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.
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 | |||||||
Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
3i Group | Julia Wilson (fd) | 25 Jun 14 | 3,003 | 393.28 | 11,810 | 70,574 | 0.007 |
3i Group ♥ | Julia Wilson (fd) | 25 Jun 14 | 3,005 | 393.08 | 11,812 | 73,579 | 0.008 |
Acal | Henrietta Marsh | 24 Jun 14 | 7,000 | 288 | 20,160 | 10,000 | 0.032 |
Aminex | Jay Bhattacherjee (ce) | 19 Jun 14 | 1,149,838 | 1.08 | 12,367 | 41,812,820 | 2.263 |
AstraZeneca | Marc Dunoyer (cfo) | 25 Jun 14 | 20,000 | 4,340 | 868,000 | 20,500 | 0.002 |
AstraZeneca | Pascal Soriot (ce) | 30 Jun 14 | 46,200 | 4,345 | 2,007,390 | 197,781 | 0.016 |
Barratt Developments | Nina Bibby | 19 Jun 14 | 3,500 | 355.8 | 12,453 | 8,500 | <0.001 |
Berkeley Holdings (The) | G Barker | 19 Jun 14 | 2,242 | 2,310 | 51,790 | 10,042 | 0.007 |
Burberry | Jeremy Darroch | 24 Jun 14 | 1,000 | 1,460 | 14,600 | 1,000 | <0.001 |
Cineworld ♥ | Moshe Greidinger (ce) | 20 Jun 14 | 1,479,633 | 339.91 | 5,029,421 | 70,834,327 | 26.855 |
Cineworld ♥ | Israel Greidinger (coo) | 20 Jun 14 | 1,479,633 | 339.91 | 5,029,421 | 70,834,327 | 26.855 |
Cranswick | Mark Reckitt | 20 Jun 14 | 1,300 | 1,215 | 15,795 | 1,300 | 0.003 |
Daisy | Steve Smith (cfo) | 23 Jun 14 | 27,500 | 151 | 41,525 | 175,153 | 0.066 |
Deltex Medical | Tim Irish | 23 Jun 14 | 200,000 | 10.75 | 21,500 | 200,000 | 0.094 |
Deltex Medical | Tim Irish | 24 Jun 14 | 300,000 | 11.25 | 33,750 | 500,000 | 0.236 |
Eleco * | John Ketteley (ch) | 24 Jun 14 | 170,683 | 20.75 | 35,417 | 8,593,938 | 13.494 |
Fidessa | John Hamer (ch) | 25 Jun 14 | 1,000 | 2,169 | 21,690 | 77,499 | 0.204 |
Fidessa | John Hamer (ch) | 25 Jun 14 | 1,000 | 2,170 | 21,695 | 78,499 | 0.207 |
Findel | David Sugden (ch) | 23 Jun 14 | 20,400 | 245 | 49,980 | 124,708 | 0.145 |
Great Portland Estates | Elizabeth Holden | 25 Jun 14 | 4,740 | 622.47 | 29,505 | 4,740 | 0.001 |
Gresham Computing | H J Purdey | 19 Jun 14 | 18,554 | 134 | 24,862 | 30,455 | 0.048 |
Gresham Computing ♥ | M Royde | 20 Jun 14 | 25,000 | 130 | 32,500 | 5,730,564 | 9.063 |
Gresham Computing ♥ | M Royde | 19 Jun 14 | 40,810 | 131.16 | 53,525 | 5,688,164 | 8.995 |
Horizon Discovery | Dr Darrin Disley (ce) | 19 Jun 14 | 10,000 | 145 | 14,500 | 682,523 | 1.018 |
HSBC Holdings | Sir Jonathan Evans | 19 Jun 14 | 2,424 | 615.12 | 14,911 | 5,519 | <0.001 |
Inspirit Energy Holdings | David Lenigas (ch) | 24 Jun 14 | 1,500,000 | 1.5 | 22,500 | 5,000,000 | 0.856 |
Kingspan | John Cronin | 19 Jun 14 | 3,000 | 1,236 | 37,080 | 3,000 | 0.002 |
Novae | JP Hastings-Bass (ch) | 19 Jun 14 | 5,000 | 527.5 | 26,375 | 41,666 | 0.065 |
Ocean Wilsons Holdings | Andrey Berzins | 19 Jun 14 | 5,000 | 1,228 | 61,375 | 5,000 | 0.014 |
Premier Foods | Pam Powell | 19 Jun 14 | 74,369 | 53.5 | 39,787 | 160,366 | 0.019 |
QinetiQ | Dr I Mason | 20 Jun 14 | 10,000 | 210.33 | 21,033 | 10,000 | 0.002 |
Quindell | Robert Terry (ch) | 25 Jun 14 | 16,667 | 190 | 31,667 | 45,650,000 | 10.892 |
Quindell | Robert Fielding (ce) | 23 Jun 14 | 16,889 | 236.75 | 39,985 | 1,118,390 | 0.267 |
Royal Bank of Scotland † | Morten Friis | 24 Jun 14 | 20,000 | 326.62 | 65,323 | 20,000 | <0.001 |
SABMiller | JA Manzoni | 25 Jun 14 | 363 | 3,350 | 12,162 | 7,797 | <0.001 |
Sinclair IS Pharma | Stuart Swanson | 24 Jun 14 | 900,000 | 32 | 288,000 | 10,150,000 | 2.041 |
Sound Oil | James Parsons (ce) | 24 Jun 14 | 148,837 | 10.75 | 16,000 | 787,594 | 0.240 |
Telit Communications | Oozi Cats (ce) | 19 Jun 14 | 64,802 | 208 | 134,788 | 22,365,159 | 19.738 |
Tribal | Robin Crewe | 20 Jun 14 | 25,000 | 189.82 | 47,455 | 25,000 | 0.026 |
Union Jack Oil | David Bramhill (ch) | 24 Jun 14 | 3,500,000 | 0.36 | 12,600 | 52,164,580 | 3.103 |
UTV Media | Helen Kirkpatrick | 19 Jun 14 | 12,682 | 210 | 26,632 | 20,000 | 0.021 |
Vodafone | Nicholas Land | 25 Jun 14 | 10,000 | 190.445 | 19,045 | 42,090 | <0.001 |
Volex | G Anderson | 19 Jun 14 | 30,000 | 80.92 | 24,276 | 30,000 | 0.045 |
Volex | Karen Slatford (ch) | 19 Jun 14 | 25,000 | 80.96 | 20,240 | 55,000 | 0.083 |
Xaar | Alex Bevis (fd & cs) | 23 Jun 14 | 6,960 | 499.93 | 34,795 | 53,577 | 0.070 |
Xaar ♥ | Ian Dinwoodie (ce) | 23 Jun 14 | 20,000 | 500 | 100,000 | 77,449 | 0.101 |
Xaar | Ramon Borrell | 24 Jun 14 | 40,000 | 500.06 | 200,024 | 221,721 | 0.290 |
Zoopla Property | Mike Evans (ch) | 23 Jun 14 | 34,494 | 230.75 | 79,595 | 34,494 | 0.008 |
Sells | |||||||
Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
Good Energy ♥ | Garry Peagam | 19 Jun 14 | 30,000 | 230.83 | 69,249 | 40,000 | 0.273 |
Wynnstay | Paul Roberts (fd & cs) | 19 Jun 14 | 2,500 | 607 | 15,175 | 102,719 | 0.539 |
* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party † Depositary receipts |