CoStar Group Stock Gains Institutional Buying as Analysts Cut Ratings

Principal Financial Group increased its holding in CoStar Group to 17,696,192 shares, representing about 4.22% of the company and valued at roughly $714 million. Other institutional investors also added to their positions, including Bamco Inc., State Street Corp., Baillie Gifford, Capital International Investors and Akre Capital Management.

Analyst sentiment turned more cautious: JPMorgan lowered its price objective to $70, Stephens cut its target to $42, Weiss reissued a sell rating, and Wall Street Zen downgraded the stock from "buy" to "hold." The consensus rating remains a "moderate buy" with an average target near $55.

CoStar reported first‑quarter earnings of $0.23 per share, beating estimates, and revenue of $897 million, up 22.5% year‑over‑year. CEO Andrew C. Florance purchased 71,430 shares at $35.20 each, increasing his stake to about 1.7 million shares.