Capital Shopping Deputy Chairman fills his basket

John Whittaker, Deputy Chairman of Capital Shopping Centres, the FTSE 100 shopping centre operator, has taken 28,250 shares to the till.

His purchases, 324.80p each, cost him a total of £124,236.

Whittaker may have been making the most of the firm's share price, which is down 68p or 17.5% over the last year, and 24p or 7% the past month.

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The decline in the price comes despite an upbeat statement from the company towards the end of February with the management boasting that the performance of the Manchester shopping centre had exceeded expectations.

The shopping centres operator, which also owns the Lakeside centre in Thurrock, Essex, said net rental income rose 31% in 2011 to £364m from £277m in 2010 following its acquisition of the Trafford Centre.

Underlying earnings were up 43% to £139m from £97m the year before as the effect of the Trafford Centre purchase, made at the beginning of the year, began to boost income.

Top Director Buys

Minera IRL Ltd. (MIRL)

Director name: Mr Napoleon Valdez Ferrand

Amount purchased: 500,000 @ 64.00p

Value: £320,000

Capital Shopping Centres Group (CSCG)

Director name: Mr John Whittaker

Amount purchased: 38,250 @ 324.80p

Value: £124,236

Bahamas Petroleum Co (BPC)

Director name: Mr Simon Potter

Amount purchased: 1,000,000 @ 10.50p

Value: £105,000

Petra Diamonds Ltd.(DI) (PDL)

Director name: Mr Gordon Hamilton

Amount purchased: 50,000 @ 162.00p

Value: £81,000

Mariana Resources Ltd. (MARL)

Director name: Mr Ray Angus

Amount purchased: 500,000 @ 7.25p

Value: £36,250

Publishing Technology (PTO)

Director name: Mr Martyn C Rose

Amount purchased: 50,000 @ 44.50p

Value: £22,250

Macfarlane Group (MACF)

Director name: Mr Archie S Hunter

Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 19.40p

Value: £19,400

Taylor Wimpey (TW.)

Director name: Mr Ryan Mangold

Amount purchased: 23,000 @ 48.28p

Value: £11,104

Macfarlane Group (MACF)

Director name: Mr John Love

Amount purchased: 50,000 @ 20.00p

Value: £10,000

Top Director Sells

Centrica (CNA)

Director name: Mr W Sam H Laidlaw

Amount sold: 902,593 @ 312.00p

Value: £2,816,090

Centrica (CNA)

Director name: Mr Nick Luff

Amount sold: 550,476 @ 312.00p

Value: £1,717,485

Centrica (CNA)

Director name: Mr Mark Hanafin

Amount sold: 495,433 @ 312.00p

Value: £1,545,751

Centrica (CNA)

Director name: Mr Chris Weston

Amount sold: 431,145 @ 312.00p

Value: £1,345,172

Minera IRL Ltd. (MIRL)

Director name: Ms Courtney Chamberlain

Amount sold: 2,000,000 @ 64.00p

Value: £1,280,000

Mears Group (MER)

Director name: Mr Andrew C M Smith

Amount sold: 185,031 @ 260.00p

Value: £481,081

Centrica (CNA)

Director name: Mr Phillip Bentley

Amount sold: 147,997 @ 312.00p

Value: £461,751

Fisher (James) & Sons (FSJ)

Director name: Mr Timothy C Harris

Amount sold: 71,747 @ 605.00p

Value: £434,069

Centrica (CNA)

Director name: Mr Nick Luff

Amount sold: 121,080 @ 312.00p

Value: £377,770

Centrica (CNA)

Director name: Mr Mark Hanafin

Amount sold: 114,594 @ 312.00p

Value: £357,533

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