---
title: "Costain CEO and CFO Boost Equity Stakes After Exercising Incentive Awards"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/283699123.md"
description: "Costain's CEO Alex Vaughan and CFO Helen Willis have exercised nil-cost share options, significantly increasing their equity stakes. Vaughan's holdings are valued at £4.24m (764% of salary), while Willis's are at £2.59m (555% of salary), both exceeding the company's 200% guideline. Analysts rate Costain (GB:COST) stock as a Hold with a £180.00 price target, citing improved financial stability but cautioning against ongoing revenue contraction. Costain Group PLC specializes in infrastructure and construction projects in the UK, with a market cap of £500.7M."
datetime: "2026-04-22T16:12:27.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/283699123.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283699123.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/283699123.md)
---

# Costain CEO and CFO Boost Equity Stakes After Exercising Incentive Awards

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An update from Costain ( (GB:COST) ) is now available.

Costain disclosed that chief executive Alex Vaughan and chief financial officer Helen Willis have exercised substantial nil-cost share options under the company’s 2014 Long Term Incentive Plan and 2023 Share Deferral Plan. Both executives sold part of the resulting shares to meet tax and National Insurance obligations, with Willis transferring her remaining balance to her spouse.

Following these transactions, Vaughan’s total beneficial shareholding, including qualifying awards, is valued at about £4.24m, equivalent to 764% of his salary, while Willis’s beneficial interest is valued at roughly £2.59m, or 555% of her salary. The enlarged holdings materially exceed Costain’s guideline of 200% of salary for senior management share ownership, underlining strong equity alignment between the leadership team and shareholders, though Vaughan has instructed a further sale of his remaining exercised shares.

The most recent analyst rating on (GB:COST) stock is a Hold with a £180.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Costain stock, see the GB:COST Stock Forecast page.

**Spark’s Take on COST Stock**

According to Spark, TipRanks’ AI Analyst, COST is a Outperform.

The score is driven primarily by improved financial stability and earnings quality (higher margins, low leverage, solid cash conversion), supported by strong technical uptrend signals. Valuation is reasonable but not deeply compelling, and the key risk tempering the score is the multi-year revenue contraction, which could limit future growth if it persists.

To see Spark’s full report on COST stock, click here.

**More about Costain**

Costain Group PLC is a UK-based engineering and construction company focused on infrastructure, transportation, energy and water projects. The group provides consulting, design, delivery and technology-led solutions for major public and private sector clients, positioning itself as a key contractor in large-scale national infrastructure programmes.

**Average Trading Volume:** 1,615,027

**Technical Sentiment Signal:** Buy

**Current Market Cap:** £500.7M

For a thorough assessment of COST stock, go to TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.

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