Coles Group’s stock climbed 2.5% to A$23.20 on Tuesday, lifting the broader ASX 200 index by 0.5% as investors reacted to the company’s full-year results ahead of rival Woolworths’ earnings report.
The company reported underlying net profit after tax of A$1.26 billion for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026, a 13.7% increase from the prior year and exceeding analyst expectations. Group earnings before interest and tax, excluding significant items, rose 9.9% to A$2.322 billion, while total sales revenue grew 2.8% to A$45.6 billion.
The supermarkets division drove the growth, expanding its EBIT margin by 43 basis points to 5.7%, with the segment identified as the primary engine of profitability. Online sales surged 26.4% to A$5.6 billion, reaching a penetration rate of 13.6%, reflecting the benefits of investments in automated distribution infrastructure.
Coles also declared a full-year dividend of 78 cents per share, a 13% increase from the previous year, signaling confidence in its financial position. The results were released a day before Woolworths Group is scheduled to release its own earnings, adding to market anticipation.
