Sydney, Feb 24, 2026, 17:54 (AEDT) — The session has ended.
- Zip Co ended the session at A$1.60, shedding roughly 6.4% for the day
- Australian Retirement Trust now holds 5.145% of ASX:ZIP, according to its latest disclosure.
- Directors highlighted recent on-market share buys, with a A$50 million buyback on the horizon.
Shares of Zip Co Ltd closed Tuesday at A$1.60, slipping roughly 6.4% after new filings revealed that a major Australian pension fund has taken a stake in the buy-now, pay-later company.
The stock’s been choppy ever since last week’s earnings reset. Now, investors are juggling two focal points: who’s showing up on the shareholder list and if the company’s buyback plan will shift sentiment heading into the next session. As for the broader ASX 200, it wrapped up nearly unchanged.
Investors hitting 5% voting power in a listed company must file a “substantial holder” notice, flagging their stake to both the market and the company. ASIC
On Tuesday, a filing revealed Australian Retirement Trust Pty Ltd—trustee for Australian Retirement Trust—had grabbed 65,372,992 Zip shares, giving it 5.145% of the voting power and putting it over the threshold as a substantial holder as of Feb. 20. The shares sit under the name HSBC Custody Nominees (Australia) Limited as registered holder.
Director interest filings revealed Chief Executive Cynthia Scott and a handful of other directors picked up shares on the market on Feb. 20, just a day after results landed. Scott bought a total of 53,342 shares, spending roughly A$100,539. Directors Andrew Stevens, Meredith Scott, and Diane Smith-Gander also reported share purchases.
Zip shares have dropped roughly 36% in the past week, recent closing data show, highlighting just how fast the mood has turned on the stock.
Zip reported on Feb. 19 that total income for the half hit A$664.0 million, while net bad debts climbed to 1.7% of total transaction volume—slightly higher than last year’s 1.6%. “We’re driving cash earnings growth of 85.6%,” Scott said, highlighting increased momentum in each market.
In its investor deck, the company narrowed its focus: management is now targeting net bad debts between 1.5% and 2.0% of transaction volume. For the second half, the aim shifts slightly tighter, to 1.75%-2.0%, as higher-volume products move further into their lifecycle.
On Feb. 20, Zip said it was planning to buy back as much as A$50 million of its own shares on the market—a move that could gradually reduce its outstanding share count. The plan, according to Scott, signals a “disciplined and balanced approach to capital management.”
In a separate filing, Zip detailed plans for its on-market buyback, scheduled to kick off March 6 and wrap up by March 5, 2027. Barrenjoey Markets and Third Party Platform are listed as brokers handling the process.
Still, a wave of insider buying and fresh filings doesn’t guarantee support. The company remains vulnerable to changes in consumer credit and shifting growth forecasts. Last week’s sharp drop made clear how quickly this part of fintech gets hit when results disappoint or guidance turns wary.
