Gooch & Housego chief executive sells 0.5m shares

Gareth Jones, chief executive at Gooch & Housego, has pocketed £342,500 after selling 0.5m shares at 685p each at the fibre optic company.Jones, who now holds 0.45m shares, said last week in the group's full year report that it suffered "considerable foreign exchange headwinds".However, Gooch & Housego reported a lift in its profits before tax to £11.5m from £9.7m in the year before.Jones said in the results report: "It's been another year of development and progress, and our initiatives to streamline the business and reduce costs are laying the building blocks for future growth to bear fruit in the coming years."With an encouraging pipeline of new products and opportunities, Gooch & Housego is well positioned to deliver further progress in 2015 and beyond."Top Director BuysSymphony International Holdings Ltd. (SIHL) Director name: Mr Anil ThadaniAmount purchased: 300,000 @ $0.82 Value: $246,000Independent News & Media (INM) Director name: Mr Len O'HaganAmount purchased: 110,000 @ € 0.14 Value: € 14,850Jubilee Platinum (JLP) Director name: Mr Colin BirdAmount purchased: 1,000,000 @ 1.25p Value: £12,500Top Director SellsStanley Gibbons Group (SGI) Director name: Mr Michael Robert Montague HallAmount sold: 112,000 @ 310.00p Value: £347,200Gooch & Housego (GHH) Director name: Mr Gareth JonesAmount sold: 50,000 @ 685.00p Value: £342,500Stanley Gibbons Group (SGI) Director name: Mr Donal Peter James DuffAmount sold: 70,000 @ 310.00p Value: £217,000CSR (CSR) Director name: Mr Ron MackintoshAmount sold: 6,115 @ 845.66p Value: £51,712