ABBY.L Share News (ABBY)

(ShareCast News) - Construction group Abbey's controlling Gallagher family has further built up its stake in the company with a €756,000 purchase a week after a robust set of full year results. The Gallagher Holdings family vehicle, which is represented on the board by Charles Gallagher Jnr, Abbey's executive chairman and David A Gallagher, a non-executive, snapped up 60,000 shares at a price of 1,260 euro cents (1,048p).Preliminary results released last week showed a pre-tax profit of €61.5m, up 25% on the previous year, with earnings per share up by the same degree to 229.81 cents.Charles said that trading in the early part of the new year had been encouraging and the group had set budgets for the year showing increased activity across the business, though he cautioned that the outlook was now "clouded by Brexit"."Prospects for the short, medium and long term are now very unclear," he said. "A prolonged period of gradual relative decline for London and South East England is possible if the withdrawal of London from its role in Europe is carried through. In Ireland, still recovering from last decade's financial crisis prospects seem brighter, however, Brexit casts a considerable shadow."However, the share purchase indicates the family has strong faith in the group's strong balance sheet and positioning to cope with the uncertainty. Top Director BuysAbbey (ABBY)Director name: Gallagher,Charles HAmount purchased: 60,000 @ € 12.60Value: € 646,099.20Conygar Investment Company (CIC)Director name: Ware,Robert T EAmount purchased: 100,000 @ 133.50pValue: £133,500.00Amino Technologies (AMO)Director name: Todd,KeithAmount purchased: 25,000 @ 133.00pValue: £33,250.00Bca Marketplace (BCA)Director name: Palmer-Baunack,AvrilAmount purchased: 13,626 @ 176.10pValue: £23,995.39Amino Technologies (AMO)Director name: Todd,KeithAmount purchased: 12,246 @ 135.50pValue: £16,593.33Picton Property Income Ltd (PCTN)Director name: Thompson,NicholasAmount purchased: 15,000 @ 68.00pValue: £10,200.00Sanderson Group (SND)Director name: Frost,AdrianAmount purchased: 10,000 @ 66.99pValue: £6,699.00Matchtech Group (MTEC)Director name: Lewis,KeithAmount purchased: 972 @ 338.00pValue: £3,285.36Matchtech Group (MTEC)Director name: Lewis,KeithAmount purchased: 338 @ 338.00pValue: £1,142.44Pennon Group (PNN)Director name: Davy ,Susan Amount purchased: 13 @ 909.49pValue: £118.23Top Director SellsNational Grid (NG.)Director name: Holliday,Steven JAmount purchased: 106,620 @ 1,095.92pValue: £1,168,465.93National Grid (NG.)Director name: Bonfield,Andrew R JAmount purchased: 67,478 @ 1,095.92pValue: £739,502.38National Grid (NG.)Director name: Holliday,Steven JAmount purchased: 23,248 @ 1,095.92pValue: £254,778.61National Grid (NG.)Director name: Pettigrew,JohnAmount purchased: 21,949 @ 1,095.92pValue: £240,542.66National Grid (NG.)Director name: Bonfield,Andrew R JAmount purchased: 14,714 @ 1,095.92pValue: £161,253.12National Grid (NG.)Director name: Pettigrew,JohnAmount purchased: 7,234 @ 1,095.92pValue: £79,278.58