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RPC directors capitalise on discounted rights issue

Directors of the rigid plastic packaging manufacturer were more than happy to help finance the next phase of RPC's growth phase at a discount
January 28, 2016

Shareholders generally don't like how rights issues force them to either stump up cash or see their existing holding diluted. But in the case of high-flying RPC (RPC), which offered an attractive 460p issue price to help fund its major purchase of bottle-top and screw-cap maker Global Closure Systems, buying more shares on the cheap shouldn't be frowned at.

IC TIP: Buy at 745p

Directors of the rigid plastic packaging manufacturer certainly seemed willing to back the next phase of the group's growth strategy. Five members of the board bought a combined 48,155 shares, with chief executive Pim Vervaat responsible for nearly half of these purchases.

Given RPC's track record for delivering on investments, together with the high-margin, quality and complementary nature of the business being acquired, it's little surprise that take-up was high. The group's investments in products and expansion should enable it continue taking full advantage of a flourishing packaging market. Management's decision to put its own money into the funding shows that confidence for success is high.

 

Buys
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
3i Infrastructure ♥Richard Laing (ch)18 Jan 1620,000170.8934,17820,0000.003
AB Dynamics Tim Rogers18 Jan 163,4002879,758271,6011.567
Aberdeen Asset Management Richard Mully15 Jan 1610,000223.922,39070,0000.005
Aberdeen Asset Management Simon Troughton15 Jan 1610,000224.222,42070,0000.005
Adamas Finance Asia Conor MacNamara15 Jan 16195,00063.5123,825195,0000.102
Aquatic Foods  Jonathan Quirk14 Jan 1625,00022.55,62575,0000.066
Berkeley Group Holdings (The) Diana Brightmore-Armour19 Jan 161,0003,46434,6401,0000.001
Big Yellow ♥Richard Cotton14 Jan 165,00075137,55073,4850.047
Braveheart Investment ♥ ★ Trevor Brown (ce)15 Jan 16265,7017.519,9287,805,93428.852
Caledonia Mining CorpDavid Henderson18 Jan 1617,20053.339,17217,2000.033
Caledonia Mining CorpJames Johnstone20 Jan 1612,00052.026,24328,0000.054
Cropper (James) MAJ Cropper (ch)20 Jan 161,850642.511,8861,229,59313.328
Cropper (James) ♥MAJ Cropper (ch)20 Jan 162,000642.512,8501,227,74313.308
Curtis Banks  Jules Hydleman15 Jan 1612,50032040,00051,9730.097
De La Rue Dr. Sabri Challah14 Jan 163,400439.7514,9523,4000.003
Debenhams Matthew Smith (cfo)14 Jan 1625,00077.2919,32153,0000.004
Debenhams Sir Ian Cheshire14 Jan 16400,00078.3313,200400,0000.033
Dillistone  Dr. Mike Love (ch)20 Jan 1660,00069.541,700989,7545.032
Evgen Pharma John Bradshaw (fd)18 Jan 1640,00022.258,90040,0000.055
Evgen Pharma Barry Clare (ch)18 Jan 1640,00022.258,900940,1081.285
Evgen Pharma Dr. Stephen Franklin (ce)18 Jan 1656,00022.2512,4601,375,2001.880
Fidelity China Special Situations ΩThe Hon P Pleydell-Bouverie 20 Jan 1612,700119.815,21571,9240.013
Finsbury Growth & Income Trust David Hunt19 Jan 163,000555.3816,66135,0000.027
Finsbury Growth & Income ΩNeil Collins18 Jan 162,000544.6810,89450,8420.040
Gulfsands Petroleum *Andrew Morris14 Jan 16240,80049,632320,8000.068
Gulfsands Petroleum *Joe Darby14 Jan 1675,25043,010100,2500.021
Gulfsands Petroleum *James Ede-Golightly14 Jan 1660,20042,40880,2000.017
Gulfsands Petroleum *Andrew West14 Jan 16421,833416,873561,9770.120
Henderson High Income Trust Margaret Littlejohns18 Jan 166,000167.8610,07220,0000.018
Lowland Investment Co Peter Troughton (ch)18 Jan 161,0001,16011,60020,6600.076
M&C Saatchi Lord Dobbs14 Jan 164,85031015,0354,8500.007
Menhaden Capital Sir Ian Cheshire (ch)14 Jan 1620,00066.313,26045,0000.056
North Atlantic Smaller CompaniesChristopher Mills (ce)18 Jan 1645,0002,2751,023,7503,619,00025.059
Private & Commercial Finance Ω David Bull (fd)14 Jan 16165,0382337,959165,0380.107
Rosslyn Data Technologies Hugh Cox15 Jan 1630,00013.54,0509,695,09012.796
Rotala Dr. John Gunn (ch)20 Jan 16113,0007685,8809,169,34824.158
Rotala Simon Dunn (ce)20 Jan 165,01375.553,7871,413,1703.723
Rotala Simon Dunn (ce)18 Jan 163,331762,5321,408,1573.693
RPC * Simon Kesterton (fd)20 Jan 168004603,6804,8000.002
RPC * James Pike (ch)20 Jan 1622,858460105,147311,5240.103
RPC * Martin Towers20 Jan 164,33346019,93225,9990.009
RPC * Dr. Petrus Vervaat (ce)20 Jan 1620,00046092,000240,0000.079
Scottish Investment Trust (The) MIck Brewis19 Jan 1610,00056656,60010,0000.010
Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Dr. Paola Subacchi15 Jan 166,077249.515,16214,8050.001
Ted Baker ΩLindsay Page (fd)18 Jan 161902,6375,01081,2290.185
ULS Technology Geoff Wicks15 Jan 1622,000459,90052,0000.080
ULS Technology Peter Opperman (ch)15 Jan 1645,0004520,2502,704,6254.178
Verona Pharma Dr. David Ebsworth (ch)20 Jan 16400,0002.510,0004,599,7740.455
Witan Pacific Investment Trust Andrew Robson14 Jan 164,000222.758,91012,0000.018

Sells
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Boot (Henry) John Sutcliffe (ce)14 Jan 165,000215.2510,763505,4450.383
Braveheart Investment ★Andrew Burton15 Jan 16265,7017.519,928659,4602.437
Cropper (James) Patrick Willink (ch)20 Jan 162,000642.512,85050,2100.544
First Derivatives David Anderson19 Jan 165,0001,54177,050120,0000.502
Inspired Energy Bob Holt (ch)15 Jan 165,000,00013.25662,5002,500,0000.528
Inspired Energy Janet Thornton15 Jan 1611,600,01713.251,537,00252,764,98311.147
Inspired Energy Matthew Thornton15 Jan 1611,600,01813.251,537,00252,764,98311.147
LivaNova Daniel Moore (ch)15 Jan 161,0005,26452,64067,4370.138
PJSC Lukoil †Ivan Pictet14 Jan 1665,0002,837.831,844,5878,0000.001
PJSC Lukoil † ♥Ivan Pictet14 Jan 168,0002,848227,84000.000
ULS Technology Nigel Hoath15 Jan 1610,000,000454,500,0007,628,41411.785
*Placing/tender/open offer ♥Spouse/connected party ΩIsa/Sipp/Trust †Depositary receipts ★Inter-company deal