Directors dealings: National Express boss unloads shares

On Friday, Dean Finch sold 210,000 shares out of those directly owned by him at 328.10p for total proceeds of £688,821.02.

However, in parallel he purchased another 53,000 at a price of 330.95 each, for a grand total £175,403.50, which he was to hold in his self-directed personal pension, the company said in a statement.

Following the two transactions, Finch was left with 137,598 shares to his name, either directly or beneficially owned, and with another 267,148 under his deferred executive bonus plan.

The transaction by the rail and bus operator’s chief followed a strong run in the shares.

On 11 May, National Express reported a strong start to the year when it updated investors on its progress through the first four months of 2016.

After adjusting for the new operations, revenue was up 4% on an underlying basis, the company said.

National Express said all divisions achieved an increase in revenue, supported by total underlying passenger growth across the group of 3%.

Management also reiterated guidance for profits, free cash flow and leverage in 2016 on that same occasion.

In a research note sent to clients on 16 March, analysts at Jefferies said: “FX & fuel rate movements benefit the multi-year outlook for NEX. With management also intending to allow fuel benefits to drop through to the bottom line as hedging allows, we upgrade our FY16F/FY17F PBT 14%/8%, respectively.

“We think NEX continues to offer a base of solid prospects with overlay of bidding activity that has the potential to build on that, particularly East Anglia to be awarded in July.”

The company’s shares closed down by 0.55% at 325.50p on Friday, having hit a 52-week high on 6 April at 349.30p, giving the firm a market capitalisation of £1,665.71m.

Top Director Buys

National Express Group (NEX)
Director name: Finch,Dean K
Amount purchased: 53,000 @ 330.95p
Value: £175,403.50

International Consolidated Airlines Group Sa (cdi) (IAG)
Director name: Charles Poynter,Kieran
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 513.65p
Value: £77,047.20

Brown (n.) Group (BWNG)
Director name: Spindler,Angela
Amount purchased: 18,000 @ 270.90p
Value: £48,762.00

International Consolidated Airlines Group Sa (cdi) (IAG)
Director name: Terol Esteban,Alberto
Amount purchased: 7,700 @ € 6.48
Value: € 40,349.40

Goodwin Plc (GDWN)
Director name: Goodwin,Simon R.
Amount purchased: 1,874 @ 2,080.00p
Value: £38,979.20

Bba Aviation (BBA)
Director name: Kilsby,Susan
Amount purchased: 20,000 @ 190.60p
Value: £38,120.00

Indivior (INDV)
Director name: Pien,Howard
Amount purchased: 13,588 @ 161.30p
Value: £21,917.44

Flowtech Fluidpower (FLO)
Director name: Rigens ,Nigel John
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 140.00p
Value: £21,000.00

Flowtech Fluidpower (FLO)
Director name: Fennon ,Sean Mark
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 140.00p
Value: £14,000.00

Indivior (INDV)
Director name: Bondy,Rupert
Amount purchased: 6,584 @ 161.30p
Value: £10,619.99

Target Healthcare Reit Ltd (THRL)
Director name: Naish,Robert Malcolm
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 105.00p
Value: £10,500.00

Target Healthcare Reit Ltd (THRL)
Director name: Hutchison III,Thomas J
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 105.00p
Value: £10,500.00

Asian Total Return Investment Company (ATR)
Director name: Brief,David
Amount purchased: 5,000 @ 202.59p
Value: £10,129.38

Highcroft Investment (HCFT)
Director name: Kingerlee,David
Amount purchased: 1,000 @ 970.00p
Value: £9,700.00

Indivior (INDV)
Director name: Tassé,Daniel
Amount purchased: 3,903 @ 161.30p
Value: £6,295.54

Indivior (INDV)
Director name: Phelan,Daniel J.
Amount purchased: 3,076 @ 161.30p
Value: £4,961.59

Flowtech Fluidpower (FLO)
Director name: Brooks ,Bryce Rowan Nicholas
Amount purchased: 3,000 @ 142.40p
Value: £4,272.00

Indivior (INDV)
Director name: McLellan,A. Thomas
Amount purchased: 2,173 @ 161.30p
Value: £3,505.05

Indivior (INDV)
Director name: Parker,Lorna
Amount purchased: 1,784 @ 161.30p
Value: £2,877.59

Indivior (INDV)
Director name: Schade,Christian S.
Amount purchased: 1,784 @ 161.30p
Value: £2,877.59

Indivior (INDV)
Director name: Greenstreet,Yvonne
Amount purchased: 1,712 @ 161.30p
Value: £2,761.46

Glaxosmithkline (GSK)
Director name: Slaoui,Moncef
Amount purchased: 36 @ 2,103.50p
Value: £757.26

Glaxosmithkline (GSK)
Director name: Slaoui,Moncef
Amount purchased: 24 @ 2,103.50p
Value: £504.84

United Utilities Group (UU.)
Director name: Houlden,Russ
Amount purchased: 20 @ 948.48p
Value: £189.70

United Utilities Group (UU.)
Director name: Mogford,Steven L
Amount purchased: 19 @ 948.48p
Value: £180.21

Aa (AA.)
Director name: Clarke,Martin C
Amount purchased: 56 @ 277.00p
Value: £155.12

Aa (AA.)
Director name: Mackenzie,Bob
Amount purchased: 56 @ 277.00p
Value: £155.12

Go-ahead Group (GOG)
Director name: Brown,David
Amount purchased: 6 @ 2,546.40p
Value: £152.78

Go-ahead Group (GOG)
Director name: Ferguson,Carolyn
Amount purchased: 6 @ 2,546.40p
Value: £152.78

Alternative Networks (AN.)
Director name: Griggs,Gavin
Amount purchased: 45 @ 334.00p
Value: £150.30

Alternative Networks (AN.)
Director name: Quartermaine,Mark
Amount purchased: 45 @ 334.00p
Value: £150.30

Zotefoams (ZTF)
Director name: McGrath ,Gary
Amount purchased: 52 @ 289.00p
Value: £150.28

Zotefoams (ZTF)
Director name: Hurst,Clifford G
Amount purchased: 52 @ 289.00p
Value: £150.28

Zotefoams (ZTF)
Director name: Stirling,David
Amount purchased: 52 @ 289.00p
Value: £150.28

Share Plc (SHRE)
Director name: Stone,Richard William
Amount purchased: 536 @ 28.00p
Value: £150.08

Share Plc (SHRE)
Director name: Tolkien,Richard
Amount purchased: 536 @ 28.00p
Value: £150.08

Share Plc (SHRE)
Director name: Thomas ,Gareth
Amount purchased: 535 @ 28.00p
Value: £149.80

Share Plc (SHRE)
Director name: Birkett,Mike
Amount purchased: 535 @ 28.00p
Value: £149.80

Share Plc (SHRE)
Director name: Ecsery,Francesca Eva
Amount purchased: 535 @ 28.00p
Value: £149.80

Countrywide (CWD)
Director name: Platt,Alison
Amount purchased: 42 @ 355.74p
Value: £149.41

Rolls-royce Holdings (RR.)
Director name: Smith,David
Amount purchased: 23 @ 646.90p
Value: £148.79

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT)
Director name: Burke,Dominic James
Amount purchased: 16 @ 865.00p
Value: £138.40

Jardine Lloyd Thompson Group (JLT)
Director name: Reynolds,Mike
Amount purchased: 15 @ 865.00p
Value: £129.75

Go-ahead Group (GOG)
Director name: Edwards,Paul
Amount purchased: 5 @ 2,546.40p
Value: £127.32

Rolls-royce Holdings (RR.)
Director name: Smith,Colin P
Amount purchased: 19 @ 646.90p
Value: £122.91

Lsl Property Services (LSL)
Director name: Crabb,Ian
Amount purchased: 36 @ 302.00p
Value: £108.72

Lsl Property Services (LSL)
Director name: Gill,Adrian
Amount purchased: 9 @ 302.00p
Value: £27.18

Top Director Sells

Shawbrook Group (SHAW)
Director name: Johnson,Stephen
Amount purchased: 1,271,476 @ 258.00p
Value: £3,280,407.98

Shawbrook Group (SHAW)
Director name: Wood,Tom
Amount purchased: 411,426 @ 258.00p
Value: £1,061,479.05

Shawbrook Group (SHAW)
Director name: Wood,Tom
Amount purchased: 274,284 @ 258.00p
Value: £707,652.70

National Express Group (NEX)
Director name: Finch,Dean K
Amount purchased: 210,000 @ 328.01p
Value: £688,821.02

Travis Perkins (TPK)
Director name: Buffin ,Tony
Amount purchased: 21,838 @ 1,831.89p
Value: £400,048.87

Menzies(john) (MNZS)
Director name: Jenkinson,D J
Amount purchased: 77,517 @ 503.00p
Value: £389,910.53

Independent Inv Trust (IIT)
Director name: Ward,Maxwell C B
Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 375.00p
Value: £375,000.00

Allied Minds (ALM)
Director name: Eichenberger,Marc
Amount purchased: 37,980 @ 344.61p
Value: £130,882.23

Flowtech Fluidpower (FLO)
Director name: Brooks ,Bryce Rowan Nicholas
Amount purchased: 27,000 @ 141.75p
Value: £38,272.50

Allied Minds (ALM)
Director name: Eichenberger,Marc
Amount purchased: 11,262 @ 335.44p
Value: £37,776.85

Shawbrook Group (SHAW)
Director name: Johnson,Stephen
Amount purchased: 11,000 @ 258.00p
Value: £28,380.00