A VOTE OF CONFIDENCE14 Jan 2010 17:43
Inchcape chairman buys
22-12-2009 16:07
Inchcape non-executive chairman Ken Hanna has nearly doubled his stake in the vehicle distributor and dealer.
Hanna has acquired 330,000 shares at 29.58p each, costing a total of £97,614. That takes his stake to 700,000 shares. Hanna acquired 333,000 shares at 6p each in April's rights issue.
The purchase follows a pre-close trading statement that said that the 2009 figures will be "slightly ahead of expectations". Revenues fell by 11% in the eleven months to November 2009. In constant currency terms the decline was nearly 18%. The like-for-like decline was 9%.
UK dealerships are benefiting from the government incentives for car buyers. Second hand car margins remain high. In contrast, the rest of Europe is weak. There are signs of recovery in Australia and Hong Kong. A global recovery in the car market is not expected until late 2010.
Inchcape should be debt free by the end of the year and will report its 2009 figures on 10 March.
Top Director Buys
Inchcape (INCH)
Director name: Mr Ken Hanna
Amount purchased: 330,000 @ 29.58p
Value: £97,614