Sydney, Feb 17, 2026, 18:41 (AEDT) — Market closed
- CAR Group slipped 0.5% to finish at A$25.61, giving back a slice of Monday’s advance.
- The RBA minutes gave no clear signal on rate direction, and traders are now watching for a possible hike in May.
- Eyes now turn to the March 13 ex-dividend date, when the interim payout comes into play for the next company.
CAR Group Limited (CAR.AX) slipped 0.54% to A$25.61 on Tuesday, according to trading data, trimming some of Monday’s 2.7% jump. The move put the company’s value near A$9.7 billion.
The retreat is notable: CAR’s been moving almost in lockstep with rate expectations. There’s appetite for the cash yield, sure, but investors aren’t giving much slack to high-margin online marketplace names when borrowing costs threaten to rise again.
The mood tightened further on Tuesday. Minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia’s February meeting revealed policymakers lacked confidence in “any particular path” for the cash rate after a 25 basis point increase took it to 3.85%. Markets are now betting on another hike to 4.10% in May, with first-quarter inflation figures expected late April. Reuters
The S&P/ASX 200 index finished the session 0.24% higher, ending at 8,958.90.
Last week’s half-year numbers are still driving CAR. The company posted an 8% jump in revenue to A$626 million, while EBITDA rose 11% to A$324 million. Net profit after tax came in at A$143 million, up 16%. Using pro forma figures—which adjust for selected items—revenue was up 13% in constant currency, and pro forma EBITDA hit A$339 million, a 12% gain. CAR also announced an interim dividend of 42.5 Australian cents, franked at 30%. CEO William Elliott called AI a “critical enabler” for the business. ASX Announcements
March 13 is circled for traders: that’s the ex-dividend date for CAR shares. Anyone picking up stock after that misses out on the interim dividend, which gets paid April 13.
The dividend, though, offers no shield against macro forces. A hotter-than-expected inflation print can jolt rate bets, and growth stocks often see their multiples contract first.
Currency moves are another wild card here. CAR pulls in much of its profit from overseas, so when the Australian dollar strengthens, that can end up shaving down reported growth as those earnings get converted back home.
