Director dealings: TUI AG's Ebel buys-in

Tui executive Sebastian Ebel purchased 47,580 ordinary shares in the FTSE 100-listed travel outfit on Tuesday.

Ebel, who was appointed to Tui's board following the merger of TUI AG and TUI Travel in December 2014, acquired the shares at an average price of 832.84p each, for a total value of £396,265.

Last month, analysts at AJ Bell pointed out that Tui, among other top-ten rated blue-chip stock recommendations, had actually lost more than the FTSE 100 index had in 2018.

The broker found that the ten FTSE 100 stocks analysts most often rated a ‘buy’ lost an average of 17.3% in 2018, while the index lost 12.5%.

Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said investment banks and broking firms had failed to identify last year’s winners and losers.

"This is not to gratuitously kick the analysts when they are down. But it does suggest that the real value of broking research lies not with the recommendations but with the industry analysis and distillation of the key company issues that it provides."

As of 1640 GMT, Tui shares had picked up 3.32% to 853.40p.

Top Director Buys

TUI AG Reg Shs (DI) (TUI)

Director name: Mr Sebastian Ebel

Amount purchased: 47,580 @ 832.84p

Value: £396,265

Xtract Resources (XTR)

Director name: Mr Colin Bird

Amount purchased: 4,614,035 @ 2.85p

Value: £131,500

Grit Real Estate Income Group Limited NPV (DI) (GR1T)

Director name: Ms Bronwyn Corbett

Amount purchased: 10,000 @ $2.37

Value: $23,715

Draper Esprit (GROW)

Director name: Mr Benjamin David Wilkinson

Amount purchased: 3,125 @ 480.00p

Value: £15,000

Top Director Sells

WH Smith (SMWH)

Director name: Mr Robert Moorhead

Amount sold: 25,000 @ 2,037.79p

Value: £509,448

WH Smith (SMWH)

Director name: Mr Robert Moorhead

Amount sold: 25,000 @ 2,037.79p

Value: £509,448

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

Director name: Mr Simon Dingemans

Amount sold: 20,263 @ 1,571.60p

Value: £318,453

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

Director name: Ms Emma Walmsley

Amount sold: 15,345 @ 1,575.60p

Value: £241,776

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

Director name: Mr Simon Dingemans

Amount sold: 11,955 @ 1,571.60p

Value: £187,885

GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)

Director name: Ms Emma Walmsley

Amount sold: 9,053 @ 1,575.60p

Value: £142,639