LONDON (ShareCast) - Roger Stephens, Head of Commercial and Company Secretary of Spectris, the FTSE 250 high-flying instrumentation and controls group, has sold a stack of shares in the firm less than a month after the firm unveiled better-than-expected profits before tax and hike in the dividend.

Stephens, who joined the firm in 1997, sold 38,343 at 1,763.55p each for a total of £676,194. Having been awarded the shares in 2009, the director was eligible to sell the shares from the 25th of last month. He now holds a total of 69,023.

Adjusted profit before tax rose 45% to £191.6m from £132.3m the year before. Statutory profit before tax rose 38% to £166.0m from £119.9m in 2010. Market expectations were for headline profit before tax of £185.5m.

Sales broke through the billion pounds barrier, rising 23% to £1,106.2m in 2011 from £901.9m in 2010. Acquisitions contributed 7% to sales and currency had a positive impact of 1%, so with these stripped out sales growth was 15%. The adjusted return on sales - i.e. the operating margin - improved to 18.2% from 15.8% in 2010.

Top Director Buys

Porta Communications (PTCM)
Director name: Mr David E Wright
Amount purchased: 536,000 @ 6.75p
Value: £36,180

STV Group (STVG)
Director name: Mr David J B Shearer
Amount purchased: 25,000 @ 111.50p
Value: £27,875

Mckay Securities (MCKS)
Director name: Mr Giles Salmon
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 131.00p
Value: £19,650

Blackrock Frontiers Investment Trust (BRFI)
Director name: Mr Sarmad N. Zok
Amount purchased: 20,000 @ 79.45p
Value: £15,890

1pm (OPM)
Director name: Mr Ronald Russell
Amount purchased: 10,000,000 @ 0.100p
Value: £10,000

Mytrah Energy Ltd (MYT)
Director name: Mr Peter Neville
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 100.00p
Value: £10,000

Mytrah Energy Ltd (MYT)
Director name: Mr Vikram Kailas
Amount purchased: 10,000 @ 100.00p
Value: £10,000


Top Director Sells

Morgan Crucible Co (MGCR)
Director name: Mr Mark Robertshaw
Amount sold: 489,705 @ 353.36p
Value: £1,730,422

Morgan Crucible Co (MGCR)
Director name: Mr Mark Robertshaw
Amount sold: 283,806 @ 353.36p
Value: £1,002,857

Morgan Crucible Co (MGCR)
Director name: Mr Kevin Dangerfiled
Amount sold: 283,806 @ 353.36p
Value: £1,002,857

Morgan Crucible Co (MGCR)
Director name: Mr Andrew Hosty
Amount sold: 267,111 @ 353.36p
Value: £943,863

Henderson Group (HGG)
Director name: Mr Andrew Formica
Amount sold: 729,596 @ 120.17p
Value: £876,683

Spectris (SXS)
Director name: Mr Roger Stephens
Amount sold: 38,343 @ 1,763.55p
Value: £676,194

Morgan Crucible Co (MGCR)
Director name: Mr Paul Andrew Boulton
Amount sold: 111,296 @ 353.36p
Value: £393,276

Henderson Group (HGG)
Director name: Mr Shirley Garrood
Amount sold: 91,000 @ 120.17p
Value: £109,346

Henderson Group (HGG)
Director name: Mr David Jacob
Amount sold: 11,152 @ 120.17p
Value: £13,400

NR

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