Costain H1 2025: Profit and Margin Growth, Dividend Surge and Strong Forward Work

Costain H1 2025 results: margin up, cash strong, dividend meaningfully higher

Costain’s half-year numbers are a neat illustration of “quality over quantity”. Revenue fell, yet profits and margins moved up, the forward work position grew again, and the Board has dialled up shareholder returns. Here’s what stood out – and why it matters if you own the shares or follow UK infrastructure names.

Headline figures that define the half

Metric	H1 25	H1 24
Revenue	£525.4m	£639.3m
Adjusted operating profit	£16.8m	£16.3m
Adjusted operating margin	3.2%	2.5%
Reported operating profit	£16.4m	£13.9m
Adjusted profit before tax	£18.6m	£19.4m
Adjusted EPS	5.5p	5.6p
Reported EPS	5.4p	5.0p
Net cash	£144.9m	£166.0m
Interim dividend per share	1.0p	0.4p
Forward work position	£5.6bn	£4.3bn

Adjusted figures strip out one-off items (such as residual transformation and restructuring costs) to show underlying performance.

My take: better mix, better margins

Revenue dropped 17.8% to £525.4m, mainly because certain Roads projects finished as expected and HS2 work was rephased into future years. Despite that, adjusted operating profit edged up 3.1% and margin stepped up 70bps to 3.2%. That is the prize from higher-quality contracts and tighter execution.

Management says they are confident in delivering a 4.5% adjusted operating margin run-rate during FY 25. In UK contracting, every basis point counts. If they hit 4.5%, that would be a meaningful upgrade in earnings quality versus the past.

Order book power: £5.6bn and 90% of FY revenue secured

The forward work position rose to £5.6bn (more than four times FY 24 revenue), with the order book itself at £3.4bn and a preferred bidder book of £2.2bn. Costain has already secured more than £490m for H2 25, which equates to 90% of the forecast revenue for the year. Importantly, the portfolio contains no single stage lump sum contracts and is dominated by target cost models – a better risk profile for investors.

Cash and capital returns: a clear signal of confidence

Net cash closed at £144.9m and is expected to be around £170m at year end. There was a free cash outflow of £3.0m in the half, driven by timing of receipts and working capital unwind, but balance sheet strength remains a clear positive.

Shareholder returns are stepping up: the interim dividend climbs to 1.0p (from 0.4p) as the payout normalises to a one-third/two-thirds split through the year. A £10m share buyback announced in June has completed, following a £10m buyback in H2 24. Pension contributions are paused from 1 July 2025 to 30 June 2026 and “dividend parity” is suspended in that period, which removes a constraint on distributions.

Divisional performance: Transportation softer, Natural Resources shines

Transportation: HS2 rephasing and Roads completion weigh

• Revenue: £316.1m, down 28.9%.
• Operating profit: £7.3m, down 47.1%; margin 2.3% (down 0.8pt).
• Drivers: expected slowdown in Roads as projects completed; HS2 activities rephased; partly offset by Integrated Transport growth at Heathrow.
• Secured H2 25 revenue: £275.3m as at 30 June 2025.

The drag from HS2’s programme reset is a known issue and pushes revenue into later periods rather than removing it. On the flip side, Integrated Transport revenue grew 79.1% as Heathrow work scales through Terminal Asset Renewal and Major Projects frameworks, and there is rising activity with TfL.

Natural Resources: margin engine of the Group

• Revenue: £209.3m, up 7.3%.
• Operating profit: £16.1m, up 91.7%; margin 7.7% (up 3.4pts).
• Secured H2 25 revenue: £218.4m.

Water was flat to slightly down (-0.8%) as the sector moved from AMP7 to AMP8, but contract finalisations helped margins. Costain is now mobilising AMP8 with multiple water companies, with industry investment expected to more than double to over £100bn in AMP8 and remain high into AMP9.

Energy rose 36.4%, reflecting activity in energy transition and connectivity: bp’s Teesside CCS project, two FEEDs for Storengy’s underground hydrogen storage in Cheshire, and ongoing work for Cadent replacing 335 km of gas mains and servicing 27,000 homes so far. Defence and Nuclear Energy grew 13.6%, with notable framework wins at Sizewell C and new work with Urenco.

Market backdrop: tailwinds building

Management references two big supports. First, the Government’s 10‑year Infrastructure Strategy and Pipeline highlights £725 billion of planned investment, with medium-term uplift in Transport outside HS2 and higher commitments in aviation. Second, regulators have signed off materially higher investment in water, energy and aviation. The company expects further progress in FY 25 and FY 26 and “a step change in performance” in FY 27 and beyond.

What’s positive, what’s not

Positives I like

• Margins up despite lower revenue – evidence the contract mix is working.
• Forward work at £5.6bn with 90% of FY revenue secured – visibility is excellent.
• Cash-rich balance sheet and 2029 facilities in place – financial resilience looks strong.
• Dividend uplift and completed £10m buyback – management confident on cash generation.
• No single stage lump sum exposure – better risk control in a tricky industry.

Watch-outs

• Revenue decline in Transportation and margin pressure there – improvement depends on HS2 phasing and new wins landing.
• Cash from operations outflow of £13.0m – timing-related, but worth tracking for H2.
• Lower net finance income reduced adjusted EPS – less of a tailwind from interest.
• Exposure to public sector spending plans – phasing decisions can shift revenue between years.

Consultancy footprint growing

Consultancy services made up 16.5% of Group revenue, covering strategy, design and programme delivery across departments and regulated networks. Wins included DESNZ, National Highways (SPaTS3), the Department for Transport, Storengy UK and further AMP8 and Network Rail work. Consultancy tends to carry higher margins and repeatability, so this mix shift supports the 4.5% margin ambition.

Outlook: execution and risk discipline remain the key

Costain’s strategy is clear: be selective on work, partner at scale with Tier 1 clients, and run with target cost models. That combination is lifting margins and stabilising earnings. With forward work more than four times last year’s revenue and major UK infrastructure cycles now pointing up in water, energy and aviation, the medium-term set-up looks favourable.

The near-term test will be Transportation recovery and cash conversion in H2. If the Group sustains margin progress and keeps cash around the guided c.£170m by year end while converting the bid pipeline, the shares should continue to re-rate on quality rather than volume.

Key takeaways for investors

• Adjusted operating margin up to 3.2% and on track for a 4.5% run-rate during FY 25.
• Forward work £5.6bn; 90% of FY 25 revenue already secured.
• Balance sheet robust with £144.9m net cash and facilities extended to 2029.
• Shareholder returns stepped up: 1.0p interim dividend and a completed £10m buyback.
• Natural Resources is the profit engine; Transportation should stabilise as HS2 rephasing washes through.

Overall, a solid half that trades a bit of top-line for healthier, less risky earnings. That is exactly the direction long-term holders should want.