Whittaker spends £2m on CSC shares

Peel Group chairman John Whittaker's gradual increase of his stake in Capital Shopping Centres took two unusually large steps in separate transactions on Monday and Tuesday that saw his stake reach 24.63%.

Six hundred thousand shares were acquired through Goodweather Holdings, one of several vehicles that hold shares in CSC on his and Peel's behalf, at an average price of £3.45 a share.

Whittaker's previous acquisitions in the past year have been in the tens of thousands, signalling the possibility that larger shareholders are now taking advantage of the CSC deputy chairman's buying spree.

Whittaker became the largest single shareholder in CSC following the takeover of Trafford Centre in January 2011.

CSC shares were trading at 348p on Wednesday, compared to a 52-week high of 412p and a 52-week low of 283p. (LON:CSCG)