Woolworths Group reported a 12.7% rise in underlying earnings before interest and tax to $3.1 billion for the 52 weeks ended June 28, 2026, as sales climbed 3.6% to $71.5 billion and net profit after tax increased 15.4% to $1.6 billion.
The Australian food giant declared a fully franked final dividend of 52 cents per share, up 15.6%, bringing the full-year payout to 97 cents, a 15.5% increase. The group maintained its investment-grade credit ratings, with S&P at BBB stable and Moody’s at Baa2 stable, while net debt to EBITDA improved to 2.5 times from 2.8 times a year earlier.
Australian Food sales rose 4.6% to $53.9 billion, accelerating to 5.7% growth in the second half, with EBIT up 8.5% to $2.95 billion. New Zealand Food sales grew 2.5% in local currency to NZD 8.5 billion, though second-half EBIT declined 7.7%. BIG W returned to profitability with an EBIT of $64 million, compared with a $31 million loss previously, as gross transaction value revenue grew 3.7%.
Digital and AI initiatives contributed significantly to performance, with average weekly digital visits reaching 14 million, up 22.9%, and over 70% of eCommerce orders placed via the app in the fourth quarter. eCommerce sales grew 15.9% for the year, while 47% of delivery orders were fulfilled in under two hours, up from 40% previously. The Olive AI assistant attracted over 1 million unique customers, and connected digital customers spent 2.4 times more than in-store-only customers in the fourth quarter.
Fresh food sales accelerated to 7.7% growth in the second half, while own-brand sales rose 5.5%. The group expanded its Lower Shelf Price program to over 800 products, with average price reductions of roughly 16%, and Q4 average prices declined 0.8% year-over-year. Customer metrics improved, with the Voice of Customer Net Promoter Score up four points and fruit and vegetable scores rising two points to 77.
Supply chain investments included the November 2025 opening of the Moorebank National and Regional Distribution Centers, which now process over 4.5 million cartons weekly. Operating capex for FY2026 was $1.84 billion, down from $2.02 billion, with FY2027 expected to range between $1.9 billion and $2.0 billion. The group also reduced Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 45% since FY2023 and ranked first in the KnowTheChain Food and Beverage benchmark.
Shares rose 4.08% to $40.435 following the announcement, approaching a 52-week high of $41.19.
