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Lookers non-exec building stake

Tony Bramall is taking advantage of the low share price to beef up his stake in the auto retailer
September 11, 2019

The challenges in the UK auto retail market are well established by this point, with falling sales of both new and used cars, combined with fears over a no-deal Brexit and faltering consumer confidence. The whole sector has been in an unenviable position, but none more so than Lookers (LOOK), which has seen its share price more than halve since early February, helped on the way down by the announcement of a Financial Conduct Authority investigation into historical sales processes, and a profit warning, which preceded a 27.5 per cent drop in adjusted pre-tax profits in the first half of the year.

IC TIP: Sell at 49p

But a number of the group’s directors are capitalising on the current turmoil to top up their holdings – or at least to signal confidence to the wider market. Finance director Mark Raban and non-executive director Stuart Counsell bought 50,000 and 216,213 shares respectively in mid-August, but their purchases pale in comparison with non-executive director Tony Bramall. Mr Bramall bought more than 4.1m shares in July, 2.7m shares between 14 and 16 August, more than 1.7m between the 20th and 21st, 50,000 on the 23rd and more than 1.3m from 27-29 August, all through Guernsey Investments, a company he controls.

Buys       
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Amigo HoldingsHamish Paton (ceo)30 Aug 196,282794,9636,2820.001
Amigo HoldingsHamish Paton (ceo)30 Aug 1943,71879.7234,85250,0000.011
Amryt Pharma*Raymond Stafford30 Aug 19918,27390826,4461,301,0012.582
Amur MineralsThomas Bowens02 Sep 197,527,6042.165162,9737,527,6041.022
Anglo PacificRobert Stan04 Sep 19250190.5476235,7650.130
Anglo PacificPatrick Meier (ch)02 Sep 1910,200190.9919,481242,1270.133
Anglo PacificJulian Treger (ceo)02 Sep 1940,000191.576,6005,691,4543.136
Anglo PacificRobert Stan04 Sep 1915,25019229,280251,0150.138
Anglo PacificWilliam Blyth02 Sep 1912,10019223,232151,3500.083
Anglo PacificRobert Stan03 Sep 199,50019318,335235,5150.130
Asiamet Resources*Bruce Sheng30 Aug 193,371,6863.5118,00973,904,7207.969
AudioboomMichael Tobin (ch)29 Aug 197,14320914,929168,3361.202
BermeleAnthony Reeves02 Sep 191,750,0001.2521,8751,800,0000.900
BermeleAnthony Reeves02 Sep 1950,0001.575050,0000.025
BrickabilityDavid Simpson29 Aug 19151,5006699,990151,5000.066
ChesnaraMark Hesketh29 Aug 195,000302.215,1105,0000.003
Feedback*Lindsay Melvin (cfo)30 Aug 19416,6671.25,0001,016,6670.188
Feedback*Rory Shaw30 Aug 194,166,6671.250,0004,166,6670.772
InchcapeGijsbert de Zoeten03 Sep 1917,500578.8476101,29817,5000.004
International Personal FinanceGerard Ryan (ceo)04 Sep 19150,00098.1147,1501,176,5760.526
International Personal FinanceGerard Ryan (ceo)04 Sep 19100,00099.899,8001,276,5760.571
Legal & GeneralGeorge Lewis02 Sep 19471221.51,04324,4090.000
Legal & GeneralHenrietta Baldock02 Sep 19836221.51,8527,5610.000
Legal & GeneralJohn Kingman (ch)02 Sep 191,934221.54,284321,5570.005
Legal & GeneralToby Strauss02 Sep 191,242221.52,75132,3970.001
LookersTony Bramall29 Aug 19550,00050.1348275,74173,533,05118.892
Macau Property Opportunities FundThomas Ashworth02 Sep 19121,352123.5149,87011,463,31218.538
MarloweAlexander Dacre (ceo)03 Sep 195,10038719,7373,521,3348.633
Oxford BioDynamicsChristian Millar (ceo)30 Aug 194,000853,40012,348,30313.341
Oxford BioDynamicsChristian Millar (ceo)30 Aug 194,00085.1353,40512,344,30313.337
Oxford BioDynamicsChristian Millar (ceo)30 Aug 192,00085.1351,70312,350,30313.343
Oxford BioDynamicsChristian Millar (ceo)30 Aug 194,00086.583,46312,354,30313.347
Oxford BioDynamicsStephen Diggle02 Sep 1910,000909,00011,751,45512.696
Oxford BioDynamicsPaul Stockdale (cfo)30 Aug 192,18691.251,99510,0000.011
Oxford BioDynamicsStephen Diggle30 Aug 196,730926,19211,741,45512.685
Photo-Me InternationalJohn Lewis (ch)30 Aug 1925,00010125,25025,0000.007
RM2 International SACharles Duro04 Sep 192,500,0000.0250,0002,660,2421.898
Rolls-Royce HoldingsLewis Booth29 Aug 195,00075737,85065,0000.003
Rolls-Royce HoldingsLewis Booth29 Aug 191,93075814,62970,0000.004
Rolls-Royce HoldingsLewis Booth29 Aug 193,07076023,33268,0700.004
Rolls-Royce HoldingsIrene Dorner03 Sep 192,000769.815,39612,3700.001
Scotgold Resources*Peter Hetherington03 Sep 19857,14335300,0004,088,9618.354
Scotgold Resources*Ian Proctor03 Sep 19428,57135150,0001,155,8442.361
Scotgold Resources*William Styslinger03 Sep 19928,57135325,0005,646,40011.535
Titon HoldingsBernd Ratzke30 Aug 1914,92413419,99814,9240.135
Tlou EnergyColm Cloonan (fd)29 Aug 19100,0004.544,5401,181,1120.262
Tlou EnergyAnthony Gilby (ceo)02 Sep 19287,7910.08825,32621,989,5804.885
Total ProduceSeamus Taaffe30 Aug 1950,0001.2864,000100,0000.026
Total ProduceMichael Meghen29 Aug 1915,1901.30819,86915,1900.004
Ultra ElectronicsWilliam Rice (ch)29 Aug 192,6872151.6557,8155,0000.007
Vela Technologies*Antony Laiker (ceo)02 Sep 1925,000,0000.12,500,00060,190,0004.070
VPC Specialty LendingRichard Levy04 Sep 1965,4337750,3833,993,0091.237
Wood Group (John)Jeremy Wilson29 Aug 1910,00035935,90020,0000.003
Wood Group (John)Robin Watson (ceo)29 Aug 1910,00036236,200318,4820.047
Sells       
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
AB DynamicsAnthony Best (ch)04 Sep 19100,00027502,750,0005,947,10726.765
AB Dynamics♥Anthony Best (ch)04 Sep 1930,0002750825,0005,917,10726.630
Anglo PacificWilliam Blyth02 Sep 197,50019114,325143,8500.079
Frontier Smart TechnologiesAnthony Sethill (ceo)30 Aug 19150,0002537,50000.000
IQGeoOliver Scott30 Aug 197,323,246463,368,69311,671,61715.969
IQGeoRobert Sansom30 Aug 192,404,185461,105,9253,831,7145.243
        

* placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party