Land Secs FD increases stake

A round-up of the biggest director deals today so far.

Land Securities finance director Martin Greenslade has been adding to his shareholding.

He bought 11,000 shares at 612.4p each. This £67,000 investment took his stake to 470,029 shares.

Chief executive Francis Salway and London Portfolio MD Robert Noel have also been buying in recent weeks.

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Greenslade became finance director of the UK's largest REIT in September 2005.

Last week Land Securities said it made progress in its first quarter, but it cautioned that the overall picture remains mixed with demand strong in some property sectors but weak in others.

The company said that there was strong investor demand in some sub-markets, but early evidence of price resistance in others.

Total property sales in the quarter totalled £302.9m at 2.6% above March 2010 valuation and an average yield of 1%. Acquisitions were £174.6m at an average yield of 5.6%, with the O2 Centre, Finchley Road, in London and the Westgate Centre in Oxford accounting for most of that.

In the investment portfolio, voids dipped to 5.7% from 5.9% while units in administration fell to 0.8%.

"There was good progress on lettings, success in selling properties into the areas of strongest investor demand, improvements to debt facilities from further treasury initiatives, progress on its London development pipeline and a start announced for the first large retail development in recent times at Trinity Leeds," said Salway.

Top Director Buys

Polo Resources (POL) Director name: Mr Neil Lindsey HerbertAmount purchased: 4,000,000 @ 5.95p Value: £238,000

Polo Resources (POL) Director name: Mr James (Jim) MellonAmount purchased: 2,000,000 @ 5.88p Value: £117,600

Land Securities Group (LAND) Director name: Mr Martin F GreensladeAmount purchased: 11,000 @ 612.40p Value: £67,364

Polo Resources (POL) Director name: Mr James (Jim) MellonAmount purchased: 1,000,000 @ 5.90p Value: £59,000

KEFI Minerals (KEFI) Director name: Mr Ian Rutherford PlimerAmount purchased: 1,600,000 @ 0.80p Value: £12,800

Avon Rubber (AVON) Director name: Ms Stella J PirieAmount purchased: 10,000 @ 116.50p Value: £11,650

Top Director Sells

Asian Citrus (ACHL) Director name: Mr Pang YiAmount sold: 1,410,000 @ 43.78p Value: £617,298

Asian Citrus (ACHL) Director name: Mr Chi Keung SungAmount sold: 200,000 @ 43.78p Value: £87,560

JD Wetherspoon (JDW) Director name: Mr Su CacioppoAmount sold: 8,000 @ 425.00p Value: £34,000