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Softcat chairman in bumper sale

Mr Hellawell, along with his wife and a family trust, have sold shares worth £21m
February 7, 2019

Softcat (SCT) chairman Martin Hellawell has sold more than 3.2m shares, marking a second large disposal since he stepped aside as chief executive last year.

IC TIP: Hold at 706p

Mr Hellawell, along with his wife and the couple’s family trust, netted more than £21m from the sale. Mr Hellawell left his previous role in April, with the intention of striking "a better work-life balance". Last July, the couple disposed of shares worth more than £23m in aggregate.

It's unlikely, however, that the transactions signal trouble ahead. A recent trading update from the company revealed trading was "materially ahead" of expectations – the latest in a series of such announcements – while Mr Hellawell still owns a 3.39 per cent stake which, based on a share price of 706p, is worth more than £47m.

Buys       
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
Alliance Trust♥Robert Smith (ch)29 Jan 198,70073764,11930,7000.009
B&M European Value RetailCarolyn Bradley29 Jan 1912,192327.957339,98512,1920.001
BlackRock Latin American Investment TrustCraig Cleland24 Jan 195,000477.7623,8885,0000.013
Botswana Diamonds*James Campbell28 Jan 19412,5450.552,269898,8610.176
Botswana Diamonds*James Finn (fd)28 Jan 194,590,9100.5525,25029,644,5495.821
Caledonia InvestmentsJamie Cayzer-Colvin25 Jan 191,0002953.7829,53866,9530.121
Caledonia InvestmentsWilliam Wyatt (ceo)25 Jan 192,0002953.7859,07677,0380.139
Caledonia InvestmentsWilliam Wyatt (ceo)25 Jan 191,0002953.7829,53878,0380.141
Caledonia InvestmentsWilliam Wyatt (ceo)25 Jan 192,0002953.7859,07677,0380.139
Caledonia InvestmentsWilliam Wyatt (ceo)25 Jan 191,0002953.7829,53878,0380.141
Caledonia InvestmentsCharles Cayzer25 Jan 191,0002953.7829,53841,0920.074
Caledonia InvestmentsCharles Cayzer25 Jan 192,0002953.7859,07615,5000.028
CVSRichard Connell (ch)30 Jan 195,00037518,750135,0000.191
CVS♥Simon Innes (ceo)30 Jan 1910,00037537,500265,3340.376
CVSRichard Connell (ch)30 Jan 195,00038919,450140,0000.198
CVSRichard Connell (ch)30 Jan 1910,00040740,700130,0000.184
Diversified Gas & OilDavid Johnson28 Jan 1910,000109.6810,968210,0000.039
Diversified Gas & OilRobert Post (ch)28 Jan 19200,000109.78219,56020,200,0003.722
Diversified Gas & OilRusty Hutson (ceo)28 Jan 19250,000109.78274,45020,250,0003.732
Diversified Gas & OilMartin Thomas28 Jan 1910,00011011,0002,085,0000.384
Diversified Gas & OilBradley Gray (fd & coo)28 Jan 1915,00011316,9502,237,9810.412
EmmersonHayden Locke (ceo)25 Jan 19647,7123.0519,7551,475,1350.236
Fuller Smith & TurnerSimon Emeny (ceo)28 Jan 191,000108210,820103,7170.324
Henderson Opportunities TrustMalcolm King28 Jan 191,800978.2417,6085,0000.062
Hipgnosis SongsPaul Burger24 Jan 1915,00010816,20015,0000.007
IMImobileViswanatha Alluri24 Jan 1985,000213.88181,7986,296,4579.492
KCOMGraham Sutherland (ceo)29 Jan 1945,0007031,500250,0000.048
KCOMGraham Sutherland (ceo)29 Jan 1945,00070.331,635205,0000.040
NCCTimothy Kowalski (cfo)29 Jan 1923,61412729,99023,6140.008
NCCJonathan Brooks28 Jan 1920,000127.525,50050,0000.018
NCCAdam Palser (ceo)25 Jan 1922,927130.7129,96822,9270.008
NCCChristopher Stone (ch)25 Jan 1974,382133.199,002124,3820.045
Royal MailRico Back (ceo)29 Jan 19150,000260.8391,200512,0000.051
Savannah Petroleum*Isatou Semega-Janneh (cfo)28 Jan 1936,0002810,080167,5790.019
Savannah Petroleum*Andrew Knott (ceo)28 Jan 191,367,00028382,76027,722,5653.151
Savannah Petroleum*David Clarkson28 Jan 19357,0002899,960357,0000.041
Savannah Petroleum*Marco Iannotti28 Jan 19273,0002876,4403,066,8870.349
Savannah Petroleum*Stephen Jenkins (ch)28 Jan 1936,0002810,080337,8000.038
Tower Resources*Jeremy Asher (ch & ceo)30 Jan 1925,850,0001258,50055,891,4959.880
Tower Resources*Jeremy Asher (ch & ceo)30 Jan 1915,000,0001150,00070,891,49512.531
Tower Resources*Peter Taylor30 Jan 193,000,000130,00018,451,7263.262
WynnstayJames McCarthy (ch)29 Jan 194,70042119,7879,7000.049
WynnstayStephen Ellwood28 Jan 194,700422.2519,8464,7000.024
Sells       
CompanyDirectorDateNo of sharesPrice (p)Value (£)Holding (shares)Holding (%)
DiplomaNigel Lingwood (fd)29 Jan 19115,72312611,459,267100,0000.088
Fidelity Asian ValuesKate Bolsover (ch)25 Jan 192,39941710,00412,9190.018
FocusritePhilip Dudderidge (ch)24 Jan 19734,0005003,670,00021,515,00037.024
Focusrite♥Philip Dudderidge (ch)24 Jan 19734,0005003,670,00020,781,00035.760
SoftcatMartin Hellawell (ch)28 Jan 191,754,60766511,668,1378,171,6734.125
Softcat♥Martin Hellawell (ch)28 Jan 19605,3336654,025,4647,566,3403.819
SoftcatMartin Hellawell (ch)28 Jan 19848,4516655,642,1996,717,8893.391
Utilico Emerging Markets TrustGarry Madeiros29 Jan 19200,000215.25430,50021,6010.009

*Placing/tender/open offer ♥Spouse/connected party