SYDNEY, June 27, 2026, 07:02 AEST
- Woolworths closed Friday at A$40.24, matching its 52-week high. The stock gained 5.6% over the past week. Google
- The stock outperformed as the S&P/ASX 200 lost about 0.9% this week. Market Index
- The ACCC will begin tracking supermarket prices from July 1 as a new ban kicks in, but right now it just covers Woolworths and Coles. ACCC
- Woolworths is set to report results on Aug. 26. Woolworthsgroup
The ASX cash market didn’t open in Sydney over the weekend. The exchange operates Monday through Friday, 09:59 to 16:00 local time. TradingHours
Woolworths Group Ltd ASX:WOW closed Friday at A$40.24, gaining 0.75% and matching its 52-week high. Google Finance put market cap at A$49.16 billion. Trading volume was 1.68 million, under the 2.40 million average. Google
Woolworths jumped 5.56% over the week to A$38.12, pulling ahead of the S&P/ASX 200, which closed Friday at 8,764.20. The benchmark dropped roughly 0.91% for the week, according to Market Index. That puts Woolworths’ outperformance at around 6.5 percentage points. Intelligent Investor
Google Finance’s latest share count shows a seven-day gain that added about A$2.6 billion in market value. That’s a big move for a supermarket operator ahead of a shift in pricing. Margin pressure could hit hard if there’s any negative news when full-year results come out in August.
Supermarket pricing under watch from July 1 as ACCC sets monitoring start
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission will start monitoring supermarket prices from July 1, the same day the new excessive pricing prohibition goes live. The rule targets very large supermarket retailers with over A$30 billion in annual sales, which for now only covers Woolworths and Coles Group Ltd ASX:COL, according to the ACCC. ACCC
ACCC has not set a fixed level for what counts as excessive grocery pricing. The agency said judges will consider supply cost, reasonable margin, and other factors. Acting chair Catriona Lowe called grocery prices “a key concern for households” and described the new rule as “another tool” for the regulator. ACCC
Woolworths isn’t showing signs that the rule is holding it back. Shares have jumped 36.04% in 2026 and are up 28.26% for the financial year so far, Intelligent Investor data show. Intelligent Investor
Woolworths’ rally comes even after its margin warning in April. Back then, the company reported third-quarter group sales up 4.5% to A$18.1 billion, with Australian Food sales rising 5.9%. E-commerce helped, but Woolworths also lowered its fiscal 2026 Australian Food EBIT growth guidance at the top end. The company blamed fuel costs and ongoing price investments.
Chief Executive Amanda Bardwell said at the time that cost-of-living pressure was “already acute”. Woolworths reported Australian Food retail sales for March and April to date climbed 5.4%, or 6.5% without tobacco, but the company warned about customer caution.
August numbers now target a tighter focus. Stocks with good sales momentum have done well. Investors want to know if price freezes, higher fuel bills, and more ACCC attention are hitting the Australian Food margin, which remains the key driver for the stock.
Woolworths plans to post its fiscal 2026 full-year results to the ASX on Wednesday, Aug. 26. Woolworthsgroup
