Logica CEO remains confident, ups stake

A round-up of the biggest director buys today so far.

Logica's chief executive officer has raised his stake in the computing firm on the same day that shares sank over 7%.

Alan Green, who took up his position on the board in January 2008, bought 100,000 shares in the group at a price of 81.95p a share for a total of £81,950.

The move coincides with news that the company reported weakening margins and revenues in the third quarter, news which sent the share price falling more than 8%.

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Logica has consequently lowered its forecast for full year operating margin to between 6.5% and 7%.

Speaking about the news, 55-year-old Green, who spent many years at the helm of BT, said: "We've seen slower demand with some of our clients where spending is just a bit lower than we might have expected."

The firm, which has lost more than 38% of its share price in the past year, blamed the drop on spending cuts on IT services in the Benelux region, and now expects revenue growth of as little as 3%.

The news received mixed reviews from brokers, with Panmure Gordon saying it is pleased with the interim management statement, while Singer Capital Markets have put its buy rating under review.

Top Director Buys

F&C Asset Management (FCAM)

Director name: Mr Edward Bramson

Amount purchased: 200,000 @ 73.37p

Value: £146,740

Charles Taylor Consulting (CTR)

Director name: Mr David Gideon Marock

Amount purchased: 30,000 @ 128.00p

Value: £38,400

Air Partner (AIP)

Director name: Mr Andrew Wood

Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 364.00p

Value: £36,400

Driver Group (DRV)

Director name: Mr Alan McClue

Amount purchased: 50,000 @ 25.00p

Value: £12,500

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