We’re halfway through earnings Down Under, and we’ve had a reminder through Week 7 that the event really does drive markets, what with Commonwealth Bank’s (ASX:CBA) surprise beat sending the stock, and the entire ASX, to a new record high. But there’s still a lot of big names to come. Here’s a rundown.
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Nick Scali (NCK) – Friday 13th Feb
- Nick Scali sells upper-end furniture and homewares. It is a dividend-paying stock.
- Nick Scali’s half-year sales results ultimately provide an economic indicator in themselves when it comes to the health of the retail consumer, and whether more or fewer customers are buying expensive furniture, which can give an idea of what household savings, broadly, look like for the middle and upper class.
- Nick Scali’s outlook and guidance will be used to gauge the broader health of the overall economy and Oz consumer.
JB Hi-FI (JBH) – Mon 16th Feb
- JB Hi-Fi, probably needing no introduction, predominantly sells consumer discretionary electronics, aiming for both small and big spenders.
- Its half-year results will, like Nick Scali, provide insight into the health of the consumer and the willingness to buy nice-to-have products around the house – which can give an idea of where Australians see the economy headed. Ie, are they holding off or bringing forward plans to buy a big TV?
- JB Hi-Fi’s outlook and guidance will similarly to Nick Scali be used to get an idea about overall economic and consumer mindset.
BlueScope Steel (BSL) – Mon 16th Feb
- BlueScope Steel is one of Australia’s best-known steel manufacturers, also with operations in the U.S.
- Its half-year results will give investors an idea of Australia’s construction sector. While not a complete indicator of overall sectoral health, the company’s steel sales can give an indication of how much building activity is being planned by the private sector.
- Given the company is an Oz steel producer, its results will also give an idea of what kind of conditions exist in the country for such industries, with energy costs being one big useful datapoint for analysts and traders.
BHP Ltd (BHP) – Tue 17th Feb
- You already know this company and why it matters. BHP Ltd’s results will ultimately be used to divine conditions for the big mining giants and thus Australia’s overall economy. Also: in large part, the overall mining labour market, both FIFO and corporate.
- Its half year profits will be watched closely as investors are likely keen to see what kind of margin support higher commodity prices mean for the company, especially with a view towards gold and copper.
- The company’s results are also likely to give an indication on the forward reliability of iron ore as a source of economic wealth for Australia looking into the future, but BHP is unlikely to offer any commentary detrimental to its own value proposition.
SEEK Ltd (SEK) – Tue 17th Feb
- Seek Ltd’s half year earnings will give insight into Australia’s labour market broadly, its profit margins effectively acting as an indicator of private sector employment activity.
- Investors will be closely watching for which sectors are hiring the most; for instance, with regards to the ongoing data centre AI narrative, we’ll be able to get an idea of whether more or less tech jobs are being created in Australia, and so on.
- The cost of listing a job on Seek will also give an idea of where the digital advertising market is going, though this on its own will be correlative at best.
Zip Co (ZIP) – Thu 19th Feb
- ZIp’s half year results will be used to gauge in part the ongoing trajectory of BNPL as a finance product in itself.
- The company’s results will also offer insights into how many Australians are spending, where, and how.
- Zip’s role as a BNPL provider can also offer insights into where consumer stress is forming in the economy – for example, if more users are using ‘pay-in-4’ loans to buy groceries, as opposed to larger items like televisions or whitegoods.
PLS Group (PLS) – Thu 19th Feb
- The lithium darling that doesn’t give up, this one’s easy: PLS Group’s half year results will be used to divine the overall trajectory of lithium mining economics.
- Investors will be closely watching to see whether PLS believes it will again pay dividends, and there will likely be close focus on whether the company will resume regular spodumene auctions.
- PLS Group’s results will also be able to offer glimpses into the volume of big battery energy storage construction demand, as well as that for electric vehicles, though on its own will be correlative at best.
Wesfarmers Ltd (WES) – Thu 19th Feb
- Wesfarmers, which owns K-mart and Bunnings, is another retail stock that can give us an idea of the Australian consumer.
- Unlike Nick Scali, Wesfarmers can give us an idea of what the low and high ends of town are doing.
- The company’s original focus, agriculture, is also still within its brand portfolio; here investors can be offered a glimpse into the health of Australia’s farming economy, especially through agtech sales.
Wisetech Global (WTC) – Wed 25th Feb
- Wisetech, no stranger to scandal in recent years, will be closely watched largely as people try to figure out whether the company, still under Richard White, can get back to former valuations.
- As a software company, the company’s half year results will also be used to assess the ongoing risk to value propositions that AI agents and similar disruptive factors present.
- The company’s outlook and guidance will be important in divining where Australia’s tech sector broadly is heading in 2026 and beyond.
Woolworths Group (WOW) – Wed 25th Feb
- Woolworths Group is straightforward enough; its results will give an idea of how the Australian consumer is faring – and how many of them are ordering home delivery groceries, reflecting an ongoing health check on that service.
- At the same time, Woolworths’ results will also give an idea of how inflationary pressures are behaving in Australia’s economy, and, which consumers are feeling the pain. Just as importantly, it will also show which ones aren’t.
- The same will be true for Coles which reports at the end of the month and is not included in this list.
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