Reckitt chief raises £6.5m from share sales

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

Reckitt Benckiser chief executive Bart Becht has raised £6.5m from share sales in the household products supplier in the last two trading days of May.

Becht has sold 20,594 shares the day after disposing of 179,406 shares. The latest disposal is at 3250.25p a share, just below the 3250.83p a share achieved the day before.

Becht also gave 150,000 shares to a charitable trust last week. This remains part of his non-beneficial shareholding. He has made a number of transfers to the trust over the past few months.

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Becht retains just over 1.68m shares in Reckitt Benckiser, which are worth more than £54m. He also has a non-beneficial holding in just short of 3m shares.

At the Reckitt Benckiser AGM in May just over 16% of the votes cast were against that directors' remuneration report. Becht had received £90m in 2009, including £87m worth of share options. However, Becht donated shares worth £110m to the charitable trust prior to the latest transfer.

Becht has been chief executive of Reckitt Benckiser for more than one decade. He had been with Benckiser for more than 11 years when it merged with Reckitt at the end of 1999.

Top Director Buys

Lupus Capital (LUP) Director name: Mr Les Tench Amount purchased: 55,000 @ 91.47p Value: £50,308

Soco International (SIA) Director name: Mr Rui C De SousaAmount purchased: 65,000 @ 60.00p Value: £39,000

Vernalis (VER) Director name: Dr George M KennedyAmount purchased: 100,000 @ 37.00p Value: £37,000

Land Securities Group (LAND) Director name: Mr Christopher BartramAmount purchased: 2,500 @ 604.50p Value: £15,112

Renovo Group (RNVO) Director name: Mr Rodger PannoneAmount purchased: 40,000 @ 26.00p Value: £10,400

Top Director Sells

Bankers Petroleum Ltd (BNK) Director name: Mr Robert M D CrossAmount sold: 1,000,000 @ 503.75p Value: £5,037,500

Bankers Petroleum Ltd (BNK) Director name: Mr Robert M D CrossAmount sold: 170,900 @ 505.18p Value: £863,353

Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.) Director name: Mr Bart BechtAmount sold: 20,594 @ 3,250.25p Value: £669,356

St. Modwen Properties (SMP) Director name: Mr Anthony GlossopAmount sold: 48,500 @ 180.00p Value: £87,300