Selling by directors up as buying retreats

THE buying fell for the second straight week while the selling among directors rose based on filings on the Singapore Exchange from Oct 19-23. A total of 10 companies recorded 21 purchases worth S$1.94 million versus three firms with four disposals worth S$0.96 million.

The number of companies and trades on the buying side were sharply down from the previous week's 15 firms and 29 purchases. The buy value, however, was sharply up from the previous week's purchases worth S$0.83 million. On the negative side, the sales were up from the previous week's two companies, two disposals and S$0.204 million.

While the buying by directors fell last week, the buyback activity rose with 14 firms that posted 41 repurchases worth S$4.75 million. The number of companies and value were up from the previous week's 13 firms and S$2.6 million. The number of trades, on the other hand, was not far off from the previous week's 44 repurchases.