Join our community of smart investors

Merlin director buys on the dip

A non-executive director at Merlin Entertainment has bought shares as the company fights unfavourable weather and terror-related fears
March 15, 2018

In October last year Merlin Entertainment (MERL) warned that poor summer weather and fears around terrorism made for a disappointing summer season. Fast forward to the annual results at the beginning of March and a record number of visitors during 2017 helped make up for this. Legoland continued to be the star attraction, with sales up by nearly a fifth to £609m, while a new location in Japan opened on time and on budget. Another is now slated to open in New York. Midway attractions in London had a tougher time, so some of the cash that was previously budgeted for this division will be diverted to open new accommodation.

IC TIP: Hold at 366p

Management is optimistic about the current financial year, with plans to open nine attractions and 644 rooms during 2018. The recent share purchase by non-executive director Charles Gurassa supports this sentiment. He bought around £250,000-worth of shares, or 69,504 at 359.69p each.

Buys
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Admiral  Annette Court (ch)01 Mar 181,740188932,8695,2150.002
Barratt Developments John Allan (ch)05 Mar 189,000537.58648,38351,7050.005
BlackRock World Mining Trust Ian Cockerill (ch)02 Mar 1820,000389.2577,85060,7890.034
Bodycote Anne Quinn (ch)06 Mar 189,00093283,8809,0000.005
Bovis Homes  Greg Fitzgerald (ceo)05 Mar 188,2531,144.7394,475450,7330.335
Brewin Dolphin  Simon Miller (ch)01 Mar 185,000344.117,20580,0000.028
Burberry  Orna NiChionna07 Mar 183,0671,621.5649,7333,0670.001
Burberry  Ron Frasch07 Mar 188851,635.5014,4748850.000
Centrica Iain Conn (ceo)01 Mar 18100,000143.52143,520731,7460.013
Coats♥Echo Lu06 Mar 1815,0008412,60015,0000.001
Derwent London Helen Gordon01 Mar 188582,897.6424,8628580.001
Ecofin Global Utilities and Infrastructure Trust David Simpson (ch)07 Mar 1821,73911625,21787,1340.095
Fisher (James) & Sons♥Justin Atkinson01 Mar 183,1501,57049,4553,1500.006
Gama Aviation*Marwan Khalek (ceo)02 Mar 18255,105245625,00714,179,60722.291
Harworth  Andrew Kirkman (fd)06 Mar 1860,000110.81466,488200,0000.062
Harworth  Alastair Lyons (ch)07 Mar 1890,000110.599,45090,0000.028
ITV Salman Amin02 Mar 186,835155.110,6016,8350.000
ITV Margaret Ewing01 Mar 1816,000155.724,91222,7000.001
ITV Carolyn McCall (ceo)02 Mar 1896,583154.2148,93196,5830.002
ITV Peter Bazalgette (ch)02 Mar 1864,402154.599,501313,4970.008
Man GroupAndrew Horton02 Mar 1850,00016180,500100,0000.006
Man GroupLord Livingston (ch)01 Mar 1829,651167.418349,64162,7890.004
Meggitt Colin Day02 Mar 1820,000448.7489,74872,4540.009
Merlin Entertainments Charles Gurassa02 Mar 1869,504359.69249,999101,2500.010
Mi-Pay*Allen Atwell06 Mar 18201,04812.525,131336,9200.737
Mi-Pay*Michael Dickerson (ceo)06 Mar 182,000,00012.5250,0002,570,5535.621
Miton Global Opportunities Ekaterina Thomson07 Mar 186,000283.60517,0166,0000.023
Murray Income Trust Peter Tait06 Mar 183,000742.392622,2723,0000.004
Oxford Instruments Ian Barkshire (ceo)01 Mar 186,00075345,18011,9820.021
Oxford Instruments Alan Thomson (ch)01 Mar 185,00076138,0505,0000.009
Oxford Instruments Gavin Hill01 Mar 181,50073210,9805,5000.010
Oxford Instruments Gavin Hill01 Mar 184,00073829,5204,0000.007
Pantheon International♥John Burgess02 Mar 1839,9821,860743,66539,9820.074
Pantheon International John Singer02 Mar 1839,9821,860743,66539,9820.074
Persimmon Marion Sears01 Mar 188502,581.8921,94612,8500.004
Persimmon Marion Sears01 Mar 181,0002,581.8925,85811,0000.004
Persimmon Marion Sears01 Mar 181,0002,58925,89012,0000.004
Polar Capital Global Healthcare Trust Neil Ransome07 Mar 1810,073192.219,36010,0730.008
SDL Adolfo Hernandez (ceo)07 Mar 1820,00038677,200140,0000.170
Spire Healthcare  Justin Ash (ceo)06 Mar 1846,500215.2100,068220,1000.055
St Modwen Properties Mark Allan (ceo)05 Mar 1840,000373.4149,360225,4270.101
Standard Life Aberdeen Richard Mully05 Mar 1820,000364.572,90072,9900.002
VPC Specialty Lending Investments♥Richard Levy07 Mar 1869,93079.855,8042,734,8260.742
Velocity Composites Mark Mills (ch)06 Mar 18100,0006868,0002,034,0245.682
Wilmington Pedro Ros (ceo)02 Mar 1814,444249.2335,999135,0000.155
Sells
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
BP Marsh & Partners♥Brian Marsh (ch)01 Mar 1839,000271105,69017,729,58160.735
FastForward Innovations Lorne Abony (ceo)07 Mar 1812,248,43617.62,155,72512,248,4349.369
GB  Nick Brown02 Mar 183,884420.3216,325877,5850.575
GB  Nick Brown02 Mar 1821,116418.588,370881,4690.577
GB  Nick Brown02 Mar 18100,000418.5418,500902,5850.591
GB♥Nick Brown05 Mar 1813,560407.555,257864,0250.566
Harworth  Jonson Cox07 Mar 18150,000110165,000716,5040.223
Symphony International  Georges Makhoul01 Mar 182,274,52380.51,830,991665,4770.136
Watkin Jones♥Mark Watkin Jones (ceo)07 Mar 183,825,0001957,458,7503,825,0001.498
Wynnstay  Bryan Roberts (fd)07 Mar 183,00045213,56098,4980.501
*Pacing/tender/open offer ♥Spouse/connected party