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AstraZeneca is confident

Chief executive Pascal Soriot and chief financial officer Marc Dunoyer are confident in pharma giant AstraZeneca's future
July 4, 2014

Following the collapse last month of Pfizer's (US:PFE) bid for pharmaceuticals giant AstraZeneca (AZN), the latter appears to have much to prove. But chief executive Pascal Soriot and chief financial officer Marc Dunoyer seem confident that the company can go it alone. Indeed, Mr Soriot shelled out £2m for another 46,200 shares at 4,345p each, increasing his personal stake by nearly a third. While Mr Dunoyer added another 20,000 shares to his pile at a price of 4,340p each in a purchase worth nearly £870,000.

IC TIP: Hold at 4,362pp

The share purchases are the latest vote of confidence from Astra’s board regarding the company’s future. But the group's progress is likely to be heavily scrutinised by shareholders – especially by those who were particularly vocal in their support of Pfizer's offer. For now hope hangs on upcoming oncology products, a field in which Astra is keen to forge a market-leading position.

Buys

CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
3i Group Julia Wilson (fd)25 Jun 143,003393.2811,81070,5740.007
3i Group ♥Julia Wilson (fd)25 Jun 143,005393.0811,81273,5790.008
Acal Henrietta Marsh24 Jun 147,00028820,16010,0000.032
Aminex Jay Bhattacherjee (ce)19 Jun 141,149,8381.0812,36741,812,8202.263
AstraZeneca Marc Dunoyer (cfo)25 Jun 1420,0004,340868,00020,5000.002
AstraZeneca Pascal Soriot (ce)30 Jun 1446,2004,3452,007,390197,7810.016
Barratt Developments Nina Bibby19 Jun 143,500355.812,4538,500<0.001
Berkeley Holdings (The) G Barker19 Jun 142,2422,31051,79010,0420.007
Burberry  Jeremy Darroch24 Jun 141,0001,46014,6001,000<0.001
Cineworld ♥ Moshe Greidinger (ce)20 Jun 141,479,633339.915,029,42170,834,32726.855
Cineworld ♥ Israel Greidinger (coo)20 Jun 141,479,633339.915,029,42170,834,32726.855
Cranswick Mark Reckitt20 Jun 141,3001,21515,7951,3000.003
Daisy  Steve Smith (cfo)23 Jun 1427,50015141,525175,1530.066
Deltex Medical  Tim Irish23 Jun 14200,00010.7521,500200,0000.094
Deltex Medical  Tim Irish24 Jun 14300,00011.2533,750500,0000.236
Eleco *John Ketteley (ch)24 Jun 14170,68320.7535,4178,593,93813.494
Fidessa  John Hamer (ch)25 Jun 141,0002,16921,69077,4990.204
Fidessa  John Hamer (ch)25 Jun 141,0002,17021,69578,4990.207
Findel David Sugden (ch)23 Jun 1420,40024549,980124,7080.145
Great Portland Estates Elizabeth Holden25 Jun 144,740622.4729,5054,7400.001
Gresham Computing H J Purdey19 Jun 1418,55413424,86230,4550.048
Gresham Computing ♥M Royde20 Jun 1425,00013032,5005,730,5649.063
Gresham Computing ♥M Royde19 Jun 1440,810131.1653,5255,688,1648.995
Horizon Discovery  Dr Darrin Disley (ce)19 Jun 1410,00014514,500682,5231.018
HSBC Holdings Sir Jonathan Evans19 Jun 142,424615.1214,9115,519<0.001
Inspirit Energy Holdings David Lenigas (ch)24 Jun 141,500,0001.522,5005,000,0000.856
Kingspan  John Cronin19 Jun 143,0001,23637,0803,0000.002
Novae  JP Hastings-Bass (ch)19 Jun 145,000527.526,37541,6660.065
Ocean Wilsons Holdings Andrey Berzins19 Jun 145,0001,22861,3755,0000.014
Premier Foods Pam Powell19 Jun 1474,36953.539,787160,3660.019
QinetiQ  Dr I Mason20 Jun 1410,000210.3321,03310,0000.002
Quindell Robert Terry (ch)25 Jun 1416,66719031,66745,650,00010.892
Quindell Robert Fielding (ce)23 Jun 1416,889236.7539,9851,118,3900.267
Royal Bank of Scotland †Morten Friis24 Jun 1420,000326.6265,32320,000<0.001
SABMiller JA Manzoni25 Jun 143633,35012,1627,797<0.001
Sinclair IS Pharma Stuart Swanson24 Jun 14900,00032288,00010,150,0002.041
Sound Oil James Parsons (ce)24 Jun 14148,83710.7516,000787,5940.240
Telit Communications Oozi Cats (ce)19 Jun 1464,802208134,78822,365,15919.738
Tribal  Robin Crewe20 Jun 1425,000189.8247,45525,0000.026
Union Jack Oil David Bramhill (ch)24 Jun 143,500,0000.3612,60052,164,5803.103
UTV Media Helen Kirkpatrick19 Jun 1412,68221026,63220,0000.021
Vodafone  Nicholas Land25 Jun 1410,000190.44519,04542,090<0.001
Volex G Anderson19 Jun 1430,00080.9224,27630,0000.045
Volex Karen Slatford (ch)19 Jun 1425,00080.9620,24055,0000.083
Xaar Alex Bevis (fd & cs)23 Jun 146,960499.9334,79553,5770.070
Xaar ♥Ian Dinwoodie (ce)23 Jun 1420,000500100,00077,4490.101
Xaar Ramon Borrell24 Jun 1440,000500.06200,024221,7210.290
Zoopla Property  Mike Evans (ch)23 Jun 1434,494230.7579,59534,4940.008
Sells
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Good Energy ♥ Garry Peagam 19 Jun 1430,000230.8369,24940,0000.273
Wynnstay  Paul Roberts (fd & cs)19 Jun 142,50060715,175102,7190.539
        

* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party † Depositary receipts