888 execs sell high, close Lucky Ace, prep new TV marketing campaign

Two senior 888 Holdings execs have sold significant numbers of shares in recent days.

888’s chief operating officer Itai Frieberger sold 350k shares at 181.3p, leaving him with a little over 1m shares left in his kitty. Chief financial officer Aviad Kobrine went further, selling his entire stake in the company – 500,204 shares – for 180.9p.

So, er, is there something the rest of us should know? Probably not, as the execs were likely taking advantage of the 12.5% spike the shares have enjoyed since Dec. 1. The stock hit an all-time high of 185p on Dec. 14, suggesting people remain convinced that the company is either a likely acquisition target or is looking to do some acquiring of its own.

One week before that all-time high, 888 issued a trading update saying that trading in the second half of 2015 had been “very encouraging” and H2 earnings would likely come in at the top end of the range of analysts’ forecasts. 888 exec chairman Brian Mattingley said results had been particularly strong in its casino and sport verticals.