mar 175,0004,223211,15010,0000.007
North Atlantic Smaller Companies Inv Trust♥  Peregrine Moncreiffe (ch)24 Mar 171,0002,52025,200400,1302.774
North Atlantic Smaller Companies Inv Trust♥  Peregrine Moncreiffe (ch)27 Mar 174,3002,530108,790404,4302.803
North Atlantic Smaller Companies Inv Trust♥  Peregrine Moncreiffe (ch)28 Mar 171,2182,54030,937405,6482.812
Ortac Resources Anthony Balme (ch)27 Mar 17300,0003.7511,2508,588,90210.457
Ortac Resources Nick Von Schirnding27 Mar 17260,0003.59,100260,0000.317
Personal Assets Trust♥  Jean Sharp28 Mar 17540,6052,0309180.047
Personal Assets Trust Robin Angus29 Mar 171040,7004,0704,5060.233
Produce Investments Neil Davidson (ch)28 Mar 1735,00017661,60035,0000.130
Real Estate Credit Investments Robert Cowdell (ch)29 Mar 175,000162.4358,12214,0600.016
Real Estate Credit Investments Robert Cowdell (ch)29 Mar 1715,000162.43524,36529,0600.033
Real Estate Credit Investments Graham Harrison23 Mar 1713,500162.521,93815,0000.017
Real Estate Credit Investments John Hallam23 Mar 1718,500162.530,06331,0000.035
Real Estate Credit Investments Sarah Evans23 Mar 1720,000162.532,50020,0000.023
Regional REIT♥ Daniel Taylor24 Mar 17100,000102102,000250,0000.083
Sound Energy♥ M Fumagalli29 Mar 17300,00074.81224,43067,017,16210.077
TP ICap Andrew Baddeley (cfo)23 Mar 177,50044733,52532,0000.006
TP ICap Andrew Baddeley (cfo)23 Mar 179,50044742,46524,5000.004
Ubisense♥   Oliver Scott24 Mar 17100,0004545,00015,815,49328.301
Ubisense♥   Oliver Scott28 Mar 17100,0004545,00015,915,49328.480
XLMedia  O Weihs (ceo)28 Mar 171,000,0001101,100,0003,650,0001.822

Sells
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Breedon  David Williams29 Mar 175,000,000763,800,0005,000,0000.354
Cambridge Cognition Holdings Nicholas Kerton29 Mar 17150,00078117,00022,9000.112
Ibstock Kevin Sims (cfo)24 Mar 172,425,5292075,020,8454,924,5581.212
Ibstock Wayne Sheppard (ceo)24 Mar 171,000,0002072,070,00010,307,8272.537
Ibstock♥  Wayne Sheppard (ceo)24 Mar 172,731,5832075,654,3777,576,2441.865
LoopUp  Nico Goulet23 Mar 171,075,0001481,591,0006,964,54816.999
Savills Jeremy Helsby (ceo)23 Mar 1732,454897.2314291,187604,8490.433
Savills Simon Shaw (cfo)23 Mar 1723,423876.1487205,220155,8500.111
Sirius Real Estate Andrew Coombs (ceo)27 Mar 1745,00053.524,0754,445,6530.506
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party