SYDNEY, June 25, 2026, 04:04 (AEST)
- Telstra ended Wednesday at A$5.11, down 0.2%, while the ASX 200 rose 0.24%
- KPMG departures renewed scrutiny of confidential Optus data shared with a team bidding for Telstra’s audit
- Selected home and small-business internet plans rise A$4-A$5 a month from July 1
Telstra Group shares ended Wednesday 0.2% lower at A$5.11, while the S&P/ASX 200 rose 0.24% to 8,808.4. The ASX cash market had not opened for Thursday trade at the dateline and was due to start normal trading at about 10 a.m. Sydney time.
KPMG Australia said on June 23 that Chairman Martin Sheppard and audit partners Paul Rogers and Eileen Hoggett would leave as the firm dealt with allegations that staff misused confidential client information to pursue audit work. “The decisions announced today are necessary and immediate,” interim CEO Stan Stavros said. Reuters
At a parliamentary hearing on June 19, Sheppard said KPMG staff had shared sensitive information about Telstra rival Optus with an internal team bidding for Telstra’s audit, in breach of ethics. The audit contract later went to Deloitte.
From July 1, some Telstra National Broadband Network home and small-business plans will rise by A$4 to A$5 a month. Its Premium 5G internet plan will cost A$10 more each month, while some higher-speed plans will remain unchanged. Telstra executive Brad Whitcomb said the adjustments would “keep pace with that demand”. The company also cited higher wholesale costs and network spending. Telstra.com
But the increases could lift churn, the industry term for customers leaving. If price-sensitive households switch to rival providers, customer losses could offset part of the gain from higher monthly fees. The end of Telstra’s buyback also removes a regular buyer of the shares.
Telstra completed its A$1.25 billion share buyback on June 4 after purchasing 245,892,740 shares. It paid between A$4.78 and A$5.40 per share, according to its final ASX notice.
At its February half-year result, Telstra reported a 9.4% rise in attributable profit to A$1.12 billion and mobile income of A$5.77 billion. CEO Vicki Brady said the buyback was expected to “support earnings and dividend per share growth”. Zavier Wong, a market analyst at eToro, called Telstra “one of the most defensive names on the ASX”, meaning it is seen as less exposed to economic swings. Reuters
Telstra’s next scheduled financial report is its annual results on Aug. 13.
