Incoming United Utilities boss splashes out

United Utilities' incoming chief executive has spent £400,000 on shares in the water supplier.

Steven Mogford, who will take the reins at United Utilities on 31 March, took 70,814 shares at 564.9p a time, his first purchase of shares in the company.

Mogford's appointment was announced in November. He is moving to United Utilities from the defence electronics company SELEX Galileo, which is owned by the Italian aerospace and defence group Finmeccanica. He has also been a chief operating officer of British Aerospace.

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United Utilities, which owns and operates the water network in the northwest of England and serves about 7m people, said its confident of delivering a "solid underlying financial performance" for the year to 31 March.

Top Director Buys

United Utilities Group (UU.) Director name: Mr Steven L MogfordAmount purchased: 70,814 @ 564.86p Value: £400,000

3i Group (III) Director name: Mr Michael James QueenAmount purchased: 100,000 @ 283.33p Value: £283,330

Unilever (ULVR) Director name: Mr Paul PolmanAmount purchased: 9,932 @ 1,835.00p Value: £182,252

F&C Asset Management (FCAM) Director name: Mr Edward BramsonAmount purchased: 195,000 @ 77.42p Value: £150,969

Centamin Egypt Ltd. (CEY) Director name: Mr Harry Michael Amount purchased: 50,000 @ 124.92p Value: £62,460

Unilever (ULVR) Director name: Mr Jean-Marc Hut Amount purchased: 5,047 @ 1,835.00p Value: £92,612

Informa (INF) Director name: Mr Adam WalkerAmount purchased: 18,860 @ 397.70p Value: £75,006

Avanti Communications Group (AVN) Director name: Mr David J WilliamsAmount purchased: 11,895 @ 416.00p Value: £49,483

Witan Inv Trust (WTAN) Director name: Mr Andrew L C BellAmount purchased: 10,000 @ 483.50p Value: £48,350

International Ferro Metals Group (IFL) Director name: Mr John BallardAmount purchased: 200,000 @ 23.31p Value: £46,620

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F&C Asset Management (FCAM) Director name: Mr Alain GrisayAmount sold: 1,000,000 @ 77.12p Value: £771,200

Michael Page International (MPI) Director name: Mr Stephen InghamAmount sold: 110,676 @ 504.00p Value: £557,807

Michael Page International (MPI) Director name: Mr Stephen PuckettAmount sold: 110,650 @ 504.00p Value: £557,676

Michael Page International (MPI) Director name: Mr Stephen InghamAmount sold: 73,307 @ 504.00p Value: £369,467

Michael Page International (MPI) Director name: Mr Stephen PuckettAmount sold: 58,259 @ 504.00p Value: £293,625

Close Brothers Group (CBG) Director name: Mr Preben PrebensenAmount sold: 32,120 @ 839.67p Value: £269,702

Spirax-Sarco Engineering (SPX) Director name: Mr Tony ScrivinAmount sold: 11,727 @ 1,857.95p Value: £217,882

Senior (SNR) Director name: Mr Mark RollinsAmount sold: 156,146 @ 134.89p Value: £210,625

Rolls-Royce Group (RR.) Director name: Mr James M GuyetteAmount sold: 34,110 @ 570.76p Value: £194,686