Sydney, Feb 9, 2026, 17:25 AEDT — After-hours
- REA Group ended the session off 0.6%, despite an early surge that saw shares jump over 5%.
- Softer guidance for listings is on investors’ minds, though premium ad pricing strength is still a factor.
- Coming up: the buyback launch set for later this month, then the interim dividend goes ex in early March.
REA Group Ltd slipped 0.6% on Monday to close at A$167.12, paring gains after hitting a session peak of A$176.84. Shares moved between A$166.98 and that intraday high. 1
The fade isn’t just about the ASX—REA now tracks the housing cycle, serving as a high-beta proxy for investor sentiment on property. Listings dry up, fewer homes hit the platform, and it’s all down to how aggressively the company can ratchet up prices.
Timing plays a role here, too. Short-term positioning can get locked in by a buyback or dividend date, despite the main narrative still revolving around volumes and margins.
REA jumped out of the gate, opening 3.7% higher at A$174.47 and surging as much as 5.2% in the first hour. The gains didn’t stick—shares drifted back toward flat by early afternoon, even as the wider tech space remained stronger. According to MarketIndex, the move followed deeper scrutiny of REA’s first-half results and forward view: FY26 national residential “Buy” listings are now tipped to slip 1%–3%. Analysts also trimmed their average target price after the release. 2
REA’s board declared an interim dividend of A$1.24 per share, fully franked, with the ex-dividend date set for March 3 and payment scheduled on March 18, according to its results release. The company also unveiled plans for an on-market buyback of up to A$200 million, aiming to kick that off on or after Feb. 23. As of Dec. 31, REA reported holding A$478 million in cash and no external drawn debt. “REA Group has an extremely strong balance sheet, and this share buy-back reflects the Board’s confidence in the long-term outlook,” Chairman Hamish McLennan said. 3
REA labels its for-sale listings as “Buy.” The company tracks “Yield” as the income generated per listing from agents and vendors, a figure lifted by premium-priced, more prominent advertising options. Its dividend is fully franked, meaning it comes with Australian tax credits.
After the recent pullback, there’s chatter about value creeping back in. Jefferies bumped REA up to “buy” on Feb. 6, despite trimming its target to A$203. The risk-reward now looks better, they told Finimize. 4
REA, which operates realestate.com.au and realcommercial.com.au, breaks out results from Australia, India, and other overseas markets. The company holds an equity interest in Move Inc, owner of the U.S.-based realtor.com. 5
Still, the downside risk is lurking. Should listing volumes drop below the company’s expected range, or agents push back on more price hikes, the numbers turn challenging fast. A ramp in product or marketing spend to protect market share would hit margins, and India’s losses continue to weigh.
Now it’s about the calendar: investors eye the buyback, set to kick off on or after Feb. 23, and then the March 3 ex-dividend date for the stock. In the gap between those events, any new word on listing flows or housing demand could pack a bigger punch for REA’s price than whatever the broader index does.
