Director dealings: Asos boss and finance chief cash in

Asos's chief and finance director both sold a substantial number of shares in online fashion retailer following the vesting of options granted to them in January 2015 under the aegis of the company's incentive plan.

Between 31 October and 1 November, company boss Nick Beighton sold 33,614 shares at an individual price of 5,684p, for a total transaction amount of roughly £1.911m, Asos said in a statement.

Finance chief Helen Ashton did the same with 6,081 shares at the same price, pocketing £345,645 in exchange.

Their share sales came just as the stock ran into its 200-day moving average which lay at 5,620p.

Roughly a fortnight earlier, the firm had reported record full-year pre-tax profits that were up by 145% to £80m, on a 33% jump in sales to £1.9bn.

In reaction, two days after the release of Asos's latest set of financials, analysts at HSBC upgraded their recommendation on the stock to a 'buy', lifting their target from 6,250p to 6,650p in the process.

To take note of, in early 2014 the shares had hit a record high at 6,636p.

HSBC said investing in long-term growth is the right strategy for two reasons. Firstly, increased capex should be offset by the ability to deliver higher long-term growth and EBIT margins. It said that a better invested/more efficient operating platform will be able to leverage higher volume-led top-line growth and scale benefits.

Secondly, it will extend the group’s 'best in class' customer service proposition and barriers to entry, the analysts said.

Top Director Buys

Cpp Group (CPP)
Director name: Lapthorne,Richard D
Amount purchased: 3,000,000 @ 12.50p
Value: £375,000.00

Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.)
Director name: Sinclair,Christopher
Amount purchased: 2,800 @ 6,597.50p
Value: £184,729.89

Plus500 Ltd (di) (PLUS)
Director name: Fairbairn,Michael (Mark) Charles
Amount purchased: 7,500 @ 1,040.33p
Value: £78,024.75

Plus500 Ltd (di) (PLUS)
Director name: Fairbairn,Michael (Mark) Charles
Amount purchased: 5,000 @ 1,039.71p
Value: £51,985.50

(VEL)
Director name: Turner,Peter Graham
Amount purchased: 55,555 @ 90.00p
Value: £49,999.50

Plus500 Ltd (di) (PLUS)
Director name: Fairbairn,Michael (Mark) Charles
Amount purchased: 3,000 @ 1,038.71p
Value: £31,161.30

Dialight (DIA)
Director name: Sutsko ,Michael
Amount purchased: 3,220 @ 660.00p
Value: £21,252.00

Applied Graphene Materials (AGM)
Director name: Coleman,Karl
Amount purchased: 55,556 @ 36.00p
Value: £20,000.16

A&j Mucklow Group (MKLW)
Director name: Parker,Justin
Amount purchased: 3,993 @ 495.75p
Value: £19,795.30

Dialight (DIA)
Director name: Sutsko ,Michael
Amount purchased: 2,100 @ 640.00p
Value: £13,440.00

Applied Graphene Materials (AGM)
Director name: Christie,Michael Sean
Amount purchased: 27,778 @ 36.00p
Value: £10,000.08

Dialight (DIA)
Director name: Sutsko ,Michael
Amount purchased: 1,500 @ 637.15p
Value: £9,557.25

Thor Mining (THR)
Director name: Johnson,Paul
Amount purchased: 500,000 @ 1.56p
Value: £7,775.00

Applied Graphene Materials (AGM)
Director name: Townend,Mike
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 36.00p
Value: £5,400.00

Primorus Investments (PRIM)
Director name: Strang,Donald Ian George Layman
Amount purchased: 1,993,894 @ 0.24p
Value: £4,777.37

Applied Graphene Materials (AGM)
Director name: Jones,Gareth Hywel
Amount purchased: 11,111 @ 36.00p
Value: £3,999.96

Applied Graphene Materials (AGM)
Director name: Dobson,Bryan Crawford
Amount purchased: 11,111 @ 36.00p
Value: £3,999.96

B.p. Marsh & Partners (BPM)
Director name: Kenyon ,Millie
Amount purchased: 803 @ 249.00p
Value: £1,999.47

Primorus Investments (PRIM)
Director name: Strang,Donald Ian George Layman
Amount purchased: 747,863 @ 0.24p
Value: £1,800.11

Applied Graphene Materials (AGM)
Director name: Mabbitt,Jon
Amount purchased: 2,778 @ 36.00p
Value: £1,000.08

Primorus Investments (PRIM)
Director name: Strang,Donald Ian George Layman
Amount purchased: 152,249 @ 0.24p
Value: £365.40

Legal & General Group (LGEN)
Director name: Davies,Jeff
Amount purchased: 73 @ 268.90p
Value: £196.30

Legal & General Group (LGEN)
Director name: Procter,Kerrigan
Amount purchased: 72 @ 268.90p
Value: £193.61

Legal & General Group (LGEN)
Director name: Wilson,Nigel
Amount purchased: 72 @ 268.90p
Value: £193.61

Stagecoach Group (SGC)
Director name: Griffiths,Martin Andrew
Amount purchased: 89 @ 169.00p
Value: £150.41

Stagecoach Group (SGC)
Director name: Paterson,Ross
Amount purchased: 89 @ 169.00p
Value: £150.41

Premier Oil (PMO)
Director name: Rose ,Richard
Amount purchased: 213 @ 70.50p
Value: £150.16

Cybg (CYBG)
Director name: Smith,Ian S
Amount purchased: 47 @ 315.85p
Value: £148.45

Ultra Electronics Holdings (ULE)
Director name: Sharma,Ami
Amount purchased: 8 @ 1,822.85p
Value: £145.83

Ultra Electronics Holdings (ULE)
Director name: Sharma,Rakesh
Amount purchased: 8 @ 1,822.85p
Value: £145.83

Ultra Electronics Holdings (ULE)
Director name: Harris,Sharon
Amount purchased: 7 @ 1,822.85p
Value: £127.60

Premier Oil (PMO)
Director name: Durrant ,Tony
Amount purchased: 177 @ 70.50p
Value: £124.78

Premier Oil (PMO)
Director name: Allan,Robin
Amount purchased: 177 @ 70.50p
Value: £124.78

Seeing Machines Ltd. (SEE)
Director name: Crane,Timothy Macmillan
Amount purchased: 156,753 @ n/a
Value: n/a

Seeing Machines Ltd. (SEE)
Director name: Burger,Rudolph
Amount purchased: 236,424 @ n/a
Value: n/a

Seeing Machines Ltd. (SEE)
Director name: Kang Ng,Yong
Amount purchased: 236,424 @ n/a
Value: n/a

Seeing Machines Ltd. (SEE)
Director name: Allan Walker,James (Jim)
Amount purchased: 283,709 @ n/a
Value: n/a

Seeing Machines Ltd. (SEE)
Director name: Carmichael,Les
Amount purchased: 236,424 @ n/a
Value: n/a

Top Director Sells

Asos (ASC)
Director name: Beighton,Nick
Amount sold: 33,614 @ 5,684.03p
Value: £1,910,629.90

Plus500 Ltd (di) (PLUS)
Director name: Fairbairn,Michael (Mark) Charles
Amount sold: 60,500 @ 1,035.00p
Value: £626,175.02

Rolls-royce Holdings (RR.)
Director name: Daintith,Stephen
Amount sold: 55,509 @ 961.00p
Value: £533,441.47

Asos (ASC)
Director name: Ashton,Helen Jane
Amount sold: 6,081 @ 5,684.03p
Value: £345,645.87

Plus500 Ltd (di) (PLUS)
Director name: Fairbairn,Michael (Mark) Charles
Amount sold: 15,000 @ 1,038.53p
Value: £155,779.50

Plus500 Ltd (di) (PLUS)
Director name: Fairbairn,Michael (Mark) Charles
Amount sold: 15,000 @ 1,032.83p
Value: £154,924.51

Games Workshop Group (GAW)
Director name: Tongue,Rachel
Amount sold: 3,924 @ 2,284.90p
Value: £89,659.48

Vesuvius (VSVS)
Director name: Young ,Guy
Amount sold: 8,557 @ 592.25p
Value: £50,678.83

A&j Mucklow Group (MKLW)
Director name: Parker,Justin
Amount sold: 4,121 @ 495.00p
Value: £20,398.95