Chief exec sells off £6m worth of stock

The chief executive of a Cheshire based veterinary supplies firm has sold off £6m worth of stock.

Ian Page, the boss of Northwich based Dechra Pharmaceuticals, sold the stock yesterday.

The 58-year-old offloaded 200,000 shares at 2917p, according to a stock market filing showed.

The company, which manufactures and sells drugs for animals, said that he decided to sell due to ‘long-term financial planning considerations’ to widen his personal investment portfolio.

Mr Page, who has been chief executive since 2001, still has 586,650 Dechra shares, which are valued at more than £17m.

The firm issued its preliminary results at the start of the month.

Operating profits rose by 27.3% to £127.4m.

It said recent acquisitions were performing ahead of expectations and growth is continuing.

As a result, revenue grew by 17.5% to £481.8m and the full year dividend increased by 23.9% to 31 pence.

The company is in the process of preparing for a hard Brexit.