BuyBuy for TalkTalk non-exec

21st Nov 2011 12:27

A non-executive director of both broadband provider TalkTalk and mobile phone seller Carphone Warehouse has made a double purchase, phoning in orders for shares in both firms.John Allwood bought 10,000 shares at 134.80p for a total of £13,480 in TalkTalk, and 3,500 shares at 311.00p in Carphone Warehouse, which he joined last year, for £10,885. Earlier this month the Carphone Warehouse announced that it is to close its 'big-box' Best Buy stores in the UK, sell off its interest in Best Buy Mobile and return a chunk of money to shareholders. The company anticipates further operating losses of around £25m-£30m through to closure. The cash costs of closure are expected to amount to a further £65-75m after tax. Non-cash asset write downs are expected to be in the region of £40m-£45m. Meanwhile, TalkTalk saw a rise in pre-tax profits despite a fall in revenue for the half year ended 30 September. Revenue fell 4.8% from £887m last year to £884m, but profit before tax rose from £17m to £41m on a like-for-like basis. Profit was largely boosted by a significant reduction in cost of sales, from £450m to £409m. Rupert Murdoch, the chairman and chief executive of media group News Corporation, has trousered around $61.7m through the sale of 3.63m non-voting shares in the Sun newspaper owner.The disposal virtually reverses a purchase of 4m non-voting shares he made back in February, when the company was being rocked by developments in the phone hacking scandal surrounding the News of the World, the Sunday newspaper which News Corporation subsequently shut down.Top Director BuysAnglo American (AAL) Director name: Mr Ray O'RourkeAmount purchased: 42,465 @ 2,351.37p Value: £998,509Anglo American (AAL) Director name: Mr Peter WoickeAmount purchased: 7,500 @ 2,369.91p Value: £177,743Picton Property Income Ltd (PCTN) Director name: Mr Trevor AshAmount purchased: 100,000 @ 40.95p Value: £40,950TalkTalk Telecom Group (TALK) Director name: Mr John AllwoodAmount purchased: 10,000 @ 134.80p Value: £13,480Carphone Warehouse Group (CPW) Director name: Mr John AllwoodAmount purchased: 3,500 @ 311.00p Value: £10,885Top Director SellsNews Corp. 'A' Shares (NCRA) Director name: Mr Rupert MurdochAmount sold: 2,628,227 @ $17.07 Value: $44,863,835News Corp. 'A' Shares (NCRA) Director name: Mr Rupert MurdochAmount sold: 1,005,084 @ $16.76 Value: $16,845,208Michael Page International (MPI) Director name: Mr Stephen PuckettAmount sold: 319,229 @ 380.00p Value: £1,213,070Michael Page International (MPI) Director name: Mr Stephen PuckettAmount sold: 159,977 @ 376.00p Value: £601,514Michael Page International (MPI) Director name: Mr Stephen PuckettAmount sold: 115,466 @ 377.00p Value: £435,307Mood Media Corp. (DI) (MM.) Director name: Mr Justin BeckettAmount sold: 90,300 @ 163.14p Value: £147,315Hiscox Ltd. (HSX) Director name: Mr Robert HiscoxAmount sold: 55,000 @ 389.28p Value: £214,104Abcam (ABC) Director name: Prof. Tony KouzaridesAmount sold: 60,000 @ 352.00p Value: £211,200Michael Page International (MPI) Director name: Mr Stephen PuckettAmount sold: 50,000 @ 380.00p Value: £190,000Spirent Communications (SPT) Director name: Mr William BurnsAmount sold: 158,012 @ 111.66p Value: £176,436NR