Woolworths Group shares surged 4.5% to A$40.59 on Tuesday after the Australian supermarket operator reported a 15.4% increase in group net profit before significant items to A$1.599 billion for the fiscal year.
Earnings before interest and tax rose 12.7% to A$3.105 billion, exceeding analyst consensus estimates by roughly 2%. Total group sales reached A$71.5 billion. The company declared a fully franked final dividend of 52 cents per share, a 15.6% increase from the prior year.
Australian Food division sales grew 4.6%, with second-half momentum accelerating to 5.7% as management emphasized price investment and store execution improvements. The W Living division swung to a A$116 million profit from a loss in the prior period, while e-commerce continued to expand as a meaningful contributor across operations.
The gains followed rival Coles' strong fiscal 2026 results, which lifted sentiment across the sector ahead of Woolworths' earnings report. The S&P/ASX 200 traded up 0.56%, providing a supportive broader market backdrop.
