Investing in bookmakers is a risk given the UK Government is due to release the outcome of its inquiry into fixed odds betting terminals this autumn. But this hasn't stopped a William Hill (WMH) non-executive director - John O’Reilly - from buying 92,000 shares at 275p for a total of £252,773.
Mr O’Reilly, previously managing director at Coral Interactive, joined William Hill towards the end of 2016 at a rather rocky time for the gambling company. Former chief executive Ralph Topping retired from the board in 2014 and was briefly replaced by James Henderson before concerns around the digital strategy saw him step down as well*. The group also failed in its attempt to merge with Pokerstars owner Amaya. Things are now looking more stable after Philip Bowcock was promoted to chief executive in March this year.
A spokesperson at William Hill said that during the annual general meeting board members were asked if they would buy shares in the company, and so it appears that Mr O’Reilly is delivering on his bullish sentiment at the time.
*This article was updated on 14/8/2017
| Buys | |||||||
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| AstraZeneca | Philip Broadley | 27 Jul 17 | 2,300 | 4282 | 98,486 | 2,300 | 0.000 |
| AstraZeneca | Nazneen Rahman | 27 Jul 17 | 461 | 4,335.48 | 19,987 | 461 | 0.000 |
| Blue Star Capital* | Anthony Fabrizi (ceo) | 27 Jul 17 | 5,242,041 | 2 | 104,841 | 25,000,000 | 1.468 |
| CityFibre Infrastructure Holdings* | Chris Stone (ch) | 28 Jul 17 | 181,818 | 55 | 100,000 | 181,818 | 0.029 |
| CityFibre Infrastructure Holdings* | Stephen Charlton | 28 Jul 17 | 200,000 | 55 | 110,000 | 431,781 | 0.068 |
| CityFibre Infrastructure Holdings*♥ | Sally Davis | 28 Jul 17 | 15,000 | 55 | 8,250 | 74,906 | 0.012 |
| CityFibre Infrastructure Holdings* | Sally Davis | 28 Jul 17 | 23,000 | 55 | 12,650 | 59,908 | 0.009 |
| Diageo | A Stewart | 28 Jul 17 | 4,076 | 2465 | 100,473 | 6,636 | 0.000 |
| Eagle Eye Solutions | Bill Currie | 28 Jul 17 | 58,500 | 270 | 157,950 | 3,013,322 | 11.856 |
| Eagle Eye Solutions | Terry Leahy | 28 Jul 17 | 58,500 | 270 | 157,950 | 2,270,970 | 8.935 |
| Equiniti | Guy Wakeley (ceo) | 28 Jul 17 | 3,795 | 262 | 9,943 | 1,341,289 | 0.447 |
| Equiniti | Philip Yea | 31 Jul 17 | 40,000 | 262.3 | 104,920 | 40,000 | 0.013 |
| European Wealth* | John Morton (ceo) | 27 Jul 17 | 322,464 | 12.8 | 41,275 | 2,754,820 | 2.770 |
| European Wealth* | Buzz West (ch) | 27 Jul 17 | 935,025 | 12.8 | 119,683 | 1,281,331 | 1.288 |
| European Wealth* | Simon Ray | 27 Jul 17 | 132,813 | 12.8 | 17,000 | 392,149 | 0.394 |
| Pendragon | Chris Chambers | 02 Aug 17 | 500,000 | 30.2 | 151,000 | 1,490,000 | 0.104 |
| Quartix | Jim Warwick | 31 Jul 17 | 20,833 | 360 | 74,999 | 73,333 | 0.154 |
| Quartix | Ed Ralph | 31 Jul 17 | 27,778 | 360 | 100,001 | 97,573 | 0.205 |
| Quartix | Paul Boughton (ch) | 31 Jul 17 | 13,889 | 360 | 50,000 | 53,889 | 0.113 |
| SDL | Adolfo Hernandez (ceo) | 02 Aug 17 | 20,000 | 496.375 | 99,275 | 120,000 | 0.146 |
| SDL | David Clayton (ch) | 02 Aug 17 | 20,000 | 503 | 100,600 | 133,950 | 0.163 |
| SDL | Glenn Collinson | 02 Aug 17 | 10,000 | 504.61 | 50,461 | 22,000 | 0.027 |
| St James's Place | Roger Yates | 31 Jul 17 | 10,000 | 1218 | 121,800 | 20,000 | 0.004 |
| TP* | Andrew McCree (ch) | 28 Jul 17 | 153,847 | 6.5 | 10,000 | 333,847 | 0.044 |
| TP* | Dreen Stroud (cfo) | 28 Jul 17 | 153,847 | 6.5 | 10,000 | 653,847 | 0.086 |
| TP* | Jeremy Warner-Allen | 28 Jul 17 | 135,714 | 6.5 | 8,821 | 1,854,945 | 0.245 |
| TP* | Jeremy Warner-Allen | 28 Jul 17 | 769,231 | 6.5 | 50,000 | 1,719,231 | 0.227 |
| TP* | Phil Cartmell (ceo) | 28 Jul 17 | 615,385 | 6.5 | 40,000 | 3,136,105 | 0.413 |
| TP* | Phil Holland | 28 Jul 17 | 307,693 | 6.5 | 20,000 | 407,693 | 0.054 |
| TP* | Simon Kings | 28 Jul 17 | 307,693 | 6.5 | 20,000 | 1,557,693 | 0.205 |
| UBM | Warren Finegold | 28 Jul 17 | 20,000 | 703.33 | 140,666 | 20,000 | 0.005 |
| William Hill | John O'Reilly | 02 Aug 17 | 92,000 | 274.7533 | 252,773 | 92,000 | 0.011 |
| Sells | |||||||
| Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
| AdEPT Telecom | Dusko Lukic | 02 Aug 17 | 47,500 | 327.5 | 155,563 | 0 | 0.000 |
| AdEPT Telecom | Ian Fishwick (ceo) | 02 Aug 17 | 500,000 | 327.5 | 1,637,500 | 695,977 | 2.936 |
| AdEPT Telecom | Roger Wilson (ch) | 02 Aug 17 | 350,000 | 327.5 | 1,146,250 | 438,300 | 1.849 |
| Cropper (James)♥ | Isabelle Maddock (fd) | 01 Aug 17 | 644 | 1,711 | 11,019 | 7,682 | 0.081 |
| Dignity | Andrew Davies | 02 Aug 17 | 5,000 | 2570 | 128,500 | 132,254 | 0.265 |
| Dignity | Andrew Davies | 02 Aug 17 | 7,500 | 2573 | 192,975 | 124,754 | 0.250 |
| Dignity | Andrew Davies | 02 Aug 17 | 12,500 | 2,567.70 | 320,963 | 112,254 | 0.225 |
| Howden Joinery | Matthew Ingle (ce) | 31 Jul 17 | 270,000 | 427.52 | 1,154,304 | 3,003,796 | 0.479 |
| Howden Joinery | Mark Robson (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 5,209 | 426.25 | 22,203 | 1,189,007 | 0.189 |
| Howden Joinery♥ | Mark Robson (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 70,000 | 425.46 | 297,822 | 200,000 | 0.032 |
| Howden Joinery♥ | Mark Robson (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 80,000 | 425.04 | 340,032 | 909,007 | 0.145 |
| Howden Joinery♥ | Mark Robson (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 100,000 | 425.91 | 425,910 | 989,007 | 0.158 |
| Howden Joinery♥ | Mark Robson (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 100,000 | 426.72 | 426,720 | 1,089,007 | 0.174 |
| Howden Joinery♥ | Mark Robson (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 180,000 | 425.11 | 765,198 | 270,000 | 0.043 |
| Howden Joinery♥ | Mark Robson (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 209,007 | 425.05 | 888,384 | 450,000 | 0.072 |
| Howden Joinery♥ | Mark Robson (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 250,000 | 425.13 | 1,062,825 | 659,007 | 0.105 |
| Ideagen | Barney Kent | 28 Jul 17 | 245,000 | 82.5 | 202,125 | 1,772,660 | 0.894 |
| Jarvis Securities | Nick Crabb | 31 Jul 17 | 5,000 | 510 | 25,500 | 5,000 | 0.046 |
| Quartix Holdings | David Bridge (fd) | 31 Jul 17 | 62,500 | 360 | 225,000 | 2,600,500 | 5.467 |
| Workspace | Graham Clemett (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 20,000 | 912.6455 | 182,529 | 213,204 | 0.131 |
| Workspace♥ | Graham Clemett (cfo) | 01 Aug 17 | 30,000 | 912.6455 | 273,794 | 183,204 | 0.112 |
| Workspace♥ | Jamie Hopkins (ceo) | 01 Aug 17 | 30,000 | 912.6455 | 273,794 | 195,183 | 0.120 |
| Workspace | Jamie Hopkins (ceo) | 01 Aug 17 | 30,000 | 912.6455 | 273,794 | 225,183 | 0.138 |
| Young & Co's Brewery | Torquil Sligo-Young | 01 Aug 17 | 2,000 | 1,311 | 26,220 | 303,016 | 1.020 |
| * placing/tender/open offer ♥ spouse/connected party | |||||||
