Flat week for buying, buybacks

THE buying was flat for the third straight week while the selling among directors fell, based on filings on Singapore Exchange from July 7 to 11. A total of 11 companies recorded 32 purchases worth $4.42 million versus six firms with 12 disposals worth $2.58 million. The number of companies on the buying side was down from the previous week's 15 firms while the number of purchases was up from the previous week's 24 acquisitions. The buy value was slightly down from the preceding week's purchases worth $4.97 million, while sales were down from the previous week's seven companies, 16 disposals and $6.25 million.

Aside from directors, buyback activity was flat with five companies posting 19 repurchases worth $11.9 million. The figures were not far off from the previous week's seven firms, 23 trades and $11.5 million.

There were several significant corporate shareholder trades last week with insider buys in International Healthway, Best World International and Figtree Holdings. On the substantial shareholders' front, there were purchases in Singapore Post and Manhattan Resources and sales in Pteris Global and AIMS AMP Capital Industrial Reit.