Director dealings: New Dunelm boss picks-up more shares near multi-year lows

Recently-appointed Dunelm boss Nick Wilkinson doubled his holdings in the furniture retailer's stock at the end of last week, even as its shares were trading just above the multi-year lows plumbed just a handful of sessions before.

Wilkinson, who became group chief executive officer on 1 February, 2018, picked-up 48,876 shares for 508.95p apiece, for a total transaction amount of roughly £248,754.

That left him holding 87,731 shares in the company, equivalent to 0.04% of its share capital.

On 12 July, the company reported that it was going into the end of the season with more stock than anticipated, which analysts at Peel Hunt said would result in a larger-than-expected 90 basis point drop in its full-year gross margins (Peel Hunt: -30bp) than they had penciled-in.

A resulting £3m provision for those stocks and lower GMs after it was unable to hit volume supplier discounts also meant that management guided towards profits before tax for the year of £102m (consensus: £107m).

Peel Hunt revised down its estimates for Dunelm's PBT for fiscal years 2018 and 2019 in the wake of the company's update, from £107m and £120.7m to £102m and £111m, respectively.

"The scale of downgrades remain disappointing, although much of this is a function of external conditions and unfavourable weather in Q4 rather than Dunelm specific concerns," the broker added as it reiterated its 'hold' recommendation for the shares.

As of 0843 BST, shares of Dunelm were dipping 0.29% to 515.50p.

Top Director Buys

Dunelm Group (DNLM)
Director name: Wilkinson,Nick
Amount purchased: 48,876 @ 508.95p
Value: £248,754.40

Value And Income Trust (VIN)
Director name: Oakeshott,Matthew A
Amount purchased: 50,000 @ 270.00p
Value: £135,000.00

Severfield (SFR)
Director name: Randall,Derek
Amount purchased: 141,736 @ 82.20p
Value: £116,507.00

Btg (BTG)
Director name: Thorburn,Anne
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 499.81p
Value: £74,971.50

Beazley (BEZ)
Director name: Stuchbery,Robert A
Amount purchased: 9,500 @ 528.10p
Value: £50,169.50

Safestyle Uk (SFE)
Director name: Lovell,Alan
Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 35.70p
Value: £35,700.00

Future (FUTR)
Director name: Newman,Alan
Amount purchased: 5,000 @ 494.90p
Value: £24,745.00

Maistro (MAIS)
Director name: Cleverly,Ian
Amount purchased: 250,000 @ 4.00p
Value: £10,000.00

Maistro (MAIS)
Director name: Cook,Laurence
Amount purchased: 250,000 @ 4.00p
Value: £10,000.00

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Angus,Robin John
Amount purchased: 7 @ 39,851.75p
Value: £2,789.62

Oxford Biomedica (OXB)
Director name: Tallarigo ,Lorenzo
Amount purchased: 306 @ 867.00p
Value: £2,653.02

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Ferguson,Iain
Amount purchased: 5 @ 39,851.75p
Value: £1,992.59

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Angus,Robin John
Amount purchased: 5 @ 39,851.75p
Value: £1,992.59

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Angus,Robin John
Amount purchased: 5 @ 39,836.00p
Value: £1,991.80

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Sharp,Jean
Amount purchased: 4 @ 40,012.67p
Value: £1,600.51

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Angus,Robin John
Amount purchased: 4 @ 39,837.50p
Value: £1,593.50

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Rushbrook ,Frank
Amount purchased: 3 @ 39,851.75p
Value: £1,195.55

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Ferguson,Iain
Amount purchased: 3 @ 39,851.75p
Value: £1,195.55

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Angus,Robin John
Amount purchased: 1 @ 40,025.00p
Value: £400.25

Personal Assets Trust (PNL)
Director name: Rushbrook ,Frank
Amount purchased: 1 @ 39,851.75p
Value: £398.52

Homeserve (HSV)
Director name: Rusin,Tom
Amount purchased: 16 @ 983.36p
Value: £157.34

Fidessa Group (FDSA)
Director name: Skelton ,Andy
Amount purchased: 4 @ 3,870.00p
Value: £154.80

Homeserve (HSV)
Director name: Ford,Johnathan
Amount purchased: 15 @ 983.36p
Value: £147.50

Homeserve (HSV)
Director name: Harpin,Richard
Amount purchased: 15 @ 983.36p
Value: £147.50

Homeserve (HSV)
Director name: Bower,David
Amount purchased: 15 @ 983.36p
Value: £147.50

Britvic (BVIC)
Director name: Litherland,Simon
Amount purchased: 18 @ 778.00p
Value: £140.04

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Taylor,Dominic
Amount purchased: 14 @ 949.00p
Value: £132.86

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Court,Susan
Amount purchased: 14 @ 949.00p
Value: £132.86

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Wilde,Katy
Amount purchased: 13 @ 949.00p
Value: £123.37

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Kentleton,Rachel
Amount purchased: 13 @ 949.00p
Value: £123.37

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Alcraft,Lewis
Amount purchased: 13 @ 949.00p
Value: £123.37

Paypoint (PAY)
Director name: Marchant,Jon
Amount purchased: 13 @ 949.00p
Value: £123.37

Britvic (BVIC)
Director name: Barwell,Matt
Amount purchased: 15 @ 778.00p
Value: £116.70

Fidessa Group (FDSA)
Director name: Aspinwall,Chris
Amount purchased: 3 @ 3,870.00p
Value: £116.10

Fidessa Group (FDSA)
Director name: Waltho,Jonathan
Amount purchased: 3 @ 3,870.00p
Value: £116.10

Fidessa Group (FDSA)
Director name: Hamer,John
Amount purchased: 3 @ 3,870.00p
Value: £116.10

On The Beach Group (OTB)
Director name: Vickerstaff,Kirsteen
Amount purchased: 22 @ 462.00p
Value: £101.64

Top Director Sells

Rpc Group (RPC)
Director name: Vervaat,Petrus R M
Amount sold: 48,459 @ 764.40p
Value: £370,420.60

Rpc Group (RPC)
Director name: Kesterton,Simon
Amount sold: 33,510 @ 764.40p
Value: £256,150.44

Norcros (NXR)
Director name: Kelsall,Nick
Amount sold: 100,046 @ 212.00p
Value: £212,097.51

Obtala Limited (OBT)
Director name: Pelham,Miles C
Amount sold: 1,200,000 @ 7.85p
Value: £94,200.00

Polar Capital Technology Trust (PCT)
Director name: Hames,Peter
Amount sold: 4,000 @ 1,306.00p
Value: £52,240.00