Director Dealings: Call centres specialist welcomes pick-up in sales

TELECOMS services group IPPlus recently posted a rise in sales and reported healthy interest in its products, which include software for call centres.

Although pre-tax profits dipped to 71,287 in the six months to 31 December from 85,490 last time, chairman Philip Dayer said the board was pleased with group progress and current market opportunities.

Shares in the Aim-listed company have risen by more than 50 per cent since the results, but two directors went into the market last week to up their stakes.

Managing director William Catchpole bought a total of 25,000 shares at around 10p each to take his stake up to 1.8 million.

Technical director Geoffrey Forsyth also purchased 37,500 shares at 10.5 pence each and now holds 821,324 shares.

• John Poulter, chairman of promotional products group 4imprint Group, has bought 10,000 shares at 261p each. He now holds 20,000 shares.

• Philip Stimpson, chief executive of medical technology group Mediwatch, has increased his stake to more than 22 million shares with the purchase of 550,000 shares at 2.6p each.

• Several directors at business advisory group Management Consulting have upped their holdings following full-year results.

Chairman Alan Barber bought 136,363 shares and now holds more than 1.8 million shares, chief executive Nicholas Stagg acquired 495,454 and now owns 495,000, and executive director Luiz Carvalho bought 167,625 to increase his holding to 1.2 million shares. They each paid 33p a share.

• Directors at technology company Pace have bought into the company following a steep fall in its share price in the wake of poorly received final results. Chairman Mike McTighe, chief executive Neil Gaydon, chief operating officer David McKinney and chief financial officer Stuart Hall each bought 10,000 shares at around 184p each.

• Paul Doughty, finance director of Moneysupermarket.com, has sold a chunk of his shares in the price comparison website.

He disposed of 1.08 million shares at 90p each, although he still holds a stake of around 1.8 million shares.

• John Hamer, a director of financial services technology group Fidessa, has bought 20,000 shares at 1,635p each. He now holds 35,594 shares.

• Jonathan Gray, a director at specialist insurer Beazley, has cut his stake in half with the sale of 1.25 million shares at 130p.