Director Dealings: Plexus shares dip prompts debut buy

By PERRY GOURLEY
Published on 18/11/2012 00:00

SHARES in Aberdeen-based engineering services business Plexus Holdings have had a stunning run so far this year.

In the past 12 months they have risen by 160 per cent on the back of a string of new orders.

They are now trading at a little under 200p, but recently touched a record high of 233p.

Christopher Fraser, a non-executive director, appeared to see the dip as a buying opportunity, as he last week bought 5,000 shares at 191.89p – his first holding in the group.

• Keith MacDonald, a non-executive director of software and consulting group First Derivatives, has bought his first stake in the company with the purchase of 10,000 shares at 535p each.

Michael O’Neill, the founder shareholder, has also sold 10,000 shares at the same price, but still holds 300,000 shares.

• The wife of Leslie Van de Walle, a non-executive director of support services group Cape, has bought 10,000 shares at 181.2p each, the couple’s first stake.

• David Thomas, chief operating officer of oil and gas explorer Petroceltic, has purchased 504,500 shares at 6.78p each, to take his holding up to 3.14 million.

Petroceltic, which has recently bought Edinburgh-based Melrose Resources, and Aberdeen-based Dana Petroleum last week announced they had won a licence to drill for oil in Egypt near the Gulf of Suez.

Dana and Petroceltic each have a 37.5 per cent holding in the licence.

• Derek Fairhead, a director of oil services group Getech, has sold 4.5 million shares at 42p. Together with his wife, he now holds 4.39 million shares.

• Jonathan Polin, chief executive of wealth manager Ashcourt Rowan, has bought 31,645 shares at 158p each.

• Dr Ajai Puri, a non- executive director of Tate & Lyle, has bought his first shares in the company with the purchase of 2,000 at 759p each.

• John Sussens, a non-executive director at insurance group Admiral, has bought 10,000 shares at a price of 1,081p each, his first holding in the company.

• Mike Arrowsmith, a non-executive director at Scottish packaging group Macfarlane, has bought 100,000 shares at 25p each.