Pearson's Scardino pockets £460,000

Marjorie Scardino, the chief executive of the Financial Times and Penguin books publisher Pearson, has been selling shares in the company.

She netted about £460,000 from the sale of 40,000 shares, half of them at 1,153p a time and half at 1,150p. She still has about 1.28 shares in the company.

Shares in Pearson are up by more than 20% over the past year.

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The firm, which generates approximately 60% of its sales in the US, said earlier this month that first quarter revenue increased 9%, boosted by its education and publishing division, and still expects margin and earnings growth in 2011.

The group, which has recently acquired a string of acquisitions including US software firm Schoolnet, said revenue at constant currencies rose 10% to £1.03bn.

Scardino, an American, used to publish the Georgia Gazette with her husband, before becoming a pillar of the UK establishment as a Dame of the British Empire and a member of the advisory boards of the Victoria & Albert Museum and Oxfam.

Top Director Buys

RSM Tenon Group (TNO) Director name: Mr Arthur Leonard Robert (Bob) MortonAmount purchased: 13,625,000 @ 22.00p Value: £2,997,500

KBC Advanced Technologies (KBC) Director name: Mr Oliver Rupert Andrew ScottAmount purchased: 25,000 @ 72.00p Value: £18,000

Densitron Technologies (DSN) Director name: Mr Grahame FalconerAmount purchased: 110,000 @ 9.75p Value: £10,725

Top Director SellsPearson (PSON) Director name: Ms Marjorie ScardinoAmount sold: 20,000 @ 1,153.00p Value: £230,600

Pearson (PSON) Director name: Ms Marjorie ScardinoAmount sold: 20,000 @ 1,150.00p Value: £230,000