Martin swoops in on Wetherspoon

Earlier this month the pub group reported that like-for-like sales picked up again in the third quarter, following a slowdown at the end of the first half. There are also hopes that the European football matches will boost trade over the summer. However, margins remain under pressure and the company is slowing its roll out programme. While the directors’ purchases are welcome, it’s not enough to make us change our negative stance and the shares are a sell at 382p.

Algy Hall

Randgold directors pick up shares

Randgold Resources has been forced to endure a difficult second quarter following a break-out of civil unrest in Mali that threatened to disrupt production from the company’s Loulo-Gounkoto complex in the west of the country. The share price of the Africa-focused gold miner has fallen by about a third since the early part of March, and is currently just 8.7 per cent in advance of last June’s 12-month low. Randgold’s chief executive, Mark Bristow and chief financial officer, Graham Shuttleworth, obviously view the company’s faltering share price as a buying opportunity – or perhaps a chance to send out a positive signal to investors – and have picked up 13,480 and 2,938 shares respectively at $76.55 (£48.54) apiece. Latest reports indicate that Randgold’s production may not have been unduly affected by the troubles in Mali, but full-year production could still conceivably be undermined by lingering technical issues at its Tongon mine in Côte d'lvoire.

Directors at African Minerals fork out for extra shares

The share price of African Minerals also faltered in the past year due to unforeseen production hitches. Nevertheless, two non-executive directors of the company have also been in acquisitive mode; Bernard Pryor and Nina Shapiro collectively forked out £222,533 for additional shares in the Sierra Leone iron ore producer. Meanwhile, Timis Diamond Corp, of which, Frank Timis – the chairman of African Minerals – is a beneficiary, bought an additional 1.49m shares at 419.54p each. That brings Mr Timis’ beneficial holding to 42.3m shares and represents around 13 per cent of the issued share capital of the miner.

Mark Robinson

In the issue of 11 May we stated that two of Lamprell's senior management, Kevin Isles and Scott Doak, realised £128,567 through the sale of 63,400 shares in the company. This was incorrect and the two individuals actually sold a total of 450,000 shares realising an aggregate of £1.63m as we correctly highlighted in our directors dealings table in the same issue.

Mark Robinson

Director buys

Director sells

Table compiled by Robert Ansted.

Key to abbreviations: ch = chairman; ce = chief executive; cfo = chief financial officer; fd = finance director; coo = chief operating officer; cs =company secretary; md = managing director