You’d be forgiven for thinking that shares in Greencore (GNC) have mimicked the pattern of British summer weather: things look reasonably steady in July, before being dampened down in August. The global grocery producer stated on 24 August that it was “not aware of any developments” since its third quarter trading update in July that could explain the weaker share price, although it said one site in Florida would now focus on fresh food and would no longer produce frozen products. And, in the past fortnight, management has collectively increased its shareholdings – perhaps in a bid to inspire greater confidence among investors.
Chief executive Patrick Coveney bought 50,000 shares at 188p each, worth a total of £94,200. He now holds 3.5m shares, or a 0.49 per cent stake in the company. Meanwhile, chairman Gary Kennedy spent £19,610 on 10,000 shares at 196p each. Chief financial officer Eoin Tonge’s spouse bought 25,132 shares worth £49,259. Add to these purchases those of four other directors, or their spouses, and the investments totalled £328,382.
| Buys | |||||||
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| Allied Irish Banks♥ | Helen Normoyle | 29 Aug 17 | 2,000 | 501.3 | 10,026 | 2,000 | 0.000 |
| Aura Energy♥ | Peter Reeve (ch) | 30 Aug 17 | 15,000 | 1.47773 | 222 | 12,852,365 | 1.619 |
| Aura Energy♥ | Peter Reeve (ch) | 30 Aug 17 | 50,000 | 1.41616 | 708 | 12,617,365 | 1.590 |
| Aura Energy♥ | Peter Reeve (ch) | 30 Aug 17 | 220,000 | 1.41616 | 3,116 | 12,837,365 | 1.617 |
| BCA Marketplace♥ | Avril Palmer-Baunack (ch) | 24 Aug 17 | 180 | 186 | 335 | 725,572 | 0.093 |
| BCA Marketplace♥ | Avril Palmer-Baunack (ch) | 24 Aug 17 | 263 | 184.38 | 485 | 725,001 | 0.093 |
| BCA Marketplace♥ | Avril Palmer-Baunack (ch) | 24 Aug 17 | 391 | 184.51 | 721 | 725,392 | 0.093 |
| BCA Marketplace♥ | Avril Palmer-Baunack (ch) | 24 Aug 17 | 533 | 184.38 | 983 | 724,205 | 0.093 |
| BCA Marketplace♥ | Avril Palmer-Baunack (ch) | 24 Aug 17 | 533 | 184.38 | 983 | 724,738 | 0.093 |
| BCA Marketplace | Timothy Lampert (cfo) | 25 Aug 17 | 4,071 | 181.1 | 7,373 | 23,303 | 0.003 |
| BCA Marketplace | Timothy Lampert (cfo) | 29 Aug 17 | 3,929 | 179.31 | 7,045 | 27,232 | 0.003 |
| Communisis | David Gilbertson (ch) | 29 Aug 17 | 93,000 | 53.7362 | 49,975 | 93,000 | 0.044 |
| Dixons Carphone | Andrea Joosen | 25 Aug 17 | 2,600 | 178 | 4,628 | 11,676 | 0.001 |
| Dixons Carphone | Humphrey Singer (cfo) | 25 Aug 17 | 25,000 | 178 | 44,500 | 444,748 | 0.039 |
| Dixons Carphone | Ian Livingston (ch) | 25 Aug 17 | 54,655 | 182 | 99,472 | 105,631 | 0.009 |
| Dixons Carphone | Gerry Murphy | 30 Aug 17 | 30,000 | 176 | 52,800 | 50,000 | 0.004 |
| Dixons Carphone | Fiona McBain | 25 Aug 17 | 19,129 | 182 | 34,815 | 19,129 | 0.002 |
| Dixons Carphone | Sebastian James (ceo) | 25 Aug 17 | 25,000 | 178 | 44,500 | 631,835 | 0.055 |
| Dixons Carphone♥ | Tony DeNunzio | 25 Aug 17 | 50,000 | 178 | 89,000 | 100,000 | 0.009 |
| Ediston Property Investment Company | Colin Skinner | 29 Aug 17 | 30,000 | 113.75 | 34,125 | 30,000 | 0.023 |
| F&C Private Equity Trust | Swantje Conrad | 30 Aug 17 | 8,323 | 324.465 | 27,005 | 8,323 | 0.011 |
| FirstGroup | Tim O'Toole (ceo) | 25 Aug 17 | 7,126 | 116.8 | 8,323 | 1,157,556 | 0.096 |
| Greencore | Kevin O'Malley | 29 Aug 17 | 19,500 | 197.6 | 38,532 | 19,500 | 0.003 |
| Greencore♥ | Eoin Tonge (cfo) | 25 Aug 17 | 25,132 | 196 | 49,259 | 396,818 | 0.056 |
| Greencore♥ | John Warren | 25 Aug 17 | 17,693 | 187.6 | 33,192 | 89,289 | 0.013 |
| Greencore | Patrick Coveney (ceo) | 25 Aug 17 | 50,000 | 188.4 | 94,200 | 3,478,366 | 0.493 |
| Greencore | Gary Kennedy (ch) | 24 Aug 17 | 10,000 | 196.1 | 19,610 | 158,441 | 0.022 |
| Greencore | Sly Bailey | 25 Aug 17 | 13,269 | 187.8 | 24,919 | 84,865 | 0.012 |
| Greencore | Thomas Sampson | 25 Aug 17 | 35,000 | 196.2 | 68,670 | 35,000 | 0.005 |
| Griffin Mining | Dal Brynelsen | 30 Aug 17 | 25,000 | 62 | 15,500 | 422,001 | 0.248 |
| Menzies (John) | Philipp Joeinig | 25 Aug 17 | 20,000 | 700 | 140,000 | 20,000 | 0.024 |
| Primary Health Properties♥ | Harry Hyman | 25 Aug 17 | 378 | 113.25 | 428 | 2,876,085 | 0.480 |
| Princess Private Equity Holding | Richard Battey | 24 Aug 17 | 5,000 | 1000 | 50,000 | 40,000 | 0.058 |
| Riverstone Energy♥ | Kenneth Ryan | 24 Aug 17 | 10,000 | 1,296.71 | 129,671 | 5,084,783 | 6.019 |
| Riverstone Energy♥ | David Leuschen | 24 Aug 17 | 10,000 | 1,296.71 | 129,671 | 5,084,783 | 6.019 |
| Riverstone Energy♥ | Pierre Lapeyre Jr | 24 Aug 17 | 10,000 | 1,296.71 | 129,671 | 5,084,783 | 6.019 |
| Scientific Digital Imaging | David Tilston | 24 Aug 17 | 25,000 | 26.45 | 6,613 | 25,000 | 0.028 |
| Shanta Gold | Robin Fryer | 30 Aug 17 | 120,000 | 3.75 | 4,500 | 930,000 | 0.121 |
| Standard Life Private Equity Trust | Alan Devine | 25 Aug 17 | 102 | 317.86 | 324 | 5,613 | 0.004 |
| Tarsus | David Gilbertson | 29 Aug 17 | 16,000 | 310 | 49,600 | 26,000 | 0.023 |
| Trinity Exploration & Production | James Menzies | 24 Aug 17 | 250,000 | 11 | 27,500 | 500,000 | 0.177 |
| WPP | Jacques Aigrain | 25 Aug 17 | 4,000 | 1,438.94 | 57,558 | 13,000 | 0.001 |
| Zenith Energy | Andrea Cattaneo (ceo) | 30 Aug 17 | 100,000 | 7.67 | 7,670 | 2,647,485 | 2.127 |
| Sells | |||||||
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| SThree | Steve Quinn | 25 Aug 17 | 19,949 | 312.6 | 62,361 | 339,884 | 0.259 |
| * placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party | |||||||
