Sydney, Feb 16, 2026, 18:12 AEDT — The market has shut its doors for the day.
- Wesfarmers finished Monday at A$88.71, up 1.16%, after shares moved between A$87.71 and A$89.28 during the session.
- Wesfarmers’ half-year numbers land Thursday, and investors are already adjusting positions.
- Google Cloud landed an “agentic AI” agreement, pulling tech investment and customer experience into the spotlight this week.
Wesfarmers Ltd finished Monday up 1.16% at A$88.71, pulling ahead of the S&P/ASX 200’s 0.22% gain. Shares fluctuated between A$87.71 and A$89.28 throughout the session, with roughly 841,000 units traded, according to data.
This week’s focus lands on Wesfarmers, with its half-year results slated for Thursday—often a barometer for the broader retail mood in Australia. Investors comb through the numbers, hunting for signals on demand trends, pricing shifts, and how cost pressures are stacking up.
Wesfarmers has inked a multi-year agreement with Google Cloud to roll out what it calls “agentic AI” across its portfolio—think Kmart, Officeworks, Priceline, and the OnePass membership platform, according to Computer Weekly. The term agentic AI describes software “agents” capable of reasoning through and handling multi-step tasks, from fielding customer questions to automating internal grunt work. Managing director Rob Scott said Wesfarmers is looking to scale up AI “responsibly, at scale and with the right partners.” Google Cloud chief Thomas Kurian, for his part, described AI as “fundamentally changing the retail sector.” Computerweekly
The report noted the company is testing a “Search with OnePass” tool, designed to let customers shop via conversation across its different divisions. It’s also rolling out AI assistants to both customer service and back-office staff.
Thursday’s update gives traders a chance to check two things: if Wesfarmers’ core retail businesses are still performing, and if new spending on digital tech will push up costs before delivering any payoff.
Management often tweaks its messaging at the half-year mark. A more confident stance on discretionary spend, promotional strategy, or supplier expenses can send the stock swinging sharply, one way or the other.
There’s also the potential for trouble. AI implementations might drag on—cost overruns, delays, the works. If management signals ramped-up spending without showing quick returns, that could spook investors banking on the growth angle. Weakness in household demand wouldn’t do any favors, either.
Wesfarmers shares don’t have much time before Thursday. Most of this week, traders are expected to focus on steering clear of being blindsided by guidance shifts.
