SYDNEY, March 2, 2026, 18:28 AEDT — Market closed
Shares of WiseTech Global Ltd fell 4.7% on Monday to A$45.29, after swinging between A$43.90 and A$46.09 in the session.
The pullback lands as investors try to work out what WiseTech’s AI push means in practice — fewer people, faster code, and whether service levels hold up while the company is still digesting a big acquisition.
WiseTech last week flagged about 2,000 job cuts as part of an AI-led overhaul, with CEO Zubin Appoo arguing “the era of manually writing code as the core act of engineering is over.” Shares jumped 11.1% that day, but the stock remained 68% below its November 2024 peak; Marc Jocum, senior product and investment strategist at Global X ETFs, said the recent weakness was “more governance-driven than fundamental.” Reuters
Broader markets were steady, but tech lagged. The S&P/ASX 200 closed up 0.03% while the All Tech index fell 2.52% and the information technology sector slid 3.07% as weekend escalation around Iran pushed investors toward energy and other defensives.
In its half-year results release, WiseTech reported total revenue of $672.0 million in the six months to Dec. 31, with underlying net profit after tax of $114.5 million and statutory net profit of $68.1 million. It reaffirmed FY26 guidance for revenue of $1.39 billion–$1.44 billion and EBITDA — earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortisation, a common cash-earnings yardstick — of $550 million–$585 million.
A separate filing late last week showed Appoo bought 20,020 WiseTech shares for a total A$1,000,049.19, purchased on-market on Feb. 26 and expected to settle on March 2.
The workforce plan has also drawn scrutiny from labour groups. Professionals Australia, a union representing tech and engineering workers, sought an urgent meeting with WiseTech and said “the introduction of AI on this scale is clearly a major workplace change.” Reuters
For now, the debate in the market is less about this week’s numbers and more about execution. Investors want signs the company can take costs out without choking product delivery or customer support, and without dragging the e2open integration back into the headlines.
But it can still go wrong. Restructuring can cost money upfront, timelines can slip, and staff pushback can slow changes — and any hit to global trade volumes would test a business built on transactions moving through logistics and supply-chain systems.
Next up is the interim dividend timetable. WiseTech’s shares go ex-dividend on March 13 — meaning buyers from that date do not get the upcoming payout — with a March 16 record date and an April 10 payment date, according to an ASX notice.
