Director dealings: Outgoing WH Smith CEO makes share sale
WH Smith revealed on Friday that chief executive Stephen Clarke had sold 47,799 ordinary shares in the FTSE 250 listed retailer.
FTSE 250
19,450.67
17:14 18/04/24
FTSE 350
4,334.00
17:14 18/04/24
FTSE All-Share
4,290.02
16:54 18/04/24
General Retailers
3,805.00
17:14 18/04/24
WH Smith
1,248.00p
16:35 18/04/24
Clarke, who will stand down from the group after 15 years in October, disposed of the shares on Thursday at an average price of 2,139.07p each, for a total value of £1.02m.
The outgoing CEO will be replaced by Carl Cowling, who runs the retailer's high street business.
Clarke has steered WH Smith through an increasingly tough retail market by expanding the company's travel division, which has stores in airports and train stations while cutting costs to support profit at the high street business.
The company's shares have almost tripled since Clarke took over but he has faced criticism for shabby stores and high prices for essential products in hospitals including £7.99 for a tube of toothpaste.
As of 1610 BST, WH Smith shares were down 0.75% at 2,124p.
Top Director Buys
Henderson Alternative Strategies Trust (HAST)
Director name: Oldroyd,Graham
Amount purchased: 90,000 @ 274.70p
Value: £247,230.00
Drax Group (DRX)
Director name: Skelton ,Andy
Amount purchased: 16,250 @ 297.71p
Value: £48,378.20
Aib Group (AIBG)
Director name: Pym,Richard A
Amount purchased: 8,000 @ 3.17
Value: 25,359.20
Rockrose Energy (RRE)
Director name: Morrow,John
Amount purchased: 1,070 @ 1,867.61p
Value: £19,983.43
Newriver Reit (NRR)
Director name: Lockhart,David
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 170.00p
Value: £17,000.00
Invesco Enhanced Income Limited (IPE)
Director name: Bolsover,Kate
Amount purchased: 13,110 @ 75.00p
Value: £9,832.50
Rockrose Energy (RRE)
Director name: Morrow,John
Amount purchased: 447 @ 1,869.08p
Value: £8,354.79
Oxford Biodynamics (OBD)
Director name: Diggle,Stephen Charles
Amount purchased: 2,786 @ 120.00p
Value: £3,343.20
Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA)
Director name: Paris,Rod
Amount purchased: 48 @ 311.10p
Value: £149.33
Standard Life Aberdeen (SLA)
Director name: Skeoch,Keith
Amount purchased: 40 @ 311.10p
Value: £124.44
Top Director Sells
Compass Group (CPG)
Director name: Green,Gary
Amount sold: 142,180 @ 2,019.36p
Value: £2,871,121.12
Compass Group (CPG)
Director name: Green,Gary
Amount sold: 142,180 @ 2,019.36p
Value: £2,871,121.12
Draper Esprit (GROW)
Director name: Cook,Simon Christopher
Amount sold: 275,000 @ 530.00p
Value: £1,457,500.05
Draper Esprit (GROW)
Director name: Chapman,Stuart Malcolm
Amount sold: 275,000 @ 530.00p
Value: £1,457,500.05
Wh Smith (SMWH)
Director name: Clarke,Stephen
Amount sold: 47,799 @ 2,139.07p
Value: £1,022,454.04
Joules Group (JOUL)
Director name: Dench,Marc Simon
Amount sold: 230,988 @ 247.33p
Value: £571,307.24
Joules Group (JOUL)
Director name: Porter,Colin Nigel
Amount sold: 209,796 @ 247.33p
Value: £518,892.64
Whitbread (WTB)
Director name: Cadbury ,Nicholas
Amount sold: 7,800 @ 4,501.00p
Value: £351,077.99
Joules Group (JOUL)
Director name: Joule,Tom
Amount sold: 91,206 @ 247.33p
Value: £225,579.80
Charles Stanley Group (CAY)
Director name: Abberley,Paul
Amount sold: 12,934 @ 285.00p
Value: £36,861.90
Charles Stanley Group (CAY)
Director name: Coutts,Ben Money
Amount sold: 9,054 @ 285.00p
Value: £25,803.90
Newriver Reit (NRR)
Director name: Lockhart,David
Amount sold: 10,000 @ 170.00p
Value: £17,000.00