(Sharecast News) - Mothercare revealed on Wednesday that non-executive director, Mark Newton-Jones had acquired 604,789 ordinary shares in the London-listed retailer.

Newton-Jones, who took over as CEO in 2014, purchased the shares on Tuesday at an average price of 9.90p each, for a total value of £59,874.11.

Mothercare posted a drop in interim profits back in November as it announced the appointment of Daniel Le Vesconte as its new chief executive officer. In the 26 weeks to 24 September, total group pre-tax profit fell to £800,000 from £4.0m in the same period a year earlier. International retail sales by franchise partners rose 15% to £162.1m, excluding Russia.

As of 1540 GMT, Mothercare shares were up 6.89% at 10.16p.

Reporting by Iain Gilbert at Sharecast.com

Top Director Buys

Mothercare (MTC)

Director name: Newton-Jones,Mark

Amount purchased: 604,789 @ 9.90p

Value: £59,874.11

Maven Income & Growth 3 Vct (MIG3)

Director name: Nixon,William Robert (Bill)

Amount purchased: 87,229 @ 57.32p

Value: £49,999.66

Maven Income & Growth 3 Vct (MIG3)

Director name: Pickering,Keith

Amount purchased: 87,229 @ 57.32p

Value: £49,999.66

Ecora Resources (ECOR)

Director name: Lafleche,Marc Bishop

Amount purchased: 25,000 @ 146.60p

Value: £36,650.00

Seeing Machines Ltd. Npv (di) (SEE)

Director name: Ive,Martin

Amount purchased: 450,000 @ 7.06p

Value: £31,770.00

Filtronic (FTC)

Director name: Behrendt,John

Amount purchased: 140,000 @ 10.70p

Value: £14,977.20

Staffline Group (STAF)

Director name: Spain,Thomas

Amount purchased: 20,721 @ 35.00p

Value: £7,252.35

Sdcl Energy Efficiency Income Trust (SEIT)

Director name: Clarkson,Helen

Amount purchased: 6,674 @ 91.56p

Value: £6,110.64

Maven Income & Growth 3 Vct (MIG3)

Director name: Allan,David

Amount purchased: 8,722 @ 57.33p

Value: £5,000.32

Eco Animal Health Group (EAH)

Director name: James,Tracey

Amount purchased: 5,000 @ 90.00p

Value: £4,500.00

Thor Energy (THR)

Director name: Warland,Nicole Galloway

Amount purchased: 1,000,000 @ $0.01

Value: $3,175.78

Bigblu Broadband (BBB)

Director name: Mills,Christopher

Amount purchased: 3,500 @ 44.00p

Value: £1,540.00

Bigblu Broadband (BBB)

Director name: Mills,Christopher

Amount purchased: 1,500 @ 44.00p

Value: £660.00

National Grid (NG.)

Director name: Pettigrew,John

Amount purchased: 15 @ 1,046.03p

Value: £156.90

Softcat (SCT)

Director name: Charlton,Graham

Amount purchased: 12 @ 1,284.00p

Value: £154.08

Barr (a.g.) (BAG)

Director name: Kemp,Jonathan David

Amount purchased: 27 @ 555.00p

Value: £149.85

Barr (a.g.) (BAG)

Director name: Lorimer,Stuart

Amount purchased: 27 @ 555.00p

Value: £149.85

Barr (a.g.) (BAG)

Director name: White,Roger Alexander

Amount purchased: 27 @ 555.00p

Value: £149.85

National Grid (NG.)

Director name: Agg,Andrew

Amount purchased: 14 @ 1,046.03p

Value: £146.44

Softcat (SCT)

Director name: Watt,Graeme

Amount purchased: 11 @ 1,284.00p

Value: £141.24

Top Director Sells

Harbour Energy (HBR)

Director name: Thomas,Blair

Amount sold: 1,529,559 @ 310.21p

Value: £4,744,814.55

Harbour Energy (HBR)

Director name: Thomas,Blair

Amount sold: 3,460 @ 320.00p

Value: £11,072.00

Staffline Group (STAF)

Director name: Spain,Thomas

Amount sold: 20,721 @ 35.00p

Value: £7,252.35