Director dealings: Boost to shares of disease test supplier

Published on 15/07/2012 00:00

SCOTTISH medical testing kit maker Omega Diagnostics recently posted strong gains in full-year sales and profits and signalled a further move into fast-growth markets.

The Alva-based firm’s products are used in the fight against malaria, tuberculosis and dengue fever in the developing world and it is now looking to push further into the fast-growing “Bric” economies (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and emerging markets in Africa.

The Alva-based firm heralded the potential of a deal signed last month to make testing kits for Aids indicator CD4 and syphilis. Both kits can be used at the “point of care” (POC) in the field rather than in centralised laboratories.

Shares in Omega rose following the results but chief executive Andrew Shepherd last week saw his interests in the firm increase after 600,000 shares were bought in the name of his wife at 16.5p each. Shepherd’s total beneficial holding has increased to more than 2.6 million shares.

• David Gutteridge, the senior independent non-executive director at technology group Sanderson has bought 30,000 shares at an average price of 36.5p each. He now has an interest in 500,000 ordinary shares.

• Peter Clutterbuck, chief executive officer at 3Legs Resources, has purchased 27,000 ordinary shares at 38p each. He now owns more than 113,000 shares in the oil and gas group, which has acreage in Poland and Germany.

• Paul Roberts, a director at animal feeds group Wynn­stay, has sold 3,000 shares 390p per share. He still holds more than 103,000 shares in the company. Last month the firm reported that revenue for the six months to 30 April increased by 18 per cent to £193.67m on the back of a series of acquisitions.

• Douglas McCallum, a non-executive director of online shopping group ­Ocado, has purchased his first shares in the company by buying 68,000 shares at 73.02p.

• Ian Williamson, chief executive of plastics group Carclo, has disposed of 230,000 shares at 428.86p each.