Director/PDMR Shareholding

Watkin Jones plc

27 January 2025

 

Watkin Jones plc

('Watkin Jones' or the 'Company')

Director Shareholding

Watkin Jones plc (AIM:WJG) today announces that, on 24 January 2025, it was notified of the following acquisitions of ordinary shares in the Company carried out by Directors of the Company or persons closely associated with them, on that date in the case of items 1, 3, 4 and 5, and on 23 January 2025 in the case item 2 below:

1.    Alan Giddins, Non-Executive Chair, bought 148,000 ordinary shares at a price of 26.63 pence per share;

2.    Sarah Jones, a person closely associated with Simon Jones, bought 101,108 ordinary shares at a price of 24.71 pence per share;

3.    Simon Jones, Chief Financial Officer, bought 92,000 ordinary shares at a price of 27.80 pence per share;

4.    Ben Jones, a person closely associated with Simon Jones, bought 19,000 ordinary shares at a price of 27.22 pence per share; and

5.    Emily Jones, a person closely associated with Simon Jones, bought 18,892 ordinary shares at a price of 27.0 pence per share

Subsequent to these purchases of shares Alan Giddins now holds 1,028,000 ordinary shares in the Company, representing 0.4% of the Company's issued share capital, and Simon Jones and persons closely associated with him, hold 239,000 ordinary shares in the Company, representing 0.09% of the Company's issued share capital.

Notification and public disclosure of transactions by persons discharging managerial responsibilities and persons closely associated with them.

1	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated
a)	Name	Alan Giddins
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Non-Executive Chair
b)	Initial notification /Amendment	Initial notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Watkin Jones plc
b)	LEI	2138009X19O21NU5SG79
4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code	Ordinary Shares of £0.01 each ISIN: GB00BD6RF223
b)	Nature of the transaction	Acquisition of ordinary shares
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price No. of shares 26.63p 148,000
d)	Aggregated information - Aggregated      volume - Price	Volume: 148,000 Price: 26.63p
e)	Date of the transaction	24 January 2025
f)	Place of the transaction	London Stock Exchange, AIM
1	Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities / person closely associated
a)	Name	(a)   Sarah Jones (PCA) (b)   Simon Jones (c)   Ben Jones (PCA) (d)   Emily Jones (PCA)
2	Reason for the notification
a)	Position/status	Director - Chief Financial Officer
b)	Initial notification /Amendment	Initial notification
3	Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
a)	Name	Watkin Jones plc
b)	LEI	2138009X19O21NU5SG79
4	Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
a)	Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument Identification code	Ordinary Shares of £0.01 each ISIN: GB00BD6RF223
b)	Nature of the transaction	Acquisition of ordinary shares
c)	Price(s) and volume(s)	Price No. of shares 24.73p 101,108 27.80p 92,000 27.22p 19,000 27.0p 18,892
d)	Aggregated information - Aggregated      volume - Price	Volume: 231,000 Price: 25.90p
e)	Date of the transaction	23 January 2025 in the case of 1(a) above and 24 January 2025 in the case of 1(b), 1(c) and 1(d).
f)	Place of the transaction	London Stock Exchange, AIM

- Ends -

For further information:

Watkin Jones plc
Alex Pease, Chief Executive Officer	Tel: [phone]
Simon Jones, Chief Financial Officer Adam McGhin, Chief Legal Officer & Company Secretary	www.watkinjonesplc.com
Peel Hunt LLP (Nominated Adviser & Joint Corporate Broker)		Tel: [phone]
Mike Bell / Ed Allsopp		www.peelhunt.com
Jefferies Hoare Govett (Joint Corporate Broker)		Tel: [phone]
James Umbers / Paul Bundred		www.jefferies.com

Media enquiries:

MHP Group
Reg Hoare / Rachel Farrington	Tel:  [phone]
[e-mail]	www.mhpgroup.com

Notes:

Watkin Jones is the UK's leading developer and manager of residential for rent, with a focus on the build to rent, student accommodation and affordable housing sectors. The Group has strong relationships with institutional investors, and a reputation for successful, on-time-delivery of high quality developments.  Since 1999, Watkin Jones has delivered over 50,000 student beds across 147 sites, making it a key player and leader in the UK purpose-built student accommodation market, and is increasingly expanding its operations into the build to rent sector, where it has delivered 2,200 apartments across 12 schemes to date.  In addition, Fresh, the Group's specialist accommodation management business, manages c.19,000 student beds and build to rent apartments on behalf of its institutional clients.  Watkin Jones has also been responsible for over 80 residential developments, ranging from starter homes to executive housing and apartments.

The Group's competitive advantage lies in its experienced management team and capital-light business model, which enables it to offer an end-to-end solution for investors, delivered entirely in-house with minimal reliance on third parties, across the entire life cycle of an asset.

Watkin Jones was admitted to trading on AIM in March 2016 with the ticker WJG.L.  For additional information please visit www.watkinjonesplc.com

 

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