Sydney, Feb 15, 2026, 18:18 AEDT — The market closed.
- Woolworths Group ended Friday down 0.84% at A$31.94.
- The grocer drops half-year figures on Feb. 25. Two days later, rival Coles delivers its results.
- Food sales trends draw close watch from traders, along with the pace of discounting and any hints in updated guidance.
Shares of Woolworths Group Ltd slipped 0.8% on Friday, closing at A$31.94. The focus now shifts to the company’s half-year results, expected later this month.
Australia’s February reporting season has returned focus to the stock, as food retailers land in the cost-of-living hot seat. Woolworths’ update has potential to shake up forecasts, with both margins and volumes possibly moving in one hit.
Pressure from sellers dragged the broader market down on Friday, sending the S&P/ASX 200 1.33% lower. Growth names and healthcare stocks took the brunt of the hit.
This week brought a noticeable change in sentiment. “Earnings were turning positive after a tough three years,” AMP chief economist and head of investment strategy Shane Oliver pointed out in a market note quoted by Reuters. Indo Premier
Woolworths shares climbed from A$31.83 to A$32.45 on Friday, with trading volume reaching about 2.46 million, according to Yahoo Finance data.
Woolworths will deliver its results on Feb. 25. Investors are watching closely: has the supermarket’s push into price cuts and more intense promotions actually lifted grocery volumes, or is it just eating into margins? Previously, the group reported a 19% fall in underlying annual profit—excluding one-offs—and flagged that softer tobacco sales could knock as much as A$100 million from earnings.
Management keeps reaching for discounts and online deals, hoping to keep shoppers from drifting to rivals. They’re still patching up trust too, after earlier stumbles on pricing and execution left a mark.
Coles ended Friday up 0.4%. Investors now look ahead to the grocer’s half-year numbers, set for Feb. 27.
Investors are poking around defensive staples again, with shifting global rates nudging the action. January’s U.S. inflation data came in just under predictions. “CPI is now closer to the Fed’s long-term inflation target of 2% than it is to 3%,” Orion’s Tim Holland told Reuters. Reuters
But the risks aren’t going anywhere. Heavy discounting could easily eat into margins again, and rising wage costs together with logistics expenses tend to catch up quickly. Adding to the pressure, Woolworths and Coles now face legal heat—Australia’s competition regulator has taken both to court, alleging they misled customers with “Prices Dropped” and “Down Down” deals. ACCC
Woolworths disclosed a class action tied to alleged underpayments at one of its divisions late last year, stirring up more uncertainty for sentiment.
Markets kick back into gear Monday. Woolworths is set to release its half-year numbers and hold a webcast Feb. 25. Coles follows two days later, and its report could sway sentiment on the whole sector.
