Sydney, Feb 26, 2026, 17:04 AEDT — After-hours
- Woolworths closed Thursday at A$36.35, up about 0.7% for the day.
- The grocer beat profit forecasts for the half-year and boosted its earnings guidance.
- Coles will report interim results this Friday. Investors are also tracking Woolworths’ dividend timing.
Woolworths Group Ltd added 0.72%, finishing at A$36.35 after Thursday’s session, building on momentum from its half-year update. Shares swung between A$34.97 and A$36.41.
Why does this matter? Woolworths is making a play for price-conscious shoppers by cutting prices, but still thinks it can hold onto its profit margins. Underlying net profit for the first half jumped 16% to A$859 million, topping the Visible Alpha consensus of A$813.5 million. The grocer also nudged up its full-year outlook, now targeting growth toward the higher end of its mid- to high-single-digit range. Shares at one stage rocketed more than 11% Wednesday—that’s a move the stock hasn’t seen since 1997.
Woolworths posted a 3.4% rise in group sales to A$37.1 billion, while eCommerce revenue surged 14.6% to A$5.4 billion, the company’s profit and dividend release showed. EBIT, excluding one-off items such as remediation charges, climbed 14.4% to A$1.66 billion. Pre-significant items, profit after tax was up 16.4% to A$859 million. However, A$485 million in after-tax significant items dragged statutory profit down 49.4%, landing at A$374 million.
Chief executive Amanda Bardwell pointed to better customer metrics and said market share remains solid. Woolworths shares jumped 13% on Wednesday, ending at A$35.63. That’s the stock’s biggest single-day gain on record, ABC reported.
Josh Gilbert, a market analyst at eToro, flagged the stronger-than-expected figures and pointed to hints of momentum as the second half approaches. “It isn’t the smoking gun to silence all the bears,” he said, adding that the wage remediation charge remains a hurdle for investors to look beyond. News.com.au
Woolworths has declared a fully franked interim dividend of 45 cents per share in its appendix 4D to the ASX. The distribution includes Australian tax credits. Shareholders recorded by March 5 are eligible, with the payment expected around April 2. Those wanting to join the dividend reinvestment plan must lodge election notices no later than March 6. DRP shares will be set using the 10-day volume-weighted average price from March 9.
Still, there are snags in the momentum story. A deeper price war threatens to pinch margins, while persistent remediation costs or fresh legal bills could leave profits volatile at the headline level.
Coles, the main rival to Woolworths, will post its HY26 results this Friday. Investors are watching closely: will Woolworths’ higher sales prove it’s grabbing market share, or just riding a broader sector lift?
Woolworths barely has a gap in its schedule. Third-quarter results hit on April 30, then it’s investor day just after, on May 12.
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