- Oxford Metrics directors bag £3.2 million
- Harbour Energy sees largest holder selling £6.4 million
- Whitbread non-exec picks up shares
Directors at smart sensing software company Oxford Metrics (OMG) collectively sold 2.9 million shares on 13 February at 110p per share, netting £3.19 million in cash.
The sales were made for personal financial and estate planning purposes and to satisfy ‘strong’ institutional demand for the shares.
CEO Nicholas Bolton sold 600,000 shares, which leaves him holding 1.9% of the company’s issued share capital and a further 903,506 performance-based options.
Chief financial officer David Deacon sold 1.3 million shares, representing around 1% of the company’s issued share capital, which leaves him holding 267,795 shares, around 0.2% of the company and 492,774 performance-based options.
Company secretary Cathy Robertson sold one million shares representing around 0.77% of the company’s issued shares. After the sale she owns 603,017 shares and 398,567 performance-based options.
Oxford Metrics develops software which acts as the interface between the real and virtual worlds and serves the life sciences, entertainment, and engineering markets.
The group recorded its largest ever order book in the half year to 30 September of £24 million compared with £5.9 million in 2021 driven by strong demand from the entertainment segment.
Global supply chain constraints held back growth and deferred sales which combined with increased investments reduced adjusted pre-tax profit by 36% to £2.6 million.
INVESTOR SALES
The largest investor in oil and gas company Harbour Energy (HBR), EIG Asset Management, sold a combined two million shares on 13 February raising £6.4 million in the process.
Chairman of Harbour Energy R. Blair Thomas is also chairman and CEO of the fund management business. Following the sale EIG owns just over 16% of the company.
In 2022, Harbour Energy generated around 15% of the UK’s domestic oil and gas supplies. The firm said it remains committed to the UK but noted despite a normalisation of oil and gas prices the firm still faces a 75% tax charge due to recent changes which makes investment in the country ‘less competitive’.
Cilla Snowball, independent non-executive director at Premier Inn owner Whitbread (WTB), picked up 2,258 shares on 15 February for a cost of £69,497.
In January the company reported strong third quarter numbers with Premier Inn continuing its outperformance of the UK midscale and economy sector.
Total like-for-like sales were 18.3% ahead of the same quarter last year and the company expects pricing to remain strong given the decline in supply.
