SYDNEY, Feb 16, 2026, 17:22 (AEDT) — After-hours
- WiseTech Global jumped 12.8% to finish at A$48.06, landing among the top gainers on the ASX 200 for the day.
- After tech stocks fell late last week—pressure came from fresh worries over AI disrupting software models—the market bounced back.
- WiseTech’s half-year numbers are due Feb. 25, putting the spotlight on the company.
WiseTech Global Ltd (WTC.AX) jumped 12.8% Monday, finishing at A$48.06—well ahead of the S&P/ASX 200’s modest 0.22% gain. 1
Australian software shares rebounded sharply after a heavy selloff Friday that saw tech names under pressure. Information technology as a whole slid 5.0% that day, according to Market Index. WiseTech plunged 9.8%, while SiteMinder dropped 9.3%. 2
The rebound comes as WiseTech approaches a crucial reporting date, with investors zeroed in on potential shifts around growth, costs or pricing. WiseTech has its first-half 2026 results webcast and teleconference lined up for Feb. 25, the company’s investor calendar shows. 3
WiseTech shares surged Monday, spending most of the session near the upper end of their range. The stock changed hands from A$43.92 up to A$48.28 before settling at roughly A$48.11, after closing at A$42.62 the previous session, Investing.com data show. 4
ASX tech stocks climbed through the session, with the S&P/ASX 200 tech index jumping roughly 4.5% by midday, according to Market Index data. WiseTech, Xero, and Life360 stood out among the day’s active names. 5
Jefferies analysts Roger Samuel and Lucy Krimmer called the drop in Australian software shares “indiscriminate” in a Friday note, but singled out WiseTech as the most insulated from AI threats, citing the intricate nature of global logistics. They pointed to possible earnings upside as WiseTech brings e2open into the fold and hunts for cost synergies. 6
Still, jitters remain over a bigger issue: could fresh AI products undercut the pricing power of subscription-based software outfits—those “software-as-a-service” companies, or SaaS, built on recurring customer fees? Matt Ross at Goldman Sachs flagged that valuations already reflect expectations of sizable earnings drops. Yet, strategist David Cassidy, cited by The Australian, called the AI-driven selloff excessive and too indiscriminate. 7
Monday brought little direction from abroad, as U.S. markets stayed closed for Presidents Day. Wall Street trading resumes Tuesday. 8
