Viscount Rothermere, the chairman of newspaper publisher and exhibitions organiser Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT), has sold £5m worth of shares.
Viscount Rothermere sold 909,974 A ordinary non-voting shares at 550.57p each. He still owns 20.7% of the A non-voting shares, or just over 75m.
Earlier this month DMGT said underlying revenue in the final three months of 2010 was 5% ahead.
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The group's Business to Business (B2B) operations in the three months to 2 January - the first quarter of the group's financial year - were up 19% from a year earlier at £220m, and posted an underlying improvement of 11%, primarily due to the biennial timing of events.
Underlying figures are calculated on a like-for-like basis, adjusted for acquisitions, disposals and closures made in the current and prior year and at constant exchange rates.
In the Consumer Media division revenues from A&N Media eased 1% from a year earlier to £277m but were up 1% on an underlying basis.
Associated Newspapers' total revenues for the quarter rose by 1% to £211m, an underlying increase of 5%. Underlying circulation revenues were 1% lower, but both the Daily Mail and The Mail on Sunday improved their market share, and both titles achieved record shares in December. Total underlying advertising revenues were up 6%.
Trading in January has seen underlying advertising revenues for Associated Newspapers 2% ahead of last year.
Net debt at 2nd January, 2011 stood at £910m, up from £862m on 3 October, 2010, due to seasonal cash outflows.
Top Director Buys
BP (BP.) Director name: Mr Iain C ConnAmount purchased: 155,695 @ 491.00p Value: £764,462
Avanti Communications Group (AVN) Director name: Mr David J BestwickAmount purchased: 30,000 @ 504.00p Value: £151,200
Avanti Communications Group (AVN) Director name: Mr David J WilliamsAmount purchased: 20,000 @ 504.00p Value: £100,800
Ceramic Fuel Cells Ltd. (CFU) Director name: Mr Roy RoseAmount purchased: 100,000 @ 7.73p Value: £7,730
Top Director Sells
Daily Mail and General Trust (DMGT) Director name: The Viscount RothermereAmount purchased: 909,974 @ 550.57p Value: £5,010,044
