Sydney, June 12, 2026, 06:02 (AEST)
- Coles Group shares closed at A$24.10 on Thursday, up 1.6%, or A$0.37, from the previous close. Volume came in at 4.54 million shares.
- Coles outperformed as the S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.23% to 8,633.20. The stock stayed ahead of the market for the day.
- Coles’ latest sales update showed group sales revenue grew 3.1% in the third quarter, with supermarkets up 4.0% leading the gains.
Coles Group Ltd. climbed again on Thursday. The ASX-listed grocer finished at A$24.10 at 4:00 p.m. in Sydney, gaining A$0.37, or 1.6%. Session range was A$23.60 to A$24.13, Coles’ investor price page showed.
The move came as Australian shares eased. The S&P/ASX 200 closed at 8,633.20, off 20.10 points, or 0.23%. The All Ordinaries also fell, finishing at 8,836.70. Worries about oil prices and the Middle East hit sentiment.
Coles rose again after a strong showing for consumer stocks on Wednesday, climbing 4.95%. Woolworths was also up, adding 3.15%, with moves in both staples and discretionary names lifting the market. The rally happened while investors kept a close eye on geopolitical tensions and shifts in commodity prices.
Coles shares traded at A$24.10, just under the 52-week top of A$24.28. The company’s market cap stood at around A$32.37 billion, according to Google Finance. Dividend yield was 3.03%. Price-to-earnings ratio was 31.87.
Coles shares have picked up speed this week. According to Intelligent Investor, the stock traded 10.65% higher than its close a week ago. It gained 10.42% for 2026 and is up 13.65% for the current financial year.
Coles is getting attention in the latest rotation for its defensive profile. Market Index calls Coles one of Australia’s grocery retailers. It runs supermarkets, liquor stores, and digital operations nationwide, which places it in the consumer defensive sector.
The company said in its latest trading update on May 1 that total group sales revenue for the 12 weeks to March 29 reached A$10.70 billion, which is up 3.1% on the year. Supermarkets sales came in at A$9.78 billion, a 4.0% gain, with comparable sales up 3.6%. E-commerce sales jumped 24.8% to A$1.33 billion.
Liquor was weak, too. Sales revenue dropped 3.9% to A$781 million and comparable sales slipped 4.3%. Coles said liquor was still feeling drag from lower consumer sentiment, pointing to a slowdown that started in March.
Coles stuck with a similar sales pace in early Q4 as it saw in the third quarter, management said, but flagged rising supplier cost-price asks and increased spending on fuel, freight and packaging. The outlook points to steady demand but also cost pressures.
Leah Weckert, the chief executive, said in the May update that “value and availability will be important” for customers going forward. Now, investors are watching to see if supermarket sales and online growth keep making up for slower liquor sales and higher costs in the last quarter of FY26.
