Director dealings: JD Sports chair picks up shares after Footasylum sale

JD Sports Fashion shares tumbled more than 5% on Tuesday, as it disclosed share purchases made by its non-executive chair worth almost £0.4m.

The FTSE 100 footwear and apparel retailer said Andy Higginson purchases 292,725 shares on both Monday and Tuesday.

Higginson bought 292,725 shares for 132.67p each, and a further 6,217 shares for 132.32p apiece.

That gave each transaction a total value of £388,358.25, and £8,226.33, respectively.

Following the acquisitions, JD Sports said Higginson had a total interest in 298,942 of its shares, representing 0.01% of its issued share capital.

The purchases came after the company announced on Friday that it had completed the sale of Footasylum to Aurelius Group for £37.5m.

Its £90m acquisition of Footasylum in March 2019 had been mired in controversy, most significantly when it emerged that former chief Peter Cowgill had covertly met Footasylum CEO Barry Brown on two occasions - one in a carpark - amid an arms-length order from the Competition and Markets Authority.

The CMA’s investigation into the possibility of limiting competition eventually led to an order for JD Sports to dispose of the chain.

Shares in JD Sports Fashion closed down 5.13% on Tuesday.

Reporting by Josh White at Sharecast.com.

Top Director Buys

Jd Sports Fashion (JD.)
Director name: Higginson,Andy
Amount purchased: 292,725 @ 132.67p
Value: £388,358.25

Staffline Group (STAF)
Director name: Spain,Thomas
Amount purchased: 350,000 @ 39.66p
Value: £138,824.00

Everyman Media Group (EMAN)
Director name: Rosehill,Michael
Amount purchased: 80,000 @ 108.00p
Value: £86,400.00

Integrated Diagnostics Holdings (IDHC)
Director name: El Sherbini,Hend
Amount purchased: 40,596 @ 90.00p
Value: £44,307.69

Jpmorgan Global Core Real Assets Limited (JARA)
Director name: Scott,John
Amount purchased: 19,184 @ 104.25p
Value: £19,999.32

Jd Sports Fashion (JD.)
Director name: Higginson,Andy
Amount purchased: 6,217 @ 132.32p
Value: £8,226.33

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 4,800 @ 134.40p
Value: £6,451.20

Procook Group (PROC)
Director name: Hodder,Gregory
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 42.55p
Value: £6,382.50

Sunrise Resources (SRES)
Director name: Murphy,Roger
Amount purchased: 6,121,031 @ 0.10p
Value: £6,128.68

Sunrise Resources (SRES)
Director name: Cole,James
Amount purchased: 4,638,826 @ 0.11p
Value: £5,218.68

Synthomer (SYNT)
Director name: Liu,Lily
Amount purchased: 2,000 @ 192.59p
Value: £3,851.80

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 1,941 @ 134.40p
Value: £2,608.70

Sunrise Resources (SRES)
Director name: Cheetham,Patrick
Amount purchased: 2,212,764 @ 0.11p
Value: £2,489.36

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 950 @ 134.40p
Value: £1,276.80

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 800 @ 134.40p
Value: £1,075.20

F&c Investment Trust (FCIT)
Director name: Hollond,Beatrice
Amount purchased: 110 @ 899.95p
Value: £989.95

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 590 @ 134.40p
Value: £792.96

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 401 @ 134.40p
Value: £538.94

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 362 @ 134.40p
Value: £486.53

Judges Scientific (JDG)
Director name: Ormsby,Bradley Leonard
Amount purchased: 3 @ 8,600.00p
Value: £258.00

Judges Scientific (JDG)
Director name: Cicurel,David
Amount purchased: 3 @ 8,600.00p
Value: £258.00

Judges Scientific (JDG)
Director name: Lavelle,Mark
Amount purchased: 3 @ 8,600.00p
Value: £258.00

Oracle Power (ORCP)
Director name: Migge,Andreas
Amount purchased: 75,993 @ 0.32p
Value: £243.18

Mj Gleeson (GLE)
Director name: Thomson,James
Amount purchased: 38 @ 530.00p
Value: £201.40

Mj Gleeson (GLE)
Director name: Allanson ,Stefan
Amount purchased: 37 @ 530.00p
Value: £196.10

Oracle Power (ORCP)
Director name: Hutchins ,David (Sam)
Amount purchased: 57,755 @ 0.32p
Value: £184.82

Unilever (ULVR)
Director name: Pitkethly,Graeme
Amount purchased: 4 @ 4,011.00p
Value: £160.44

Softcat (SCT)
Director name: Watt,Graeme
Amount purchased: 11 @ 1,439.00p
Value: £158.29

Taylor Wimpey (TW.)
Director name: Carney,Chris
Amount purchased: 122 @ 123.15p
Value: £150.24

Taylor Wimpey (TW.)
Director name: Daly,Jennie
Amount purchased: 122 @ 123.15p
Value: £150.24

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 111 @ 134.40p
Value: £149.18

Close Brothers Group (CBG)
Director name: Sainsbury,Adrian
Amount purchased: 13 @ 1,136.00p
Value: £147.68

Softcat (SCT)
Director name: Charlton,Graham
Amount purchased: 10 @ 1,439.00p
Value: £143.90

Oracle Power (ORCP)
Director name: Steed,Mark
Amount purchased: 43,316 @ 0.32p
Value: £138.61

F&c Investment Trust (FCIT)
Director name: Knapp,Edward
Amount purchased: 11 @ 899.95p
Value: £98.99

S4 Capital (SFOR)
Director name: Connolly,Margaret Ma
Amount purchased: 45 @ 134.40p
Value: £60.48

Oracle Power (ORCP)
Director name: Memon,Naheed
Amount purchased: 379 @ 0.32p
Value: £1.21

Top Director Sells

Direct Line Insurance Group (DLG)
Director name: Manser,Neil
Amount sold: 48,462 @ 207.88p
Value: £100,744.50