Director dealings: Mercantile Investment Trust non-exec buys in

Angus Lennox, a non-executive director of JP Morgan-managed Mercantile Investment Trust, has invested £90,150 of his cash in the grand old dame of the UK trust sector.

Former Cazenove investment banker and then a managing director of the investment arm once JP Morgan took over, Lennox on Thursday revealed he had bought 5,000 shares at a price of 1,803p apiece.

The Mercantile trust, one of the oldest and largest listed in London, has a diversified portfolio of around 120 medium and smaller UK companies, with its largest 10 holdings recently numbering fresh FTSE 100 entrant DCC, Betfair, Domino's Pizza, B&M European Value Retail, DS Smith and housebuilders Berkeley and Bellway.

Since late 2014 the trust's own share price has extended its all-time high from just under 1,300p to more than 1,800p by the end last year, but Lennox seems to think it has plenty further to go.

Top Director Buys

Mercantile Investment Trust (The) (MRC)
Director name: Mr Angus Gordon Lennox
Amount purchased: 5,000 @ 1,803.00p
Value: £90,150

Concha (CHA)
Director name: Mr Russell John Backhouse
Amount purchased: 15,317,227 @ 0.35p
Value: £53,610

PetroNeft Resources (PTR)
Director name: Mr Dennis Francis
Amount purchased: 1,500,000 @ 2.25p
Value: £33,750

John Laing Group (JLG)
Director name: Mr Anne Wade
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 205.00p
Value: £20,500

Anglo American (AAL)
Director name: Mr Jim Rutherford
Amount purchased: 5,046 @ 260.00p
Value: £13,120

Top Director Sells

China Nonferrous Gold Limited (DI) (CNG)
Director name: Mr Abuali Ismatov
Amount sold: 100,000 @ 24.00p
Value: £24,000