SYDNEY, June 30, 2026, 08:02 (AEST)
- REA Group Ltd ASX:REA ended Monday up 3.81% at A$138.63. The S&P/ASX 200 gained 0.68% for the day.
- Reuters says REA bought back stock at an average of A$159.06 a share, 12.8% above where shares ended Monday. The buyback totaled A$200 million.
- The ASX cash market sat in pre-open at the dateline time. Normal trading kicks off at 09:59:45 Sydney.
- REA’s May numbers showed new buy listings nationwide rose 1.9% from last year, though both Sydney and Melbourne saw drops.
REA Group Ltd ASX:REA faces a clearer challenge Tuesday after rebounding in the last session. Shares jumped on Monday but remain under the price level where the nearly completed A$200 million buyback went through.
REA finished Monday at A$138.63, gaining A$5.09, or 3.81%. The S&P/ASX 200 rose 59.2 points, or 0.68%, to 8,823.4. When dateline hit, the ASX cash market was still in pre-open; ASX lists normal trading as running from 09:59:45 to 16:00 Sydney time.
| Monday close | REA Group | S&P/ASX 200 |
|---|---|---|
| Last | A$138.63 | 8,823.4 |
| Change | up A$5.09 | up 59.2 pts |
| Change % | up 3.81% | up 0.68% |
| Session | June 29 close | June 29 close |
The buyback number is more telling here. In a June 12 filing, REA said it had repurchased 1,257,405 shares for A$199,999,934.31 using Goldman Sachs Australia Pty Ltd as the broker. The on-market buyback is set to stay open through Dec. 31, 2026. Reuters’ math from the filing lands the average buyback price at A$159.06.
| Buyback measure | Figure |
|---|---|
| Shares bought | 1,257,405 |
| Cash used | A$199,999,934.31 |
| Reuters-calculated average price | A$159.06 |
| Monday close | A$138.63 |
| Monday close vs buyback average | -12.8% |
| Shares that same cash could buy at Monday close | about 1.44 million |
| Extra shares at Monday close | about 185,000 |
This matters since the buyback took out fewer shares than the same money would get today. EPS-focused holders still benefit from the lower share count. But for anyone thinking about timing, the market is showing the company paid more than what it thinks the shares are worth now.
REA’s property data gives a mixed take on revenue streams. The May Market Snapshot showed national new buy listings up 1.9% on the year, but total buy listings dropped 3.0%. New listings fell in Sydney and Melbourne. Brisbane and Perth saw an increase.
| Market | New buy listings, May YoY | Total buy listings, May YoY |
|---|---|---|
| National | up 1.9% | down 3.0% |
| Sydney | dropped 1.8% | up 7.1% |
| Melbourne | fell 3.2% | up 1.5% |
| Brisbane | jumped 10.1% | up 0.4% |
| Perth | rose 6.2% | down 9.3% |
REA is affected by the listing split, since realestate.com.au makes money on depth products and the number of listings, not only on house prices. REA also said in the same report that auction clearance rates in Sydney and Melbourne have been under 50% since mid-March. Homes in those cities are now taking around 30 days to sell.
Angus Moore, senior economist at REA Group, said in the June PropTrack Home Price Index that home price growth “has clearly stalled” after the rate hikes. REA’s Property Outlook released after that sees combined capital city home prices holding steady through 2026, with a 5.5% rise expected in 2027.
REA’s commercial numbers came in messy. Anne Flaherty, senior economist at REA Group, said in a June 25 realcommercial.com.au note the commercial property sector had “a subdued start to 2026,” citing higher financing costs as a drag on buying. The update showed commercial for-sale listings up 2% year-on-year for the March quarter and for-lease listings up 3%. Hotel and leisure listings dropped hard.
REA’s newest ASX filing wasn’t a trading update but a board announcement. The company said Kelly Bayer Rosmarin will step down as independent non-executive director at the Oct. 8 AGM. Chairman Hamish McLennan thanked her for her “counsel, perspective and dedicated service.”
REA ended Monday $8.37 under the lowest price listed in the buyback filing, and $39.73 under the top price paid.
