Communisis chairman buys

Peter Hickson, the chairman of print management and data analysis services provider Communisis, is buying shares following yesterday's results.A downturn in spending on direct mail promotions hit Communisis in 2009 and it cut its final dividend from 1.635p a share to 0.43p a share. The total dividend has been reduced from 2.495p a share to 1.29p a share. Hickson has bought 350,000 shares at 14p each at a total cost of £49,000. This takes his stake to 1m shares - 0.72% of Communisis. Other directors made smaller share purchases. Hickson spent £30,000 on 200,000 shares prior to Communisis going into a close period. He has been chairman of Communisis since December 2007 and is a former finance director of Powergen. Trading has been tough for Communisis. Revenues fell from £257.73m to £190.19m in 2009, while profits slumped from £12.73m to £2.6m. That is after exceptional costs rose from £589,000 to £2.65m. The bright spot was the technology and services division which increased revenue and profit. Communisis has invested £30m in technology in the past three years. Net debt was £16.8m at the end of 2009. There is a £40m deficit on the company's pension scheme, although the balance sheet figure is done on a different basis and that is a £17.5m deficit. Communisis has a plan to pay down the deficit over 14 years. Top Director BuysBanco Santander SA (BNC) Director name: Mr Francisco Luzon LopezAmount purchased: 28,434 @ 850.09p Value: £241,715Zetar (ZTR) Director name: Mr Roger MatthewsAmount purchased: 25,000 @ 235.00p Value: £58,750Communisis (CMS) Director name: Mr Peter HicksonAmount purchased: 350,000 @ 14.00p Value: £49,000Barratt Developments (BDEV) Director name: Mr David ThomasAmount purchased: 20,000 @ 114.00p Value: £22,800NWF Group (NWF) Director name: Mr Mark H HudsonAmount purchased: 25,000 @ 80.00p Value: £20,000Dunelm Group (DNLM) Director name: Mr Simon EmenyAmount purchased: 5,000 @ 396.00p Value: £19,800Roxi Petroleum (RXP) Director name: Mr David Lawson WilkesAmount purchased: 160,000 @ 10.25p Value: £16,400Burberry Group (BRBY) Director name: Ms Stephanie GeorgeAmount purchased: 3,700 @ 405.28p Value: £14,995Iomart (IOM) Director name: Mr Ian RitchieAmount purchased: 29,400 @ 46.50p Value: £13,671Top Director SellsSABMiller (SAB) Director name: Mr M I WymanAmount sold: 91,486 @ 1,707.38p Value: £1,562,014CSR (CSR) Director name: Mr James CollierAmount sold: 169,607 @ 470.42p Value: £797,865Diploma (DPLM) Director name: Mr Bruce ThompsonAmount sold: 175,000 @ 173.00p Value: £302,750Jarvis Securities (JIM) Director name: Mr M J EdmettAmount sold: 10,000 @ 146.50p Value: £14,650Quintain Estates & Development (QED) Director name: Mr Adrian WyattAmount sold: 22,513 @ 61.49p Value: £13,843