Directors dealings: Serco boss picks up stock after poor run for share price

Rupert Soames, Serco´s boss, picked up a large amount of shares in the company he captains.

The outsourcing group´s share price had risen against a falling market year-to-date, following a very poor performance over the past three years.

On 25 May, the company said it expected underlying trading profit for 2016 to come in ahead of current market forecasts following a stronger-than-anticipated start to the year.

Soames bought 120,000 shares at an individual price of 107p for a total outlay of £128,400.01.

However, Soames sounded a very cautious note, saying that while the first four months of the year had been strong in large part thanks to the successful outcome of a number of commercial negotiations, the nature of most of the items driving the stronger performance was that they would sharply increase profits in the first half, but would not repeat in subsequent periods.

Exane BNP Baripas analyst George Gregory disagreed.

"We remain of the view that guidance for FY17 remains conservative: our revenueestimate reflects a c33% win rate on extensions, a similar level of wins to FY16, as well as a cGBP40m buffer, while our trading profit estimate reflects further gross margin erosion," Gregory said in a research note sent to clients and dated 26 May.

Top Director Buys

Tribal Group (TRB)
Director name: Bowles,Ian
Amount purchased: 909,597 @ 53.50p
Value: £486,634.42

Serco Group (SRP)
Director name: Soames,Rupert
Amount purchased: 120,000 @ 107.00p
Value: £128,400.01

British Land Company (BLND)
Director name: Adams,Aubrey
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 730.00p
Value: £73,000.00

Yu Group (YU.)
Director name: Parker,Nick
Amount purchased: 20,300 @ 245.00p
Value: £49,735.00

Blackstone/gso Loan Financing Limited (BGLF)
Director name: Clark,Gary
Amount purchased: 28,700 @ € 0.94
Value: € 26,978.00

Lloyds Banking Group (LLOY)
Director name: Culmer,George
Amount purchased: 22,156 @ 40.62p
Value: £8,999.77

Jpmorgan American Inv Trust (JAM)
Director name: Bragg,Simon
Amount purchased: 435 @ 290.54p
Value: £1,263.85

Centrica (CNA)
Director name: Hodges,Mark
Amount purchased: 75 @ 202.56p
Value: £151.92

Henderson Group (HGG)
Director name: Thompson ,Roger
Amount purchased: 56 @ 267.76p
Value: £149.95

Henderson Group (HGG)
Director name: Formica,Andrew
Amount purchased: 56 @ 267.76p
Value: £149.95

Centrica (CNA)
Director name: Hanafin,Mark
Amount purchased: 74 @ 202.56p
Value: £149.89

Centrica (CNA)
Director name: Shedden,Jill
Amount purchased: 74 @ 202.56p
Value: £149.89

Lsl Property Services (LSL)
Director name: Gill,Adrian
Amount purchased: 49 @ 305.00p
Value: £149.45

Lsl Property Services (LSL)
Director name: Crabb,Ian
Amount purchased: 49 @ 305.00p
Value: £149.45

Henderson Group (HGG)
Director name: Wagstaff ,Philip
Amount purchased: 47 @ 267.76p
Value: £125.85

Top Director Sells

Tribal Group (TRB)
Director name: Bowles,Ian
Amount sold: 909,597 @ 53.50p
Value: £486,634.42

Caledonia Investments (CLDN)
Director name: Cayzer-Colvin,Jamie M B
Amount sold: 15,972 @ 2,393.00p
Value: £382,209.96

Caledonia Investments (CLDN)
Director name: Wyatt,William
Amount sold: 12,547 @ 2,393.00p
Value: £300,249.71

Caledonia Investments (CLDN)
Director name: King ,Stephen
Amount sold: 8,904 @ 2,393.00p
Value: £213,072.72

Hogg Robinson Group (HRG)
Director name: Brindle,William
Amount sold: 128,947 @ 70.79p
Value: £91,282.09

Hogg Robinson Group (HRG)
Director name: Radcliffe,David
Amount sold: 116,604 @ 70.79p
Value: £82,544.44

Berendsen (BRSN)
Director name: Wood,Andrew R
Amount sold: 5,000 @ 1,219.00p
Value: £60,950.00

Hogg Robinson Group (HRG)
Director name: Ruffles,Kevin
Amount sold: 74,827 @ 70.79p
Value: £52,970.33

Hogg Robinson Group (HRG)
Director name: Maher ,Michele
Amount sold: 22,126 @ 70.79p
Value: £15,663.08