Sydney, February 16, 2026, 18:01 AEDT — Market closed
- SEEK finished Monday up 7.95% at A$17.10, bouncing back after an early slide.
- Tuesday brings half-year results, and investors are zeroing in on the profit drag tied to the Zhaopin impairment.
- Traders are zeroed in on guidance, as well as any word on the ongoing discussions over Zhaopin’s ownership shakeup.
SEEK Limited (ASX:SEK) bounced back Monday, closing at A$17.10 for a 7.95% gain—right at the session’s peak after dipping to A$15.81 earlier. Roughly 4 million shares changed hands, with the stock starting out at A$15.91. 1
This comes ahead of SEEK’s half-year results due Tuesday, with investors zeroing in on the group’s China footprint and hiring momentum. Shares have swung as the market tries to sort out whether the latest accounting charge is just a blip or signals something more fundamental.
The timing is tricky, too, hitting during a stretch when investors have been quick to dump stocks over any hint of “earnings risk” lurking in the details. SEEK’s half-year numbers drop February 17. 2
SEEK announced last week it’s expecting to log a post-tax impairment charge of A$356 million related to its Zhaopin stake for the first half, pending auditor sign-off. The company put Zhaopin’s carrying value at A$182 million as of Dec. 31, sharply lower from A$529 million at the end of June. Discussions are underway over a potential ownership restructure that might see SEEK’s holding increase to roughly 30% without any cash changing hands, but nothing’s set in stone yet.
An impairment doesn’t always mean money actually walked out the door. Instead, it’s management’s current take on what an asset’s worth—something investors tend not to love, especially when nerves are already frayed over growth and value.
On Tuesday, attention shifts away from the already-signaled headline number. The market’s watching for SEEK’s read on hiring in Australia and New Zealand, its home turf, and looking to see if the Zhaopin reboot spells out financial clarity or simply prolongs the guessing game.
SEEK’s latest Employment Report shows job ad volumes slipping, with a 1.2% decline in December compared to November and a 3.5% drop year-on-year. Senior economist Blair Chapman summed it up: “job ads continued trending down in December.” 3
SEEK tends to get lumped in with other online classifieds names—think REA Group and CAR Group—even if they’re targeting different markets. Once results season gets rocky, that whole “growth stock” cohort often moves in lockstep.
Still, the risks are clear enough. If jobs data slips faster than anticipated, or China’s slowdown drags on, pressure could hit the stock again, volatility sticking around.
