Director dealings: Founder of SDL takes long view on growth

Published on 02/12/2012 00:00

SHARES in translation software group SDL fell sharply after the company issued a profits warning last week.

The business, whose chief executive left last month, said that “management forecasts for the year are now considered to be too optimistic against market expectations”.

The company’s founder and chairman Mark Lancaster showed his faith in the long-term prospects for the business by buying more than 170,532 shares at 439.82p each.

Lancaster said, despite short-term issues, he felt more confident than ever in SDL’s business model and that investments in sales and marketing during 2013 would help underpin long-term growth.

• Graham Stevens, a director of interactive voice and data specialist NetPlay TV, has bought 50,000 shares at 11.79p each. He now holds 331,667 shares plus 500,000 options.

• Alistair Darby, recently appointed chief executive of pubs group Mitchells & Butlers, the UK’s largest 
operator of managed restaurants and pubs, has bought 45,800 shares at 318.45p each.

The purchase came after the company said it had made a slow start to the new financial year. The group, whose brands include Harvester, O’Neill’s and Toby Carvery and whose estate includes a string of popular Edinburgh bars including the Conan Doyle, Deacon Brodie’s and Sheep Heid Inn, also said increases in alcohol duty, regulatory pressures and food price inflation remained a concern for business in the new year.

• Stephen Voss, a director of Latin America-focused petroleum production and development company 
Global Energy Development, has bought 50,000 shares at 106p each. He now holds 285,568 shares.

• Two directors at feed additives group Anpario have bought shares in the company. Richard Edwards and Karen Prior each purchased 20,000 shares at 106.5p each. Edwards is now interested in 62,681 shares and Karen Prior now has 40,001 shares.

• Two directors at film studios Pinewood Shepperton have increased their holdings. Lord Michael Grade, non-executive chairman of the company, bought 17,500 shares and Steve Christian, an executive director, bought 10,000 at 275p each.