Sydney, Feb 27, 2026, 18:02 AEDT — After-hours
Telstra Group Ltd (ASX:TLS) edged up 0.8% to finish Friday at A$5.18, adding 4 cents on the day.
Telstra’s stock has attracted fresh attention, with the company rolling through its interim dividend timetable and an on-market share buyback. The telecom giant confirmed its 10.5 Australian cent interim dividend will be paid out March 27. Shares started trading ex-dividend on Feb. 25, cutting off eligibility for buyers from that date, while Feb. 26 stands as the record date. Roughly 90% of the payout is “franked,” so most of that dividend comes bundled with Australian tax credits. Telstra.com
Income stocks have rates lurking in the backdrop. Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Michele Bullock, speaking this week, called for patience and noted that policy decisions aren’t getting any easier as markets continued to absorb inflation signals and uncertainty around what comes next.
Telstra disclosed in an ASX Appendix 3C filing Friday that it snapped up 1,913,877 shares, spending A$9.9 million at prices ranging from A$5.11 to A$5.19. Total buybacks to date have reached around 136.7 million shares, costing the company about A$671 million so far. Barrenjoey Markets is handling the transactions, with the buyback capped at about A$1.25 billion and set to run through June 30.
Support from the wider market was evident. The S&P/ASX 200 finished the session up 0.25% at 9,198.6, with communication services ranking among the top sectors, according to Market Index data.
After posting stronger-than-expected first-half profits, Telstra bumped up its buyback ceiling last week to as much as A$1.25 billion and sharpened its full-year underlying earnings guidance. “The on-market share buyback is expected to support earnings and dividend per share growth,” Chief Executive Vicki Brady said then. Reuters
Going into the next session, traders are eyeing daily buyback notices—looking for steady volume around these price levels. They’ll also be watching to see if the stock can stick to the territory set post ex-dividend adjustment.
The risk is nothing new here—should bond yields head higher, high-dividend defensives might lose their footing as investors rethink income plays. And if mobile or broadband pricing heats up again, Australia’s telecom margins could get pinched fast in this cutthroat market.
Thursday brings December-quarter GDP figures, a key data drop that could shake up rate forecasts and sway demand for dividend-focused stocks like Telstra.
