Shares in building materials business CRH (CRH) are nearing the highs last reached in 2017, and there’s good reason. In August, it revealed record cash profits of €1.54bn (£1.39bn) generated over the six months to June, a 36 per cent increase on the prior year on a reported basis. This growth was attributed in part to margin-enhancing acquisitions. The company expects to make further progress in the second half, although it's likely hoping for an end to Brexit uncertainty, which has weighed on construction activity in the UK.
Chief executive Albert Manifold sold 102,621 shares at €29 each, just below the 52-week high of £27.98 (€31) – totalling €2.98m. At the time of writing, it was unclear what his resultant total shareholding is. At the same time, non-executive director Richard Boucher purchased 6,750 shares at €29.17 each, in a transaction worth just under €197,000.
Buys | |||||||
Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
Autins | Adam Attwood (ch) | 22 Aug 19 | 75,000 | 20 | 15,000 | 600,000 | 1.515 |
Autins | Gareth Kaminski-Cook (ceo) | 22 Aug 19 | 150,000 | 20 | 30,000 | 180,228 | 0.455 |
Autins | James Larner (cfo) | 22 Aug 19 | 25,000 | 20 | 5,000 | 25,000 | 0.063 |
Autins | Neil MacDonald | 22 Aug 19 | 125,000 | 20 | 25,000 | 125,000 | 0.316 |
BHP | Susan Kilsby | 23 Aug 19 | 2,900 | 1713 | 49,677 | 2,900 | 0.000 |
Brewin Dolphin | Siobhan Boylan (cfo) | 28 Aug 19 | 33,118 | 300.4 | 99,486 | 53,400 | 0.018 |
Carr's Group | Ian Wood | 22 Aug 19 | 10,000 | 130.9 | 13,090 | 20,000 | 0.022 |
CRH | Richard Boucher | 22 Aug 19 | 6,750 | 29.17 | 196,898 | 13,800 | 0.002 |
Intelligent Ultrasound* | Ian Whittaker (coo) | 28 Aug 19 | 25,000 | 10 | 2,500 | 374,982 | 0.170 |
Intelligent Ultrasound* | Nicholas Sleep (cto) | 28 Aug 19 | 100,000 | 10 | 10,000 | 326,471 | 0.148 |
Intelligent Ultrasound* | Stuart Gall (ceo) | 28 Aug 19 | 200,000 | 10 | 20,000 | 828,236 | 0.376 |
Intelligent Ultrasound* | Wilson Jennings (fd) | 28 Aug 19 | 100,000 | 10 | 10,000 | 394,118 | 0.179 |
Intelligent Ultrasound* | Nazar Amso | 28 Aug 19 | 50,000 | 10 | 5,000 | 1,134,000 | 0.515 |
Intelligent Ultrasound* | Nicholas Avis | 28 Aug 19 | 25,000 | 10 | 2,500 | 225,000 | 0.102 |
Lookers | Tony Bramall | 23 Aug 19 | 50,000 | 49 | 24,500 | 72,208,051 | 18.551 |
Lookers | Tony Bramall | 28 Aug 19 | 50,000 | 50 | 25,000 | 72,983,051 | 18.750 |
Lookers | Tony Bramall | 22 Aug 19 | 1,020,000 | 50.1792 | 511,828 | 72,158,051 | 18.538 |
Lookers | Tony Bramall | 27 Aug 19 | 725,000 | 51.75 | 375,188 | 72,933,051 | 18.737 |
Norman Broadbent | Michael Brennan (ceo) | 23 Aug 19 | 166,666 | 3 | 5,000 | 1,095,481 | 2.033 |
Norman Broadbent | Brian Stephens | 23 Aug 19 | 166,666 | 3 | 5,000 | 334,621 | 0.621 |
Norman Broadbent | Fiona McAnena | 23 Aug 19 | 33,333 | 3 | 1,000 | 63,333 | 0.118 |
Norman Broadbent | William Gerrand (cfo & coo) | 23 Aug 19 | 66,667 | 3 | 2,000 | 66,667 | 0.124 |
OptiBiotix Health | Frederic Narbel | 28 Aug 19 | 17,000 | 50 | 8,500 | 29,000 | 0.034 |
Oxford BioDynamics | Stephen Diggle (ch) | 27 Aug 19 | 40,000 | 90 | 36,000 | 11,730,225 | 12.673 |
Oxford BioDynamics | Stephen Diggle (ch) | 28 Aug 19 | 4,500 | 90 | 4,050 | 11,734,725 | 12.678 |
Redcentric | Jonathan Kempster | 28 Aug 19 | 10,249 | 77.4 | 7,933 | 10,249 | 0.007 |
Scottish American Investment Co♥ | Nicholas Macpherson | 23 Aug 19 | 6,000 | 410 | 24,600 | 45,000 | 0.031 |
South32 | Keith Rumble | 27 Aug 19 | 35,700 | 135.3837 | 48,332 | 161,380 | 0.003 |
South32 | Xolani Mkhwanazi | 28 Aug 19 | 18,900 | 26.1153 | 493,579 | 53,237 | 0.001 |
Tyman | Jo Hallas (ceo) | 28 Aug 19 | 25,965 | 202 | 52,449 | 74,127 | 0.038 |
Ultra Electronics | William Rice (ch) | 28 Aug 19 | 2,313 | 2150 | 49,730 | 2,313 | 0.003 |
Westmount Energy* | Gerard Walsh (ch) | 28 Aug 19 | 2,246,538 | 13 | 292,050 | 10,921,538 | 10.580 |
Wood Group (John) | Roy Franklin | 22 Aug 19 | 9,000 | 405 | 36,450 | 15,000 | 0.002 |
Sells | |||||||
Company | Director | Date | No of shares | Price (p) | Value (£) | Holding (shares) | Holding (%) |
4imprint | Andrew Scull | 23 Aug 19 | 2,486 | 2803.78 | 69,702 | 45,000 | 0.160 |
4imprint | Andrew Scull | 23 Aug 19 | 1,000 | 2840 | 28,400 | 47,486 | 0.169 |
4imprint | Andrew Scull | 23 Aug 19 | 515 | 2860 | 14,729 | 50,696 | 0.181 |
4imprint | Andrew Scull | 23 Aug 19 | 210 | 2862.5 | 6,011 | 48,486 | 0.173 |
4imprint | Andrew Scull | 23 Aug 19 | 2,000 | 2870 | 57,400 | 48,696 | 0.173 |
4imprint | Andrew Scull | 23 Aug 19 | 550 | 2890 | 15,895 | 51,211 | 0.182 |
CRH† | Albert Manifold (ceo) | 22 Aug 19 | 102,621 | 29 | 2,976,009 | na | na |
Marshalls♥ | Martyn Coffey (ceo) | 22 Aug 19 | 118,498 | 679 | 804,601 | 266,461 | 0.133 |
TBC Bank | Giorgi Shagidze (cfo) | 27 Aug 19 | 15,000 | 1251 | 187,650 | 63,025 | 0.115 |
*Placing/tender/open offer ♥Spouse/connected party †Mr Manifold's share sale is denominated in euros £1=€1.10 |