CLS chief exec builds up stake

Richard Tice, chief executive of the property investment group CLS Holdings, has spent more than £250,000 building his stake in the group.

He took 40,000 shares at just over 645p a time and now has nearly 260,000, or about 0.57% of the company.

In March, CLS reported close to a fourfold increase in annual profit, despite difficult conditions and spending cuts in the UK, after gains from revaluation of investment properties.

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Pre-tax profit rose 283% to £70.9m in the year ended 31 December 2010. Net assets rose 16% to £357.2m. Property revaluation gained £30.1m compared with a loss of £6.7m the year before.

CLS said its £877m property investment portfolio in London, France, Germany and Sweden benefited from its exposure to four different economies.

Tice joined CLS last year. He was joint chief executive of property group Sunley for 15 years until 2006, when he arranged a shareholder exit prior to the 2007 downturn. He then became managing director of his own boutique property firm.

Top Director BuysNew Europe Property Investments (NEPI) Director name: Mr Martin SlabbertAmount purchased: 337,500 @ €2.99 Value: €1,009,125

New Europe Property Investments (NEPI) Director name: Mr Victor Semionov Amount purchased: 170,000 @ €2.99 Value: €508,300

CLS Holdings (CLI) Director name: Mr Richard TiceAmount purchased: 40,000 @ 645.09p Value: £258,036

Avocet Mining (AVM) Director name: Mr Brett Allan Richards Amount purchased: 20,000 @ 201.20p Value: £40,240

Xstrata (XTA) Director name: Sir John BondAmount purchased: 1,000 @ 1,425.38p Value: £14,254

Top Director SellsCape (CIU) Director name: Mr Martin K MayAmount sold: 190,122 @ 522.15p Value: £992,722

ARM Holdings (ARM) Director name: Mr Mike MullerAmount sold: 100,000 @ 598.50p Value: £598,500

ARM Holdings (ARM) Director name: Mr Mike MullerAmount sold: 100,000 @ 596.10p Value: £596,100

Cape (CIU) Director name: Mr Richard Keith BinghamAmount sold: 68,182 @ 522.15p Value: £356,012

Sandvine Corp. (SAND) Director name: Mr Dave CaputoAmount sold: 14,800 @ 146.29p Value: £21,651