Great Southern directors buy, sell shares

Great Southern Bancorp Inc. (Nasdaq: GSBC) disclosed this week four directors either sold or acquired shares.

Between them, 6,540 shares were sold and 5,600 were purchased, according to U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission filings.

The largest movement was by board Chairman William Turner, who sold 5,600 shares at $37.66 apiece, equating to $210,896 in earnings.

Board member William Barclay sold 585 shares at $38.49 apiece and 355 shares at $38.54 apiece for a total of $36,199.

Joe Turner, a board member and the company’s president and CEO, and director Julie Turner Brown purchased shares, according to the SEC filings.

Turner and Brown each acquired 2,800 shares at $37.66 apiece, spending $105,448 each.

The Springfield-based operator of Great Southern Bank posted 2015 earnings of $45.9 million, a 7 percent increase from $43 million in the prior year.

GSBC shares were trading at $36.54 as of 10:30 a.m., compared to a 52-week range of $35.94 to $52.94.