BBA boss buys into slump

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

The chief executive of BBA Aviation Simon Pryce has taken advantage of a recent dip in the aircraft service company's share price to spend more than £100,000 on shares.

He bought 100,000 shares in the company at 102p a time, lifting his holding to 317,780 shares.

The company, which provides services such as refuelling for airlines, has seen its share price fall by nearly a third in the past month.

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Pryce has been lifting his stake in the company steadily over the past year, paying less each time. Last November he bought 20,000 shares at just over 200p a time.

Back in August, revenues in the six months to June 30 climbed by 15% from the same period a year ago to £560.5m. BBA said 9% of this rise was due to the higher oil price.

"We now expect that our performance in the second half of 2008 will be broadly similar to the first half, assuming that there is no further adverse impact from the widespread economic slowdown," Pryce said at the time.

However, the global economic outlook has deteriorated since then and oil prices now sit around $90 a barrel having approached $150 just a few months ago.

Pryce, a qualified chartered accountant, was appointed chief executive of BBA in June 2007. He previously spent nine years at the technology and engineering firm GKN.

Top Director Buys

Lookers (LOOK)

Director name: Mr D C A Bramall

Amount purchased: 397,000 @ 33.50p

Value: £132,995

BBA Aviation (BBA)

Director name: Mr Simon Pryce

Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 102.00p

Value: £102,000

Pacific Alliance China Land Limited (PACL)

Director name: Mr Horst J F Geicke

Amount purchased: 50,000 @ $0.73

Value: $36,250

John Wood Group (WG.)

Director name: Mr Mike Straughen

Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 257.50p

Value: £25,750

Senior (SNR)

Director name: Mr Martin Clark

Amount purchased: 30,000 @ 72.50p

Value: £21,750

Standard Chartered (STAN)

Director name: Mr Richard H Meddings

Amount purchased: 1,528 @ 1,400.00p

Value: £21,392

Aricom (ORE)

Director name: Mr Brian Egan

Amount purchased: 107,622 @ 18.60p

Value: £20,018

London Capital Group (LCG)

Director name: Mr Simon David Denham

Amount purchased: 7,720 @ 254.90p

Value: £19,678

Aricom (ORE)

Director name: Mr Jay Hambro

Amount purchased: 110,000 @ 17.70p

Value: £19,470

Aricom (ORE)

Director name: Mr Yuri Makarov

Amount purchased: 110,000 @ 17.70p

Value: £19,470

Top Director Sells

Bunzl (BNZL)

Director name: Mr Patrick Larmon

Amount sold: 27,928 @ 623.70p

Value: £174,187