LONDON (ShareCast) - Sage Chairman Donald Brydon has purchased 15,000 shares in the company following the surprise announcement of the retirement of its Chief Executive Officer (CEO) by March next year.

The FTSE-100 software firm saw its shares spiral following the news, despite it also reporting a 5% increase in half-year revenue, driven by strong growth in software subscription.

Brydon paid 390.20p a share for a total spend of £58,530, reflecting yesterday's slump of around 27p.

On Thursday the group revealed its organic revenue had risen to £657m for the six months ended March 31st from £626m the same time a year earlier. Operating profit rose to £180m from £165m and underlying basic earnings per share rose 8.3% to 11.12p.

The Newcastle-upon-Tyne group said statutory revenue fell 7% to £657m while profit before income tax came in at £165m compared to an £8m loss the year before due to an exceptional item of £180m relating to disposals.


Top Director Buys

Rotala (ROL)
Director name: Mr John Gunn
Amount purchased: 1,050,000 @ 50.00p
Value: £525,000

Schroders (Non-Voting) (SDRC)
Director name: Mr Philip Mallinckrodt
Amount purchased: 7,800 @ 2,005.00p
Value: £156,390

Sage Group (SGE)
Director name: Mr Donald H Brydon
Amount purchased: 15,000 @ 390.20p
Value: £58,530

Kofax Limited (DI) (KFX)
Director name: Mr Joe Rose
Amount purchased: 8,000 @ 402.87p
Value: £32,230

Azonto Petroleum Ltd (DI) (AZO)
Director name: Mr Andrew Rose
Amount purchased: 2,400,000 @ 1.25p
Value: £30,000

Azonto Petroleum Ltd (DI) (AZO)
Director name: Mr Robert James Shepherd
Amount purchased: 2,400,000 @ 1.25p
Value: £30,000

BlackRock Greater Europe Inv Trust (BRGE)
Director name: Miss Carol Ferguson
Amount purchased: 9,600 @ 233.00p
Value: £22,368

S&U (SUS)
Director name: Mr Anthony M V Coombs
Amount purchased: 600 @ 1,910.00p
Value: £11,460


Top Director Sells

CLS Holdings (CLI)
Director name: Mr Sten A Mortstedt
Amount sold: 381,218 @ 1,495.00p
Value: £5,699,209

Reckitt Benckiser Group (RB.)
Director name: Mr Rakesh Kapoor
Amount sold: 11,300 @ 4,828.72p
Value: £545,645

CRH (CRH)
Director name: Mr Mark S Towe
Amount sold: 18,000 @ 1,663.40p
Value: £299,412

CLS Holdings (CLI)
Director name: Mr Thomas J Thomson
Amount sold: 1,399 @ 1,495.00p
Value: £20,915

CLS Holdings (CLI)
Director name: Mr H O Thomas Lundqvist
Amount sold: 1,356 @ 1,495.00p
Value: £20,272

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