Orica buyback nears A$500 million cap as March deadline closes in

March 6, 2026
Orica buyback nears A$500 million cap as March deadline closes in

Melbourne, March 6, 2026, 18:31 AEDT

  • On March 4, Orica repurchased 211,686 shares, spending A$4.95 million on the buyback.
  • The program has so far resulted in 23.23 million shares bought back, with the company spending roughly A$483.7 million.
  • The on-market buyback is set to continue through March 27.

Orica Limited snapped up another 211,686 shares on March 4, shelling out A$4.95 million, and pushing its cumulative buybacks under the current plan to 23.23 million shares for roughly A$483.7 million. The company’s buyback, set with a A$500 million ceiling, wraps up on March 27, it said in an exchange filing. 1

This is notable given Orica has under A$20 million remaining before reaching the cap, and under three weeks left on the clock. The daily reports also spell out just how briskly the company continues to hand cash back.

When a company opts for an on-market buyback, it’s snapping up its own shares via the exchange—often to trim down the total and boost the ownership slice for those still holding. In its most recent filing, Orica disclosed share purchases ranging from A$23.29 up to A$23.97 apiece that day. Goldman Sachs Australia handled the brokerage.

Orica told investors it has the option to change, pause, or call off the buyback entirely. The timing? That still hinges on what’s happening in the market.

Orica kicked off its buyback in March 2025, with chief executive Sanjeev Gandhi framing the move as part of the group’s capital management strategy and a show of confidence in its financial footing. 2

Orica’s latest FY2025 results show the board has signed off on an additional A$100 million for the program, taking the total up to A$500 million from the previously planned A$400 million. 3

Melbourne-headquartered Orica provides explosives, blasting systems, mining chemicals and geotechnical monitoring services. The company also markets digital tools to miners and civil contractors. 4

Whether Orica wraps up the program as planned remains unclear. The company itself has warned there’s no promise of additional buybacks. A sudden swing in its stock price, or a change in the broader market, might cause it to pull back on purchases.

Investors won’t have to wait long: Orica’s next set of half-year numbers is due out May 7. 5