The chairman of ceramics, electronics and precious metals supplier Cookson Jeffrey Harris has increased his holding in the company by 50%, spending more than £60,000 on shares.He took 10,000 shares at 616.2p a go and now has 30,000. Shares in the company have rallied sharply since his last purchase in September, when he took 10,000 shares at 424p a time.In an update last month, Harris said Cookson's surging profits in 2010 demonstrate how well it has recovered from the 2008/09 global economic crisis. He said trading over the first four months of 2011 has been "very encouraging."Harris is also chairman of the distribution and outsourcing firm Bunzl and a non-executive director at the newsagent chain WH Smith.The ceramics business, which trades under the brand names Vesuvius and Foseco, is Cookson's largest division, accounting for more than 60% of profits and revenues in 2010.Top Director BuysCookson Group (CKSN) Director name: Mr Jeffrey Francis HarrisAmount purchased: 10,000 @ 616.24p Value: £61,624F&C Asset Management (FCAM) Director name: Mr Edward BramsonAmount purchased: 35,367 @ 74.22p Value: £26,249F&C Asset Management (FCAM) Director name: Mr Edward BramsonAmount purchased: 35,367 @ 74.22p Value: £26,249Green Dragon Gas Ltd. (DI) (GDG) Director name: Mr David TurnbullAmount purchased: 2,000 @ $9.50 Value: $19,000Top Director SellsInvestec (INVP) Director name: Mr Hendrik du ToitAmount sold: 281,250 @ 475.00p Value: £1,335,938Halma (HLMA) Director name: Mr Neil QuinnAmount sold: 21,000 @ 399.02p Value: £83,794
Subscribe to MoneyWeek
Subscribe to MoneyWeek today and get your first six magazine issues absolutely FREE
Sign up to Money Morning
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
Don't miss the latest investment and personal finances news, market analysis, plus money-saving tips with our free twice-daily newsletter
-
Thousands of estates are sitting unclaimed in the UK – is your family name on the list?More than 5,700 unclaimed estates are on a government list waiting to be found by living relatives. We take a look at the list, and explain how to make a claim
-
420,000 more pensioners to be dragged into paying income tax – how does tax on the state pension work?Hundreds of thousands more pensioners will need to pay tax on their pension income at the end of this tax year, new HMRC data shows. We look at how taxation on the state pension works.
