Micro Focus’s (MCRO) executive chairman, Kevin Loosemore, has offloaded half his stake in the software group in two tranches, on 10 and 11 July, netting £11.6m. News of the disposal – made for personal financial reasons – triggered a 6 per cent markdown in the shares, which had already declined since the previous week’s half-year results.
“Until now, all of my assets have been held in Micro Focus shares,” Mr Loosemore said. “Having recently turned 60, it is time for me to diversify a little, although around half my personal wealth remains in the stock”.
Within the interims, Micro Focus maintained its full-year constant-currency revenue guidance of minus 4-6 per cent – though noting that the “complexities” of integrating HPE’s (Hewlett Packard Enterprise’s) software wing “continue to require detailed attention and substantial programme planning and execution”.
| Buys | |||||||
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| Augmentum Fintech | David Haysey | 4 Jul 19 | 15,178 | 112 | 16,999 | 85,983 | 0.073 |
| Augmentum Fintech | Karen Brade | 4 Jul 19 | 13,392 | 112 | 14,999 | 32,234 | 0.028 |
| Augmentum Fintech | Neil England (ch) | 4 Jul 19 | 25,000 | 112 | 28,000 | 45,000 | 0.038 |
| Babcock International | Ruth Cairnie | 8 Jul 19 | 5,000 | 443 | 22,150 | 16,017 | 0.003 |
| Babcock International ♥ | Ruth Cairnie | 8 Jul 19 | 5,000 | 445 | 22,250 | 21,017 | 0.004 |
| Blue Star Capital * | Tony Fabrizi (ceo) | 4 Jul 19 | 12,000,000 | 0.1 | 12,000 | 42,000,000 | 1.873 |
| Blue Star Capital * | Sean King | 4 Jul 19 | 12,000,000 | 0.1 | 12,000 | 18,250,000 | 0.814 |
| BP Marsh & Partners ** | Nicholas Carter | 4 Jul 19 | 9,776 | 303 | 29,621 | 9,776 | 0.026 |
| Braemar Shipping Services | Steve Kunzer | 5 Jul 19 | 10,000 | 179.75 | 17,975 | 10,000 | 0.032 |
| Diageo | Javier Ferran (ch) | 10 Jul 19 | 243 | 3,409.79 | 8,286 | 217,163 | 0.009 |
| Eckoh ** | Christopher Humphrey (ch) | 4 Jul 19 | 100,000 | 47.375 | 47,375 | 500,000 | 0.196 |
| Energean Oil & Gas * | Andrew Bartlett | 4 Jul 19 | 2,222 | 900 | 19,998 | 4,348 | 0.002 |
| Energean Oil & Gas * | Karen Simon | 4 Jul 19 | 55,555 | 900 | 499,995 | 145,504 | 0.082 |
| Energean Oil & Gas * ♥ | Mathios Rigas (ceo) | 4 Jul 19 | 111,111 | 900 | 999,999 | 19,631,415 | 11.106 |
| Energean Oil & Gas * | Simon Heale (ch) | 4 Jul 19 | 33,333 | 900 | 299,997 | 85,811 | 0.049 |
| EnQuest ♥ | Amjad Bseisu (ceo) | 5 Jul 19 | 519,793 | 19.2 | 99,800 | 164,695,510 | 9.715 |
| EnQuest ♥ | Amjad Bseisu (ceo) | 10 Jul 19 | 1,037,334 | 19.3 | 200,205 | 165,732,844 | 9.776 |
| e-Therapeutics * | Trevor Jones | 9 Jul 19 | 258,216 | 2.13 | 5,500 | 738,949 | 0.275 |
| Inland Homes | Stephen Wicks (ceo) | 5 Jul 19 | 150,000 | 66 | 99,000 | 17,177,256 | 8.284 |
| Inland Homes ** ♥ | Stephen Wicks (ceo) | 5 Jul 19 | 60,000 | 66 | 39,600 | 17,237,256 | 8.312 |
| Inland Homes ** | Nishith Malde (fd) | 5 Jul 19 | 150,000 | 66 | 99,000 | 10,891,529 | 5.252 |
| K3 Business Technology | Robert Price (cfo) | 9 Jul 19 | 4,728 | 211 | 9,976 | 54,728 | 0.127 |
| Menzies (John) | David Garman | 5 Jul 19 | 13,700 | 365 | 50,005 | 27,271 | 0.032 |
| Menzies (John) ♥ | David Garman | 5 Jul 19 | 13,600 | 365 | 49,640 | 40,871 | 0.049 |
| Menzies (John) ♥ | Christian Kappelhoff-Wulff | 5 Jul 19 | 60,000 | 379 | 227,400 | 60,000 | 0.071 |
| Menzies (John) | Giles Wilson (ceo) | 5 Jul 19 | 2,505 | 396.97 | 9,944 | 74,248 | 0.088 |
| Menzies (John) ♥ | Giles Wilson (ceo) | 5 Jul 19 | 4,886 | 406.7 | 19,871 | 79,134 | 0.094 |
| Midwich | Stephen Fenby | 4 Jul 19 | 30,000 | 533.66 | 160,098 | 19,070,000 | 23.845 |
| Real Estate Credit Investments Ltd | Bob Cowdell (ch) | 5 Jul 19 | 26,000 | 168.99 | 43,937 | 71,000 | 0.046 |
| Renew Holdings | Shatish Dasani | 5 Jul 19 | 5,000 | 414 | 20,700 | 5,000 | 0.007 |
| Robert Walters | Steven Cooper | 10 Jul 19 | 500 | 545 | 2,725 | 5,500 | 0.007 |
| Sigma Capital | Jim McMahon | 9 Jul 19 | 5,000 | 111.5 | 5,575 | 100,000 | 0.112 |
| Unicorn AIM VCT | Jocelin Harris | 5 Jul 19 | 14,059 | 138 | 19,401 | 39,309 | 0.030 |
| Wilmington | Martin Morgan (ch) | 8 Jul 19 | 25,000 | 200 | 50,000 | 50,000 | 0.057 |
| Wilmington ♥ | Richard Amos (cfo) | 8 Jul 19 | 24,250 | 202 | 48,985 | 24,250 | 0.028 |
| XPS Pensions | Ben Bramhall (co-ceo) | 8 Jul 19 | 27,198 | 110 | 29,918 | 1,536,578 | 0.754 |
| Sells | |||||||
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| First Derivatives *** | Brian Conlon (ceo) | 9 Jul 19 | 1,400,000 | 3,060 | 42,840,000 | 6,453,953 | 24.332 |
| First Derivatives | Virginia Gambale | 9 Jul 19 | 7,163 | 3,060 | 219,188 | 3,543 | 0.013 |
| Micro Focus | Kevin Loosemore (ch) | 10 Jul 19 | 214,658 | 1,861 | 3,994,785 | 1,075,342 | 0.310 |
| Micro Focus | Kevin Loosemore (ch) | 11 Jul 19 | 435,342 | 1,736 | 7,557,537 | 640,000 | 0.186 |
| Schroders | Michael Dobson (ch) | 4 Jul 19 | 12,083 | 3,152.99 | 380,976 | 255,153 | 0.113 |
| * placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party | |||||||
| ** purchased via ISA/ stock transfer | |||||||
| *** secondary placing conducted via an accelerated bookbuild. Mr Conlon has agreed with brokers Goodbody and Investec not to sell his remaining shares for a period of six months (subject to certain customary exceptions) | |||||||
