Fact based stock research
Costain (LSE:COST)

GB00B64NSP76

How to read the free ranks

For every stock, we judge its performance against its peers and rank it on a scale of 1 to 100. The higher the rank, the better the stock performs than its peers. And, we do this for six investment strategies:
Value - shows how good of a value the stock is. Green is "inexpensive"; red is "expensive".

Growth - shows a company's growth potential. Green is "high growth" expected; red is "tough times ahead".

Safety - relates to the amount of debt a company has. Green is low debt level; red is high debt level.

Combined Financial - this isn't an average of the first three ranks but rather a consolidated view across several financial indicators. Green = good; red = tread carefully.

(NEW) Sentiment - quantifies professional analyst ratings and holdings as well as market pulse. Green = positive sentiment; red = skepticism (Only available to Premium Subscribers).

(NEW) 360° View - the ultimate rating with all financial and non-financial indicators.

Costain stock research in summary

costain.com

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Combined Rank of 77 (better than 77% compared with investment alternatives), Costain (Construction & Engineering, United Kingdom) shares have much better financial characteristics than comparable stocks. Shares of Costain are a good value (attractively priced) with a consolidated Value Rank of 57 (better than 57% of alternatives), are safely financed (Safety Rank of 99, which means low debt burdens), but show below-average growth (Growth Rank of 21). ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: A Combined Rank of 77, is a strong buy recommendation based on Costain's financial characteristics. As the company Costain's key financial metrics exhibit good value (Obermatt Value Rank of 57) but low growth (Obermatt Growth Rank of 21) while being safely financed (Obermatt Safety Rank of 99), it may be a safer investment because companies with low debt can better withstand times of crises. Yet the good value, better than 57% of comparable companies, may also indicate that the company's future is challenging. If you believe that low growth is temporary or just due to a specific current event, you may conclude that the good value of the stock provides an attractive investment opportunity and the downside is limited due to below-average financing risks. Obermatt Premium subscribers can further check the stock’s Sentiment Ranks, which also flow into the Obermatt 360° View for investors. ...read more

Latest Obermatt Ranks


360° View^new
Sentiment Rank^new
Value Rank	57
Growth Rank	21
Safety Rank	99
Combined Rank	77

Country	United Kingdom
Industry	Construction & Engineering
Index	FTSE All Shares, Dividends Europe, Diversity Europe, Sound Pay Europe
Size class	Large

This stock has achievements: Top 10 Stock.

19-Dec-2024. Stock data may be delayed. Log in or sign up to get the most recent research.

Further information

Multiple opinions. One number.

Analysts rarely agree on a stock’s future. So, who do you believe? Obermatt translates those collective views into a single Sentiment Rank. That plus the financial ranks give you the ultimate 360° View. Sign up to access them.

Why popular stocks have low ratings

It’s easier said than done. When your stock drops, it’s easy to want to sell it and find a better performer. Think twice, or even three times, before trading. Those fees (especially the hidden ones) can eat up your gains.

Review the performance ranks of the individual metrics that form each investment strategy.

Research History: Costain

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	73	100	89	57
GROWTH
GROWTH	46	63	19	21
SAFETY
SAFETY	17	77	96	99
SENTIMENT
SENTIMENT	n/a	11	63	^new
360° VIEW
360° VIEW	n/a	77	80	^new

Most recent update of the stock research: 19-Dec-2024. Financial reporting date used for calculating ranks: 30-Jun-2024. Stock research history is based on the Obermatt Method. The higher the rank, the better Costain is in the corresponding investment strategy.
Upgrade to a Premium Account to access the latest ranks.

Combined financial peformance in Detail

RESEARCH HISTORY	2021	2022	2023	2024
VALUE
VALUE	73	100	89	57
GROWTH
GROWTH	46	63	19	21
SAFETY
SAFETY	17	77	96	99
COMBINED
COMBINED	42	100	88	77

Last update of combined financial performance: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on combined financial performance: The higher the rank of Costain the better the performance.

Value Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Value Rank of 57 (better than 57% compared with alternatives), Costain shares are more attractively priced than the majority of comparable stocks. The Value Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators above average for Costain. Price-to-Sales (P/S) is 76, which means that the stock price compared with what market professionals expect for future sales is lower than for 76% of comparable companies, indicating a good value regarding Costain's revenue size. The same is valid for expected Price to Profits (or Price / Earnings, P/E), more favorable than for 72% of alternatives, and it's also true for the Price-to-Book Capital ratio (also referred to as market-to-book ratio) with a Price-to-Capital Rank of 66. But, compared with other companies in the same industry, dividend yields are expected to be lower than average; only 10% of all competitors have even lower dividend yields than Costain (a Dividend Yield Rank of 10). 90% alternative investments in the same business provide a higher dividend yield. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Value Rank of 57, is a buy recommendation based on Costain's stock price compared with the company's operational size and dividend yields. The below-average dividend yield may be a good sign, as it could mean the company has more attractive investment opportunities for the generated cash than to pay it out as dividends. A low dividend yield can also indicate a growth phase. We recommend further analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks, including the 360° View, before making an investment decision. ...read more

VALUE METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)
PRICE VS. REVENUES (P/S)	92	91	91	76
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)
PRICE VS. PROFITS (P/E)	38	97	97	72
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)
PRICE VS. CAPITAL (Market-to-Book)	90	96	90	66
DIVIDEND YIELD
DIVIDEND YIELD	1	100	20	10
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE
CONSOLIDATED RANK: VALUE	73	100	89	57

Last update of Value Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on value ratios: The higher the rank, the lower the value ratio of Costain; except for dividend yield where the rank is higher, the higher the yield.

Growth Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Growth Rank of 21 (better than 21% compared with alternatives), Costain shows one of the most restricted growth dynamics in its industry. There is little momentum in this company. The Growth Rank is based on consolidating four value indicators, with three out of four indicators below average for Costain. Sales Growth has a below market rank of 4, which means that, currently, professionals expect the company to grow less than 96% of its competitors. The same is valid for Capital Growth, with a rank of 8, and Profit Growth, with a rank of 48. Currently, professionals expect the company to grow its profits less than 52% of its competitors). Only shareholders are optimistic. Stock Returns are above average at a rank of 91, which means that the stock returns have recently been above 91% of alternative investments. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: The overall picture with a consolidated Growth Rank of 21, is a sell recommendation for growth and momentum investors. That picture may be the result for a company that has reached the bottom. All went south for Costain, and it still looks bad, but some investors already see light at the end of the tunnel, rewarding the stock with recent above-market stock returns. It could also mean that investors are correcting an overreaction to negative news. If that were the case, the positive stock returns are not yet a sign of recovery. Investors should look closely at the Value and Sentiment indicators before they make a stock purchasing decision, because growth is unlikely to be the driving argument behind this investment. While momentum is a popular investment factor, the value aspect might be the more important one, in the longer term. We recommend analyzing the stock with Obermatt’s Value, Safety, and Sentiment Ranks to arrive at a 360° View of the stock purchase case, especially since the growth performance is low here. ...read more

GROWTH METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
REVENUE GROWTH
REVENUE GROWTH	64	7	1	4
PROFIT GROWTH
PROFIT GROWTH	52	100	5	48
CAPITAL GROWTH
CAPITAL GROWTH	n/a	97	40	8
STOCK RETURNS
STOCK RETURNS	12	7	95	91
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH
CONSOLIDATED RANK: GROWTH	46	63	19	21

Last update of Growth Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on growth metrics: The higher the rank, the higher the growth and returns of Costain.

Safety Metrics in Detail

ANALYSIS: With an Obermatt Safety Rank of 99 (better than 99% compared with alternatives) for 2024, the company Costain has safe financing practices, which means that their overall debt burden is low. This doesn't mean that the business of Costain is safe, it only means that the company is on the safer side regarding possible bankruptcy, assuming that public reporting is correct. The Safety Rank is based on consolidating three financing indicators, where all three are above average for Costain. Leverage is at 98, meaning the company has a below-average debt-to-equity ratio. It has less debt than 98% of its competitors. Refinancing is at a rank of 83, meaning that the portion of the debt about to be refinanced is below average. It has less debt in the refinancing stage than 83% of its competitors. Finally, Liquidity is also good at a rank of 57, which means that the company generates more profit to service its debt than 57% of its competitors. ...read more

RECOMMENDATION: With a consolidated Safety Rank of 99 (better than 99% compared with alternatives), Costain has a financing structure that is significantly safer than that of its competitors. These three positive financing indicators signal that the company is less likely to default on its debt obligations. However, it also means that its shareholder returns will be more modest if things go well. A low safety means fewer troubles in downtimes and less upside in good times. Investors may not have a debt issue with Costain but they should also compare Obermatt’s Value, Growth, and Sentiment Ranks before making a decision. ...read more

SAFETY METRICS	2021	2022	2023	2024
LEVERAGE
LEVERAGE	86	76	92	98
REFINANCING
REFINANCING	31	93	78	83
LIQUIDITY
LIQUIDITY	3	1	54	57
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SAFETY	17	77	96	99

Last update of Safety Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on safety metrics: The higher the rank, the lower the leverage of Costain and the more cash is available to service its debt.

Sentiment Metrics in Detail

SENTIMENT	2021	2022	2023	2024
ANALYST OPINIONS
ANALYST OPINIONS	n/a	66	87	^new
OPINIONS CHANGE
OPINIONS CHANGE	n/a	50	50	^new
PRO HOLDINGS
PRO HOLDINGS	n/a	20	57	^new
MARKET PULSE
MARKET PULSE	n/a	9	47	^new
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT
CONSOLIDATED RANK: SENTIMENT	n/a	11	63	^new

Last update of Sentiment Rank: 19-Dec-2024. Stock analysis on sentiment metrics: The higher the rank, the more positive the sentiment for Costain.
Upgrade to a Premium Account to access the latest ranks.