Sydney, Feb 7, 2026, 16:49 AEDT — Market closed
- REA Group shares slid 7.8% Friday, after the company signaled it expects weaker listings volumes in the year ahead.
- Core operating profit climbed, though the headline figure declined, with last year’s one-off gain no longer in the mix.
- Feb. 23 marks the start of the buyback window, with the ex-dividend date landing March 3—both dates on investors’ radar.
Shares of REA Group ended Friday’s session off 7.8% at A$168.10, pressured by a downbeat forecast for property listings. The stock tumbled at the open to A$150.01, touching lows there before ranging up to A$172.80.
It was a rough session for risk assets. The ASX 200 slid roughly 2%, pulling back sharply as nerves frayed. “Panic is spreading,” said Michael McCarthy at MooMoo Australia, after investors stampeded out of positions. ABC News
REA posted a 5% lift in revenue from core operations to A$916 million for the half-year ended Dec. 31, stripping out one-offs. Core net profit notched up 9% to A$341 million, but the company’s reported profit slid 24% to A$336 million. CEO Cameron McIntyre flagged an accelerated AI rollout, highlighting a Q3 beta of “conversational search” built with OpenAI, and said demand remained solid in main urban markets. The board raised the interim dividend to A$1.24 per share. For the full year, REA now sees national residential buy listings declining 1% to 3%, but expects buy “yield”—average revenue per listing—to jump 12% to 14%. IRM
The company reported a 14% jump in first-half buy yield, crediting higher prices and more add-on product sales, though national buy listings slipped 6%. Management highlighted record traffic for realestate.com.au, saying the site’s strong audience and data backbone help maintain pricing leverage with agents, even as listings dry up.
REA is looking to launch an on-market buyback worth as much as A$200 million, according to a filing. The window runs from Feb. 23 through Dec. 31. Goldman Sachs Australia is handling the broker work. The company flagged that both the scale and timing will hinge on where its share price goes and what’s happening in the market.
The company also locked in its interim dividend schedule: shares go ex-dividend on March 3, with the record date following on March 4, and payment due March 18. This dividend is fully franked, so it includes Australian tax credits.
The market’s closed for the weekend, so all eyes turn to Monday to see if REA’s stock catches a break or if the results-driven selloff spills over. Investors are keeping tabs on management’s talk of “positive operating jaws,” their way of saying revenue should outpace costs, even as they ramp up spending on products and AI.
REA reported an 8% drop in January listing volumes from a year earlier. Melbourne and Sydney slipped 1% each. The company pointed to a “two-speed” market—supply has picked up in Melbourne and Sydney, but stock remains thin in Perth and Brisbane.
REA’s global footprint showed mixed results. Revenue at Move, Inc. in North America climbed 10% to US$295 million, but India continued to hold things back after the company pulled out of or sold off segments there and shifted strategy.
REA holds the top spot for online residential listings in Australia. Still, its core business—selling marketing and depth products—remains tied to the property cycle. If seller activity drops off more sharply than anticipated, or agents start resisting price hikes, yield growth could take a quick hit. The buyback? That’s optional.
Not much on the immediate calendar. Traders are eyeing the buyback, set to kick off on or after Feb. 23, and weighing moves ahead of the March 3 ex-dividend date. They’ll also be looking out for any updates on listings momentum.
