Sydney, May 17, 2026, 23:02 (AEST)
Macquarie Group Ltd stock is close to its record high going into Monday’s ASX trading, after last week’s profit numbers topped forecasts. Shares are due to go ex-dividend, following a week where they outperformed the wider Australian market.
ASX cash trading was closed Sunday. The exchange usually handles cash trades from 09:59:45 to 16:00 Sydney time on a normal trading day, so Friday’s closing price is the most recent available.
Macquarie finished Friday at A$242.96, slipping 0.64% in the session, but up roughly 1.6% from last Friday’s close of A$239.23. The S&P/ASX 200 slipped 0.11% to 8,630.80 on Friday and was down about 1.3% for the week.
Ex-dividend date is Monday, so anyone buying shares after that misses the upcoming payout. The final dividend is A$4.20 per share, 35% franked. Record date is May 19, payment set for July 2. Franked dividends come with Australian tax credits for eligible investors.
Macquarie posted a 30% jump in net profit after tax to A$4.847 billion for the year to March 31. Earnings per share also climbed 30% to A$12.77. Return on equity increased to 14.0%, up from 11.2%. CEO Shemara Wikramanayake said “each of our businesses used its specialist expertise.” Commodities and Global Markets drove the gains, with profit there rising 49% to A$4.221 billion. Macquarie
Macquarie handed investors a clearer growth picture than in the first half. The company said asset management profit was up 27%. Banking and Financial Services gained 17%, while Macquarie Capital rose 43%.
It’s not all one direction. Reuters said Macquarie topped Visible Alpha’s A$4.39 billion consensus and shares hit an all-time high of A$249.49 on May 8 before pulling back. Simon Wright, who heads Commodities and Global Markets, told Reuters that a long stretch of volatility may lead to “more subdued client appetite.” Reuters
Competition is shifting. Commonwealth Bank of Australia dropped close to A$30 billion in market cap Wednesday after it lifted provisions and investors weighed tax changes in the federal budget. Shares of Westpac, National Australia Bank and ANZ declined on the day too, so mortgage-driven lenders felt the heat as attention stayed on Macquarie’s commodities and markets business.
Macquarie’s price action on Monday will be in focus as the week kicks off, with the first check being mechanical—how much of the move is the dividend drop, and how much is real buying or selling. Investors will be looking to see if Macquarie hangs on to its post-results premium, as the local benchmark remains down for the week.
