Sydney, Feb 16, 2026, 18:04 AEDT — After-hours.
- Aurizon shares closed up 7% after FY2026 half-year profit rose and dividend was lifted
- Company raised its full-year dividend expectation and kept EBITDA outlook unchanged
- Aurizon named former Fortescue CFO Ian Wells to start in April
Aurizon Holdings ended Monday up nearly 7% at A$3.84, after the rail freight operator lifted its interim dividend and extended an on-market buyback as first-half profit climbed. The S&P/ASX 200 closed higher. (Investing)
The move matters because Aurizon is widely held for income, and the company not only raised the payout for the half but also pointed to more cash coming back over the full year. It also pushed back on a long-running question about its regulated Network business and how it should be owned.
Aurizon said EBITDA — a common proxy for operating earnings — rose 9% to A$891 million for the half ended Dec. 31, while net profit after tax increased 16% to A$237 million. It raised the interim dividend to 12.5 Australian cents a share, 90% franked (carrying Australian tax credits), and added A$100 million to its buyback, taking the total program to up to A$250 million. (Company Announcements)
The company kept its FY2026 underlying EBITDA outlook at A$1.68 billion to A$1.75 billion, but lifted its full-year dividend expectation to 22–23 cents a share, from 19–20 cents previously. It said a draft 10-year access undertaking for the Central Queensland Coal Network, if approved, would deliver an average annual revenue uplift of A$45 million. (Company Announcements)
Chief executive Andrew Harding said the half “underscored the strength” of Aurizon’s Network and Coal units, and pointed to a A$60 million cost-out program executed last year. He also said the group would retain its integrated above- and below-rail Network model after reviewing structure options. (Company Announcements)
By segment, Aurizon said Bulk EBITDA rose to A$117 million, Coal to A$298 million and Network to A$516 million, helped by higher volumes and a regulatory uplift in track access revenue. (Company Announcements)
Separately on Monday, Aurizon appointed Ian Wells as chief financial officer and group executive strategy, with a start date of April 7. Wells spent 13 years at Fortescue Metals Group, including five years as group CFO, the company said. (Company Announcements)
Aurizon’s interim report showed it bought back 36 million shares for A$125 million during the half, under an on-market program that repurchases stock on the exchange and can lift earnings per share by shrinking the share count. (Marketindex)
Still, the risk case is sitting in plain sight. Aurizon’s earnings lean heavily on coal haulage and a regulated network, and management flagged assumptions that include no major supply-chain disruptions and a softer full-year yield in Coal due to customer and corridor mix.
The transport and logistics corner of the market has been busy: Qube Holdings, a listed logistics group, surged after agreeing to an A$11.7 billion buyout offer led by Macquarie Asset Management, in a deal that still needs approvals. (Reuters)
Next up, investors will watch whether Aurizon’s post-results lift holds into Tuesday’s session, and for follow-through on the buyback and the Queensland regulator’s process on the proposed access undertaking. The next hard dates on the calendar are the dividend record date on March 3 and payment on March 25, with Wells due to start on April 7. (Company Announcements)
