Director dealings: Ascential CEO offloads shares

Ascential revealed on Wednesday that chief executive Duncan Painter had disposed of 80,610 ordinary shares in the FTSE 250-listed business-to-business media firm.

Painter, who took over as CEO in 2011, sold the shares on Tuesday at an average price of 268.13p each, for a total value of £216,141.45.

Ascential said on Monday that it had agreed to sell its digital commerce business and its product design business, WGSN, for a combined £1.4bn. The digital commerce business will be sold to Omnicom for around £741.0m, while WGSN will be sold to Apax Partners for up to £700.0m.

As of 1600 GMT, Ascential shares were up 1.38% at 265.40p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

Top Director Buys

Ceiba Investments Limited Npv (CBA)
Director name: Kingsnorth,Colin
Amount purchased: 1,400,000 @ 29.50p
Value: �412,999.98

Big Technologies (BIG)
Director name: Morris,Daren John
Amount purchased: 100,000 @ 182.00p
Value: �182,000.01

Symphony International Holdings Ltd. (SIHL)
Director name: Thadani,Anil
Amount purchased: 133,001 @ $0.48
Value: $63,800.58

Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (di) (reg S, Cat3) (PPHC)
Director name: Chess,William (Bill) Robert
Amount purchased: 42,000 @ 114.50p
Value: �48,090.00

Public Policy Holding Company, Inc. (di) (reg S, Cat3) (PPHC)
Director name: Williams,Zachary Wayne
Amount purchased: 36,200 @ 115.00p
Value: �41,630.00

Windar Photonics (WPHO)
Director name: Hodges,Paul
Amount purchased: 50,000 @ 48.50p
Value: �24,250.00

Allianz Technology Trust (ATT)
Director name: Scholefield,Tim
Amount purchased: 4,250 @ 246.23p
Value: �10,464.95

Hydrogen Utopia International (HUI)
Director name: Mann ,Simon Francis
Amount purchased: 142,000 @ 6.98p
Value: �9,904.50

Hydrogen Utopia International (HUI)
Director name: White,Howard
Amount purchased: 165,000 @ 6.00p
Value: �9,900.00

Bp (BP.)
Director name: Auchincloss,Murray
Amount purchased: 3,614 @ 249.00p
Value: �8,998.86

(ART)
Director name: Hewitt,Gavin Wallace
Amount purchased: 7,685 @ 64.90p
Value: �4,987.56

Hydrogen Utopia International (HUI)
Director name: Formanko,Paul
Amount purchased: 75,000 @ 6.45p
Value: �4,836.75

Hydrogen Utopia International (HUI)
Director name: Medlicott,Steve
Amount purchased: 8,771 @ 6.50p
Value: �570.11

Top Director Sells

Avation (AVAP)
Director name: Chatfield,Robert Jeffries
Amount sold: 300,000 @ 125.00p
Value: �375,000.00

Ascential (ASCL)
Director name: Painter,Duncan
Amount sold: 80,610 @ 268.13p
Value: �216,141.45