(Sharecast News) - AstraZeneca revealed on Friday that chief executive officer Pascal Soriot had acquired 20,000 ordinary shares in the FTSE 100-listed drugmaker.

Soriot, who took over as CEO in 2012, purchased the shares on Thursday at an average price of 10,203.0p each, for a total value of £2.04m.

As of 1600 GMT, AstraZeneca shares were down 3.05 at 9,978.0p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

Top Director Buys

Astrazeneca (AZN)

Director name: Soriot,Pascal

Amount purchased: 20,000 @ 10,203.00p

Value: �2,040,599.98

Taseko Mines Limited Npv (di) (TKO)

Director name: Hallbauer,Russell

Amount purchased: 100,000 @ $2.83

Value: $167,425.90

Taseko Mines Limited Npv (di) (TKO)

Director name: Hallbauer,Russell

Amount purchased: 100,000 @ $2.82

Value: $166,834.29

Tbc Bank Group (TBCG)

Director name: Berggren,Arne

Amount purchased: 2,500 @ 3,131.00p

Value: �78,275.00

(CABP)

Director name: Chishti,Susanne

Amount purchased: 96,866 @ 71.90p

Value: �69,646.65

Spectris (SXS)

Director name: Heath ,Andrew

Amount purchased: 2,406 @ 2,479.94p

Value: �59,667.45

Bank Of Ireland Group (cdi) (BIRG)

Director name: O'Grady,Myles

Amount purchased: 6,776 @ 8.76

Value: 59,371.31

Advanced Medical Solutions Group (AMS)

Director name: Meredith,A Christopher (Chris)

Amount purchased: 26,089 @ 224.50p

Value: �58,569.80

(CABP)

Director name: Chishti,Susanne

Amount purchased: 69,092 @ 72.00p

Value: �49,746.24

Conduit Holdings Limited Com Shs (di) (CRE)

Director name: Redmond,Stephen

Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 482.00p

Value: �48,200.00

Advanced Medical Solutions Group (AMS)

Director name: Johnson,Eddie

Amount purchased: 17,229 @ 224.50p

Value: �38,679.10

Bank Of Ireland Group (cdi) (BIRG)

Director name: Spain ,Mark

Amount purchased: 4,279 @ 8.76

Value: 37,492.60

Power Metal Resources (POW)

Director name: Wade,Sean

Amount purchased: 200,000 @ 12.38p

Value: �24,750.00

Spectris (SXS)

Director name: Heath ,Andrew

Amount purchased: 890 @ 2,476.39p

Value: �22,039.89

Spectris (SXS)

Director name: Heath ,Andrew

Amount purchased: 760 @ 2,481.41p

Value: �18,858.74

Urban Logistics Reit (SHED)

Director name: Anderson,Bruce

Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 110.74p

Value: �11,074.00

Mcbride (MCB)

Director name: Strickland,Mark

Amount purchased: 9,500 @ 97.32p

Value: �9,245.40

Earnz (EARN)

Director name: Charlton,John

Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 5.80p

Value: �5,800.00

Castings (CGS)

Director name: Vicary,Adam

Amount purchased: 1,500 @ 267.00p

Value: �4,005.00

Mortgage Advice Bureau (holdings) (MAB1)

Director name: Thompson,Ben

Amount purchased: 26 @ 600.00p

Value: �156.00

Top Director Sells

Advanced Medical Solutions Group (AMS)

Director name: Johnson,Eddie

Amount sold: 34,235 @ 217.58p

Value: �74,488.52

Advanced Medical Solutions Group (AMS)

Director name: Meredith,A Christopher (Chris)

Amount sold: 29,199 @ 218.37p

Value: �63,761.86

Bank Of Ireland Group (cdi) (BIRG)

Director name: O'Grady,Myles

Amount sold: 3,146 @ 8.91

Value: 28,045.02

Bank Of Ireland Group (cdi) (BIRG)

Director name: Spain ,Mark

Amount sold: 1,987 @ 8.91

Value: 17,713.11