Woolworths Group (WOW) Stock Price, Fundamentals & Analysis

What WOW does

Woolworths Group (WOW) is a grocery and general merchandise retailer operating across Australia and New Zealand. It runs physical stores and digital platforms under segments including Australian Food, Australian B2B, New Zealand Food, and W Living, which covers general merchandise and pet products. The company also provides supply chain and procurement services to other businesses through its Australian B2B arm. Woolworths Group is part of the ASX 200 and operates in the same Consumer Defensive space as peers such as Coles Group (COL), Metcash (MTS), and Bega Cheese (BGA).

Key numbers explained

• WOW trades at 38.47 AUD, up +0.52% today, with a market capitalisation of 46.99B AUD.
• The trailing P/E ratio of 41.8 shows how much investors pay per dollar of recent earnings; the forward P/E ratio of 23.7 uses expected future earnings and is typically lower when growth is anticipated.
• The dividend yield of 2.52% tells you the annual dividend as a percentage of the share price; 97% of trailing earnings are paid out as dividends, with the next ex-dividend date on 1 Sept 2026.
• Earnings per share (trailing 12 months) is 0.92 AUD, while the price-to-book ratio of 9.78 compares the share price to the company's book value per share.
• Beta of 0.26 indicates the stock has historically been less volatile than the broader market.
• Over the last 52 weeks, the share price moved between 25.51 and 41.19 AUD, a 43% gain from one year ago.
• Revenue for the trailing 12 months is 71.54 mld. AUD, growing 3.8% year over year, with a profit margin of 1.6% and operating margin of 3.8%.
• The return on equity is 23.3%, while the debt-to-equity ratio of 335.6% shows the company carries significant debt relative to shareholders' equity.

What to watch

Investors typically monitor grocery retailers like Woolworths Group for changes in consumer spending patterns, input costs such as labour and freight, and competitive pressure from peers including Coles Group (COL) and Metcash (MTS). The company's heavy reliance on a high dividend yield and a large share of earnings paid out as dividends means its payout can be sensitive to earnings fluctuations. The debt-to-equity ratio of 335.6% is worth tracking alongside interest rate movements, as higher rates can increase borrowing costs. The next earnings release is scheduled for 26 Aug 2026, which often prompts short-term price moves. For broader context, WOW sits within the Consumer Defensive sector and the ASX 200, alongside other Australian staples such as Endeavour Group (EDV) and Treasury Wine Estates (TWE).