Rightmove founder sells 1%

Rightmove managing director Ed Williams has sold nearly 1% of the estate agency for just short of £8m.

Williams was the founder of the rightmove.co.uk website that formed the basis of the group. He has sold nearly 1.14m shares at 699.9325p each. That leaves Williams with 1.1% of Rightmove. The imminent increase in the rate of capital gains tax may have been in his mind when he decided to sell.

The disposal was made last Friday ahead of today's announcement of house price inflation figures by Rightmove. The annual rate of house price inflation picked up from 4.3% to 5%, but Rightmove expects this to ease back as conditions get tougher later in the year.

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Sellers and tenants face tougher times as deficit reduction measures, such as the rumoured CGT increase, disrupt the fragile housing recovery, it said.

Rightmove's commercial director Miles Shipside added that a continued dearth of mortgage availability and a recent surge in sellers will also knock confidence.

"These factors are likely to put an end to this year's recovery in house prices," Shipside said.

Top Director Buys

CPP Group (CPP) Director name: Mr Charles Henry GregsonAmount purchased: 24,000 @ 270.00p Value: £64,800

Taylor Wimpey (TW.) Director name: Mr Peter RedfernAmount purchased: 159,035 @ 31.44p Value: £50,001

Shire Plc (SHP) Director name: Ms Anne Minto OBEAmount purchased: 2,228 @ 1,453.64p Value: £32,387

Inland (INL) Director name: Mr Nishith Motilal Meghji MaldeAmount purchased: 100,000 @ 18.95p Value: £18,950

Symphony Environmental Technologies (SYM) Director name: Mr Michael StephenAmount purchased: 100,000 @ 10.62p Value: £10,620

Top Director Sells

Rightmove (RMV) Director name: Mr Edmund WilliamsAmount sold: 1,136,068 @ 699.93p Value: £7,951,681

Hargreaves Lansdown (HL.) Director name: Ms Tracey TaylorAmount sold: 201,175 @ 347.00p Value: £698,077

Pearson (PSON) Director name: Mr John MakinsonAmount sold: 40,000 @ 957.71p Value: £383,084

Soco International (SIA) Director name: Mr Rui C De SousaAmount sold: 54,608 @ 426.00p Value: £232,630