Sydney, Feb 25, 2026, 16:59 AEDT — The session has ended.
- WiseTech Global jumped 9.7% as the company signaled roughly 2,000 jobs would be cut in connection with its AI revamp.
- Revenue for the half jumped 76%. The company is sticking with its FY26 outlook.
- Attention turns to restructuring charges, how e2open gets folded in, and just how sensitive things are to shifts in trade volume.
WiseTech Global Ltd jumped 9.7% to finish at A$47.18 on Wednesday. The logistics software firm announced plans to slash around 2,000 roles, but that came alongside a steady half-year report and confirmation of its full-year guidance. (Australian Securities Exchange)
WiseTech’s rebound has weight here: the company’s been working to recalibrate margin and growth expectations since its major e2open acquisition. Investors, meanwhile, are still hashing out how artificial intelligence might shake up software costs and the sector’s grip on pricing power.
WiseTech’s half-year numbers landed with a 76% jump in total revenue, hitting $672.0 million, lifted by a five-month boost from e2open. Revenue from its CargoWise platform climbed 12% to $372.4 million. EBITDA came in at $252.1 million, up 31%, while underlying net profit after tax (NPAT) nudged higher by 2% to $114.5 million, according to the company.
WiseTech plans to kick off its “AI transformation program” in the back half of FY26, with the rollout stretching into FY27. The company expects to cut as much as 50% of roles “initially” in product and development, as well as customer service teams—including those at e2open. In total, WiseTech said the moves would likely trim around 2,000 jobs.
Zubin Appoo, the chief executive, called it a structural shift in software development. “The era of manually writing code as the core act of engineering is over,” he said.
Still, WiseTech flagged that any cost savings won’t immediately translate into profits. The company stuck to its FY26 outlook — which doesn’t factor in the planned staff cuts — calling for revenue between $1.39 billion and $1.44 billion, EBITDA in the $550 million to $585 million range, and an EBITDA margin sitting around 40% to 41%. Shifts in global trade or industrial production could alter those figures, it added.
Reuters had flagged the cuts earlier, calling them possibly the biggest AI-driven layoffs by an Australian firm; shares surged up to 10.7% shortly after the open. (Reuters)
Investors heading into the next session face a tight set of questions: speed of the reductions, details of the restructuring bill, and if e2open integration savings are still outpacing forecasts. Debt and cash conversion remain front and center.
Traders are eyeing WiseTech’s move to transaction-based revenue instead of seat-based pricing—if freight volumes get shaky, that could test the new model. Brokers are expected to adjust their forecasts after the results come out. Next up: interim dividend lands April 10.
