Slow new-year start for director trades

IT was a slow start for directors in the new year with only nine companies that recorded 16 purchases worth S$1.51 million versus two firms with three disposals worth S$0.69 million for the holiday-shortened week of Jan 3 to Jan 6. The number of purchases was unchanged but the number of firms and buy value were down from the previous week's 11 companies and S$1.94 million. On the selling side, the number of firms was unchanged but the number of trades and sell value were sharply down from the previous week's six disposals worth S$5.45 million.

Aside from directors, the buyback activity was low in the first week of the new year with only nine companies that posted 27 repurchases worth S$1.35 million. The figures were down from the previous week's 15 firms, 40 trades and S$1.5 million.

The bulk of the significant trades last week were purchases with buybacks in CWG International and Roxy-Pacific Holdings and insider buys in Japfa Ltd, Sinostar PEC Holdings, Centurion Corporation and Wee Hur Holdings. On the negative side, there were more sales by CEO of QT Vascular at lower prices.