- Next-week expectancy is positive at 72.79% based on similar historical setup states.
COST
LSE
Week ended 07 Aug 2026
Weekly Investor Report
Costain Group PLC · Industrials · Engineering & Construction
Latest close
2.15 GBP
2.1%
latest week
Weekly setup
Mixed setup
The weekly trend is not active. Price is -98.3% below the Trend Line and sits at 0.1% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned 2.1%, after a 3.1% four-week move. The latest factor snapshot indicates quality is middle-of-the-pack; growth is moderate; valuation is neither clearly cheap nor expensive. The latest news-sentiment score is 43/100. Near-term considerations: volume confirmation is below normal.
Setup score
29
out of 100
Latest Close
2.15 GBP
7 Aug 2026
1W Return
2.1%
latest completed week
4W Return
3.1%
short-term follow-through
12W Return
-98.9%
quarterly tape
Trend Breadth
80.8%
42 of 52 weeks active
Volume Ratio
0.8x
vs 13-week average
- The trend backdrop is inactive, so price action has not confirmed a constructive regime.
- Price is below the Trend Line, which keeps downside pressure in focus.
- Price is below Fair Value, so the market is still discounting the latest tape.
- Activity pressure is negative, which weakens the current setup.
- Trend Line remains the key weekly regime level.
- Activity pressure is the gauge to monitor for confirmation or fade.
- A volume ratio above 1.5x would show stronger participation in the next move.
Price follow-through
2.1%
Latest completed week; four-week move 3.1%.
Indicator stack
44/30
Trend and activity pressure are weighted against the latest 12-week confirmation window.
Trend backdrop
Active
The trend backdrop defines the current weekly regime.
Patient Capital
Quiet
Activity-pressure buy-signal status for institutional accumulation timing.
Next-Week Expectancy
Positive 72.79%
Historical one-week expectancy contributes to the evidence score when direction is confirmed.
News sentiment
43/100
7 relevant articles in the latest sentiment read.
01 · Price action
Study the full chart
Where price is—and whether the trend supports it
The weekly trend is not active. Price is -98.3% below the Trend Line and sits at 0.1% of its 52-week range. The latest completed week returned 2.1%, after a 3.1% four-week move.
52-week price path
Price vs Trend Line and Fair Value
Price
Trend Line
Fair Value
02 · Volume and demand
Is real participation confirming the move?
Latest weekly volume is 0.8x the 13-week average. Participation is below its recent norm, so price strength is not receiving full volume confirmation.
26-week volume confirmation
Bar height shows volume; colour shows the weekly price direction
13 Feb
20 Feb
27 Feb
6 Mar
13 Mar
20 Mar
27 Mar
3 Apr
10 Apr
17 Apr
24 Apr
1 May
8 May
15 May
22 May
29 May
5 Jun
12 Jun
19 Jun
26 Jun
3 Jul
10 Jul
17 Jul
24 Jul
31 Jul
7 Aug
Up week
Down week
Demand beneath price
Activity pressure and institutional-style signals
These indicators assess whether participation is improving beneath the headline price move. They are supporting evidence, not proof of institutional buying.
Activity pressure path
Latest 0.2012-week average 0.58
12-week confirmation
Trend active2/12Active trend-backdrop weeks in the latest 12-week window.
Positive pressure0/12Weeks with constructive activity pressure in the latest 12-week window.
Positive leadership2/12Weeks with positive relative leadership in the latest 12-week window.
Activity pressure0.20Current proprietary activity-pressure read.
Buy signals0Accumulation signal count in the latest 12 weeks.
Reversal markers1010 reversal markers
No recent accumulation markers. 10 reversal markers.
03 · Momentum and leadership
Is performance persistent—and is the stock leading?
Performance is 3.1% over four weeks, -98.9% over 12 weeks, and -98.7% over one year. The current trend has remained active for 0 consecutive weeks.
Performance by holding period
Active trend streak0 weeks
Active weeks in one year42
Trend breadth80.8%
Activity pressure vs relative leadership
Activity pressureRelative leadership
Pressure-1.15Latest activity-pressure read.
Pressure change7.2%Four-week change in activity pressure.
Leadership-98.53Latest relative-leadership reading.
RS change0.1%Four-week change in relative leadership.
04 · Fundamentals and valuation
Open full factor analysis
What investors are paying for—and the quality behind it
The latest factor snapshot indicates quality is middle-of-the-pack; growth is moderate; valuation is neither clearly cheap nor expensive.
Factor week 09 Aug 2026
Financial statements through 31 Dec 2025
Field coverage 82%
Model confidence 65%
Relative factor standing
Higher display scores are better. Each score is converted from the underlying universe rank, where rank 1 is best.
Overall factor strength70/100Blend of value, momentum, and quality. Underlying universe rank 31; rank 1 is best.
Value64/100Relative valuation strength. Underlying universe rank 37; rank 1 is best.
Quality65/100Profitability and accounting quality. Underlying universe rank 36; rank 1 is best.
Momentum65/100Medium-term price momentum. Underlying universe rank 36; rank 1 is best.
Growth65/100Revenue and earnings growth. Underlying universe rank 36; rank 1 is best.
Quality and valuation are separate questions
A strong company can still carry a demanding valuation. This report shows profitability, growth, balance-sheet strength, and the price paid for those characteristics separately.
Valuation
How much investors are paying for earnings, sales, and cash flow.
- P/E
- - Price divided by trailing earnings.
- Price / sales
- - Market value relative to trailing revenue.
- EV / EBITDA
- - Enterprise value relative to operating cash earnings.
- Free-cash-flow yield
- - Free cash flow as a share of enterprise value.
Business quality
Margins and the return generated on invested capital.
- Gross margin
- 10.9% Gross profit retained from each unit of revenue.
- Operating margin
- 4.3% Operating profit retained from revenue.
- Free-cash-flow margin
- 4.6% Free cash flow generated from revenue.
- Return on invested capital
- 35.8% Operating return generated on invested capital.
Growth and financial strength
Recent business growth and accounting strength.
- Revenue growth
- -16.4% Latest one-year revenue growth.
- EPS growth
- 22.8% Latest one-year earnings-per-share growth.
- Free-cash-flow growth
- 44.3% Latest one-year free-cash-flow growth.
- Piotroski F-score
- 7/9 Nine-point accounting-strength checklist.
Shareholder return and balance sheet
Cash returned to owners and financial leverage.
- Dividend yield
- - Cash dividends relative to market value.
- Buyback yield
- - Net share repurchases relative to market value.
- Shareholder yield
- - Dividend yield plus net buyback yield.
- Net debt / EBITDA
- -2.5x Balance-sheet debt relative to operating cash earnings.
05 · Ownership, options, and sentiment
What other market participants are doing
Options, insider transactions, market sentiment, and activity-pressure signals can confirm or challenge the price story. None should be used alone.
Insider activity-
No recent insider transactions are stored for this company.
News sentiment43/100
Weighted news tone is neutral across 7 relevant articles.
1 positive · 5 neutral · 1 negativePatient CapitalQuiet
Activity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.
No recent buy signal
06 · Catalysts and risk
What can move the shares—and how volatile the path has been
Event timing, options-implied movement, drawdown, and weekly return distribution frame the risk around the current setup.
Next earnings-No event is currently stored.
Options expected move-Nearest-chain priced movement where available.
52-week drawdown-99.0%Distance below the 52-week high.
13-week volatility26.8%Standard deviation of weekly returns.
Weekly gains and losses
Latest 26 completed weeksEach bar is one week. Gains rise above the zero line; losses fall below it. Taller bars mean a larger weekly move.
13 Feb
13 Mar
10 Apr
8 May
5 Jun
3 Jul
7 Aug
Weeks higher17 of 269 weeks finished lower.
Best week+12.8%Week of 13 Mar.
Worst week-99.0%Week of 5 Jun.
Latest week+2.1%Week of 7 Aug.
Shape of recent returns
Strong gains3
Modest gains14
Flat weeks0
Modest losses3
Sharp losses6
Recent vol26.8%13-week weekly-return volatility.
Base vol14.5%52-week weekly-return volatility.
Up/down split31/20Count of positive and negative weeks in the 52-week window.
Average skew3.4% / -8.7%Average positive week versus average negative week.
07 · Sector and peer context
Is this stock leading—or simply moving with its group?
Sector and industry breadth distinguish company-specific strength from a broad group move.
SectorGB Industrials
4-week rank61 / 100
Group average9.1%
Trend breadth46.0%
Trend46.0%active weekly trend signals
MD65.0%positive activity pressure
RS50.0%positive relative leadership
Four-week leaders
IndustryGB Engineering & Construction
4-week rank10 / 16
Group average4.0%
Trend breadth43.8%
Trend43.8%active weekly trend signals
MD56.2%positive activity pressure
RS50.0%positive relative leadership
Four-week leaders
08 · Evidence and weekly data
The underlying research record
Every top-level statement above should be traceable to a stored market, fundamental, event, or positioning observation.
Weekly tape34/100
Trend, activity pressure, participation, and risk combine to a 34/100 tape read.
Indicator analysis11/100Latest 12-week confirmation: trend 2/12, activity pressure 0/12, relative leadership 2/12.
Activity pressure 0.20; 10 reversal markers Next-Week ExpectancyPositive 72.79%Next-week expectancy is positive with a 72.79% historical one-week setup read.
Adds short-term historical context without overriding trend, activity, or relative leadership. Factors65/100O'Shaughnessy factor stack blends value, quality, momentum, and confidence.
Buyback Yield rank 50 Patient CapitalQuietActivity-pressure buy-signal evidence highlights potential institutional accumulation windows.
No recent buy signal Sentiment43/100Weighted news tone is neutral across 7 relevant articles.
COST Stock Quote Price and Forecast Insiders50/100No recent insider transaction evidence is stored.
Earnings50/100No stored earnings event is currently attached to this ticker.
| Week | Close | Return | Trend Line | Fair Value | Pressure | Leadership | Volume | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 Aug 2026 | 2.15 GBP | 2.1% | 124.5 GBP | 105.6 GBP | -1.15 | -98.53 | 3.2M | Off |
| 31 Jul 2026 | 2.11 GBP | -2.5% | 129.9 GBP | 105.9 GBP | -1.10 | -98.59 | 2.8M | Off |
| 24 Jul 2026 | 2.17 GBP | 3.1% | 135.1 GBP | 106.1 GBP | -1.12 | -98.57 | 3.0M | Off |
| 17 Jul 2026 | 2.10 GBP | 0.5% | 140.3 GBP | 106.4 GBP | -1.17 | -98.63 | 4.6M | Off |
| 10 Jul 2026 | 2.09 GBP | -3.7% | 145.5 GBP | 106.7 GBP | -1.24 | -98.65 | 10.4M | Off |
| 3 Jul 2026 | 2.17 GBP | 3.3% | 150.7 GBP | 107.0 GBP | -1.37 | -98.65 | 4.0M | Off |
| 26 Jun 2026 | 2.10 GBP | 1.4% | 155.8 GBP | 107.3 GBP | -1.40 | -98.70 | 790.4K | Off |
| 19 Jun 2026 | 2.07 GBP | 6.2% | 160.9 GBP | 107.6 GBP | -1.20 | -98.73 | 2.7M | Off |
| 12 Jun 2026 | 1.95 GBP | 0.6% | 165.7 GBP | 107.9 GBP | -0.94 | -98.84 | 1.8M | Off |
| 5 Jun 2026 | 1.94 GBP | -99.0% | 170.6 GBP | 108.1 GBP | -0.60 | -98.85 | 872.7K | Off |
| 29 May 2026 | 193.8 GBP | 0.5% | 175.5 GBP | 108.4 GBP | -0.35 | 12.23 | 3.5M | On |
| 22 May 2026 | 192.8 GBP | -4.3% | 174.1 GBP | 107.5 GBP | -0.34 | 11.63 | 9.6M | On |
| 15 May 2026 | 201.5 GBP | 3.8% | 172.8 GBP | 106.6 GBP | -0.40 | 20.37 | 6.2M | On |
| 8 May 2026 | 194.2 GBP | 4.0% | 171.1 GBP | 105.7 GBP | -0.35 | 16.32 | 3.8M | On |
How to use this report
This is a completed-week research summary. It explains the available evidence and its conflicts; it does not predict a guaranteed outcome or replace your own risk assessment. Fundamental figures may refer to an earlier financial reporting period, which is shown above.