Directors dealings: Barratt executives pick up shares

Two of Barratt Developments's top executives topped up their holdings in the homebuilder.

Chairman John Allan bought 20,000 shares for 484p apiece on 21 October, the company said in a statement.

He was accompanied that same day by one of the company's non-executive directors, Richard Akers, who purchased another 10,000 in stock at an individual share price of 482p.

Recent broker commentary on the firm had been mixed.

Following those two transactions Allan was left with a total holding of 23,102 shares and Akers with another 50,000.

On 20 September, analysts at UBS downgraded their recommendation on the shares from 'buy' to 'neutral', despite the resilience displayed by the sector since the referendum vote.

Although the Swiss broker remained positive on the sector it had decided to adopt a more balanced recommendation profile.

A few days afterwards, Credit Suisse said it was lifting its fiscal year 2017 and 2018 earnings per share estimates for Barratt, Persimmon and Taylor Wimpey by an average of 17% but stuck to a 'neutral' recommendation, aducing that the sector's current price-to-book multiple of 1.6 was "fair".

Top Director Buys

Chaarat Gold Holdings Ltd. (di) (CGH)
Director name: Wiwen-Nilsson,Martin
Amount purchased: 1,150,000 @ 8.50p
Value: £97,750.00

Barratt Developments (BDEV)
Director name: Allan,John
Amount purchased: 20,000 @ 484.36p
Value: £96,872.00

Barratt Developments (BDEV)
Director name: Akers,Richard
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 881.76p
Value: £88,175.60

Marwyn Value Investors Limited (MVI)
Director name: Hobbs ,Ronald
Amount purchased: 20,813 @ 143.00p
Value: £29,762.59

Rotala (ROL)
Director name: Dunn,Simon Lee
Amount purchased: 8,216 @ 60.00p
Value: £4,929.60

U And I Group (UAI)
Director name: Upton,Richard
Amount purchased: 2,500 @ 158.00p
Value: £3,950.00

Kaz Minerals (KAZ)
Director name: Southam,Andrew
Amount purchased: 56 @ 266.10p
Value: £149.02

Law Debenture Corp. (LWDB)
Director name: Adams,Michael
Amount purchased: 29 @ 513.50p
Value: £148.92

Fidessa Group (FDSA)
Director name: Skelton ,Andy
Amount purchased: 6 @ 2,339.00p
Value: £140.34

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Wilde,Katy
Amount purchased: 11 @ 1,122.00p
Value: £123.42

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Taylor,Dominic
Amount purchased: 11 @ 1,122.00p
Value: £123.42

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Marchant,Jon
Amount purchased: 11 @ 1,122.00p
Value: £123.42

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Earle,George
Amount purchased: 11 @ 1,122.00p
Value: £123.42

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Alcraft,Lewis
Amount purchased: 11 @ 1,122.00p
Value: £123.42

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Watkin-Rees,Tim
Amount purchased: 11 @ 1,122.00p
Value: £123.42

Fidessa Group (FDSA)
Director name: Hamer,John
Amount purchased: 5 @ 2,339.00p
Value: £116.95

Fidessa Group (FDSA)
Director name: Aspinwall,Chris
Amount purchased: 5 @ 2,339.00p
Value: £116.95

Top Director Sells

Clarkson (CKN)
Director name: Case,Andi
Amount sold: 51,140 @ 1,950.00p
Value: £997,230.00

Clarkson (CKN)
Director name: Woyda,Jeff
Amount sold: 8,360 @ 1,950.00p
Value: £163,020.00

Gear4music (holdings) (G4M)
Director name: Ford,Eric Kenelm
Amount sold: 15,971 @ 408.00p
Value: £65,161.68