Director dealings: Dods says latest buys will raise earnings PUBLIC affairs group Dods, which operates brands including PoliticsHome, last week bought Edinburgh-based Holyrood Communications. The acquisition valued the Scottish publishing and events group at up to £666,000. Holyrood had been sold to Biteback Media last month, but the latest deal saw Aim-quoted Dods acquire both businesses. Dods said the acquisitions will provide new cross-selling opportunities for the company's existing products and it expects both Biteback and Holyrood to be earnings-enhancing for Dods in the year ending 31 March, 2014. Following the announcement of the deal, Sir William Wells, a director of Dods, almost doubled his stake in the company. He purchased 500,000 shares at 4.75p each and now holds 945,000 shares. Paul Withers, a non-executive director at Scottish food products company Devro, has purchased 25,000 shares at 309.8p each. He now holds 70,000 shares in the company. Anne Minto, a non-executive director of sweeteners group Tate & Lyle, has purchased 5,000 shares at a price of 756.5p. Sir Ron Brierley, a non-executive director of Guinness Peat Group, has sold five million shares in the investment group for 30.31p each. Stuart Swanson, a non-executive director at pharmaceutical group Sinclair IS, has increased his holding with the purchase of 750,000 shares at 25p each. He now holds 4.2 million shares in the group. Jens Montanana, chairman at network security provider Corero, has topped up his stake with the purchase of 75,000 shares at 34p each. He now holds 15.9 million shares representing 27.33 per cent of the company. Christopher Kemball, chairman of banking group Quayle Munro, has purchased 80,184 shares at 569p each, 26,250 shares at 500p per share and 86,000 shares at 600p each. Several directors at Glasgow-based Aggreko have increased their stakes following last year's share price fall in the wake of a profits warning. Chairman Ken Hanna led the buyers, purchasing 6,750 shares at 1,736p each.