Brazel betting on a bounce back

Irish entrepreneur Pat Brazel has sat on the board of Brady as a non-executive director for over five years, but hasn’t bought any shares since November 2008. With his original £100,000 stake now worth substantially more and an encouraging annual meeting in the bag, Mr Brazel has snapped up 50,000 shares at 72p. Oddly, he’s foregone the usual shareholder rights in favour of a tax-free spread bet – normally the playground of short term punters. On the same day, and in more traditional fashion, chairman Paul Fullagar parked another 150,000 shares at 75p in a trust. A costly reorganisation of Brady’s energy division is over and there’s clearly greater scope for cross-selling during the traditionally busy second quarter. Buy at 74p.

Lee Wild

Moon scoops up Arden shares

Stock broking is a tough business right now, and several UK names have fallen by the wayside or have been snapped up by larger institutions. However, Arden Partners has managed to adapt to the difficult climate, although underlying pre-tax profits were still down from £1.2m to £1m in the year to last October. But directors in the stock broker remain upbeat, and deputy executive chairman Jonathan Keeling recently bought 684,609 shares at 40p each, taking his total holding to 2.175m or 9.53 per cent of the issued share capital. And chief operating officer Steve Wassell acquired a further 190,000 at the same price, taking his stake to 563,743 shares or 2.47 per cent of the company. Meanwhile, non-executive chairman Peter Moon scooped up 62,500 shares, taking his holding to 112,500 shares. Chief executive James Reed-Daunter also acquired 1.546m through a Deed of Gift, at nil consideration, and now holds 2.728m or 12.01 per cent of the company. And on 1 May, the company bought in 685,709 shares at 40 per cent to be held in treasury.

Jonas Crosland

Daly and O’Reilly shed shares in Bats

The day after British American Tobacco released a first-quarter trading update reporting sales growth of 5 per cent, group scientific director Dr David O’Reilly, who has been with Bat for more than 20 years, sold 3,322 shares at 3,583p each, totalling £119,043. Shortly thereafter, long-standing Bat employee and chief operating officer John Daly decided to part with 45,000 shares on 1 May – nearly one third of his entire holding. He sold them at 3,600p apiece, giving him a windfall of £1.62m.

Since May 2000, the share price of British American Tobacco has risen nine-fold and more than doubled in the past four years alone. Year-to-date, it has risen 13 per cent, outperforming the UK market by 5 per cent. With such strong, steady growth, a nice dividend yield on top, but declining numbers of smokers worldwide, it’s perhaps no wonder Mr O’Reilly and Mr Daly decided it would be a good time to realise some of their long-term holdings.

Julia Bradshaw

Buys

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