Osmond increases Pearl stake

Pearl Group director Hugh Osmond has invested nearly £119,000 on buying 13,550 shares. Specialist closed fund operator Pearl gained a secondary listing on the Main Market of the London Stock Exchange on 17 November. No new shares were issued but Pearl hopes to attract additional institutional investors. The primary listing is on NYSE Euronext. The shares were acquired on the Amsterdam exchange for €9.70 each. Osmond, who was responsible for floating Pizza Express, pubs operator Punch Group and a number of other companies, owns 0.57% of Pearl. He has been a director of Pearl for five years. Pearl has assets under management of £70.7bn at the end of September 2009. The life companies operated by Pearl include Phoenix Life, National Provident and Scottish Mutual. Pearl generated cash from operations of £508m in the nine months to September 2009. Management is continuing to improve the operating performance of the businesses. The Insurance Groups Directive surplus is £1.2bn, which represents 135% coverage of regulatory requirements. Top Director BuysPearl Group (PRLG) Director name: Mr Hugh OsmondAmount purchased: 13,550 @ 875.06p Value: £118,571Development Securities (DSC) Director name: Mr Matthew WeinerAmount purchased: 20,000 @ 275.00p Value: £55,000Mwana Africa (MWA) Director name: Mr Donald McAlisterAmount purchased: 200,000 @ 14.80p Value: £29,600GB Group (GBG) Director name: Mr Dick LinfordAmount purchased: 100,000 @ 19.50p Value: £19,500Creston (CRE) Director name: Mr Malcolm WallAmount purchased: 24,453 @ 77.00p Value: £18,829Brunner Inv Trust (BUT) Director name: Mr Ian Barlow Amount purchased: 4,000 @ 364.00p Value: £14,560Datatec Ltd. (DI) (DTC) Director name: Mr Jens P MontananaAmount purchased: 5,000 @ 219.75p Value: £10,988Greencore Group (GNC) Director name: Mr Gary KennedyAmount purchased: 7,701 @ € 1.35 Value: € 10,396Top Director SellsImmunodiagnostic Systems (IDH) Director name: Mr David EvansAmount sold: 154,286 @ 605.00p Value: £933,430Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDH) Director name: Mr Paul HailesAmount sold: 137,539 @ 605.00p Value: £832,111Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDH) Director name: Mr Anthony 'Tony' WilksAmount sold: 133,446 @ 605.00p Value: £807,348Immunodiagnostic Systems (IDH) Director name: Mr Roger DugganAmount sold: 80,357 @ 605.00p Value: £486,160Dimension Data Holdings (DDT) Director name: Mr Jeremy OrdAmount sold: 262,200 @ 74.00p Value: £194,028Dimension Data Holdings (DDT) Director name: Mr Brett DawsonAmount sold: 209,760 @ 74.00p Value: £155,222Dimension Data Holdings (DDT) Director name: Mr Stephen JoubertAmount sold: 186,960 @ 74.00p Value: £138,350James Halstead (JHD) Director name: Mr Gordon OliverAmount sold: 21,700 @ 540.00p Value: £117,180Dimension Data Holdings (DDT) Director name: Mr Patrick QuarmbyAmount sold: 157,320 @ 74.00p Value: £116,417Dimension Data Holdings (DDT) Director name: Mr David SherriffsAmount sold: 93,480 @ 74.00p Value: £69,175