LONDON (ShareCast) - The chairs of two companies splashed the cash on Tuesday to show their belief in improving fortunes at both outfits.
Gideon Chitayat, chairman of BATM Advanced Communications, a provider of telecoms and medical technology, dug deep into his pockets to spend £217,000 worth of shares.

Chitayat, a serial chairman and adviser to Israeli firms and former Harvard and University of Pennsylvania professor, picked up the shares at 15.5p apiece, a penny above their 16-month low.

The company's medical division continues to deliver rapid growth, but the telecoms division showed weaker than expected revenues in a November update as it continues to suffer from an ongoing decline in sales of its historic products and lengthening sales cycles for its newer offerings.

A recent boardroom reshuffle, with chief financial officer Ofer Bar-Ner stepping up to chief operating officer, overseeing the medical division, and finance executive Moti Nagar taking over as CFO.

House broker FinnCap said: "We welcome this move as it puts a very experienced senior manager in place over the medical division as it moves into profitability this year."

Meanwhile, Cheryl Jones, chairman of AIM-listed Dods Group, forked out £140,000 to buy shares in the political publisher.

Jones, also a serial chair, made her second purchase in as many months, after making a smaller £14,625 outlay pre-Christmas. This second purchase is at Dods' highest share price since September 2011.

November's interim results for the group, for the six months to the end of September, showed early evidence of management's new focus on prioritising better-quality revenues, particularly on its events portfolio, with group revenues reduced by 9.3% to £8.4m but margins improved from 22% to 24.8%.



Top Director Buys

BATM Advanced Communications Ltd. (BVC)
Director name: Professor Gideon Chitayat
Amount purchased: 1,400,000 @ 15.50p
Value: £217,000

Dods (Group) (DODS)
Director name: Ms Cheryl C Jones
Amount purchased: 2,000,000 @ 7.00p
Value: £140,000

Tate & Lyle (TATE)
Director name: Mr Javed Ahmed
Amount purchased: 13,687 @ 602.80p
Value: £82,505

Aberdeen New Dawn Investment Trust (ABD)
Director name: Mr Susie Rippingall
Amount purchased: 12,500 @ 177.78p
Value: £22,222

Seneca Global Income & Growth Trust (SIGT)
Director name: Mr Jimmy McCulloch
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 135.00p
Value: £20,250

Utilico Emerging Markets Ltd (DI) (UEM)
Director name: Mr Alexander E Zagoreos
Amount purchased: 5,387 @ 187.00p
Value: £10,074


Top Director Sells

Kingfisher (KGF)
Director name: Mr Kevin O'Byrne
Amount sold: 26,000 @ 337.13p
Value: £87,654

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