Director Dealings: Tasty shares tempt Kaye

SHARES in restaurant chain operator Tasty soared by almost a third last week after it posted a maiden profit.

The Aim-listed company, which runs Oriental-themed Dim T and pizzeria Wildwood outlets in the south-east of England, recorded a pre-tax profit of 13,000 for last six months of the year compared with a loss of 49,000 in the same period last year.

Sales rose to 4.83 million from 4.33m. Following the results, the group's founder, Samuel Kaye, increased his already significant stake in the company. He bought 300,000 shares at 31p each and now has more than 9.1 million shares in the company.

• Michael Jankowski, a non-executive director at Borders-based potato supplier Produce Investments, has bought 1,000 shares at 170p each. He now holds 757,969 shares.

• Matthew Cadbury, a director at engineering group Tex Holdings, has bought 67,435 shares at 69p each, taking his stake up to 97,435 shares.

• Directors at stockbroking group WH Ireland have continued to increase their holdings in the company.

Chief executive Paul Compton bought 150,000 shares to increase his stake to more than one million, and chairman Rupert Low bought 145,000, all at 58.5p, and now holds a similar number to Compton. A week earlier they had gone into the market to buy shares at 50p each.

• Two directors of venture capital trust Hygea have increased their holdings. Chairman James Otter purchased 10,000 shares at 58p each and is now interested in 24,050 shares. Director John Hustler bought 7,500 shares at 56p each and now holds 110,000 shares.

• Gareth Davis, chairman of plumbing and building supplies group Wolseley, has more than doubled his stake in the company. He bought 9,720 shares at 2,142.5p each to take his holding up to 13,038 shares

• Richard Meddings, finance director at banking group Standard Chartered, sold 10,159 shares at 1,691p each, although he retains a stake of 120,000 shares. Chief executive Peter Sands also recently disposed of 13,391 shares.