Sydney, Feb 23, 2026, 17:19 AEDT — Market closed
- Aristocrat ends down 2.1% at A$46.97, after a 4.6% fall on Friday
- Filing shows 732,602 shares bought back on Feb 20 for A$35.3 million
- Jarden trims its target price; investors look to May 13 half-year results
Aristocrat Leisure Ltd shares closed down 2.1% at A$46.97 on Monday, extending a late-week selloff and leaving the stock down about 39% over the past year. Turnover was about 2.85 million shares, MarketScreener data showed. (MarketScreener)
The slide matters now because the gaming machine and digital games maker has been leaning on a large on-market buyback to return cash, while reshaping parts of its online business. Investors are trying to work out whether those supports can hold up if earnings growth skews later in the year.
The stock also moved below the range Aristocrat paid for stock in its most recently disclosed buyback day. That can unsettle short-term traders even when the company is in the market.
A daily buyback notice showed Aristocrat repurchased 732,602 shares on Feb. 20 for A$35.25 million, paying between A$47.78 and A$49.67. The company said its existing on-market buyback has been extended to March 5, 2027, and the aggregate program size increased to up to A$1.5 billion. (Company Announcements)
At last week’s annual meeting in Sydney, Chief Executive Trevor Croker told shareholders: “We are planning to exit the White Label business in Interactive,” referring to the unit that largely operates in the UK and Europe. He said the business contributed about US$36 million of revenue to the Interactive result in FY25 but generated negligible profit, while also flagging a A$45 million legal cost recovery tied to a settlement with rival Light & Wonder. (Company Announcements)
Broker Jarden kept a buy recommendation but lowered its target price to A$68 from A$72 after the annual meeting update, citing foreign-exchange headwinds and a slightly softer earnings profile in the near term, according to a summary published by FNArena. (Fnarena)
The broader market offered little help. Australia’s benchmark S&P/ASX 200 fell 0.61% at the close, with losses led by IT, healthcare and property trusts, according to Investing.com. (Investing)
But the buyback is not a floor. If casino operators in North America slow machine replacement cycles, or if the Interactive unit’s investment spend and business exits drag on margins longer than expected, the stock can stay under pressure.
Next up, investors will watch for continued buyback pace in the coming sessions and fresh guidance ahead of Aristocrat’s Half Year 2026 results scheduled for May 13. (Aristocrat)
