3 reasons to buy Woolworths shares for Christmas

There’s still time to buy Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) shares for Christmas.

Though not much.

The ASX is open for normal trading today and operates on a shortened trading day tomorrow, 24 December.

In late morning trade today, Woolworths shares are in the red.

Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) supermarket giant closed yesterday trading for $29.38. At time of writing, shares are changing hands for $29.29 apiece, down 0.3%.

For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.5% at this same time.

As you’re likely aware, it’s been a rough year for Australia’s biggest supermarket.

With today’s intraday dip factored in, Woolies stock is down 3.9% year to date, trailing the 6.7% gains delivered by the benchmark index over this same period.

Though that’s not including the 84 cents a share in fully franked dividends Woolworths paid eligible stockholders over the year. The ASX 200 stock currently trades on a 2.9% fully franked trailing dividend yield.

Looking ahead, however, Bell Potter Securities’ Christopher Watt believes shareholders will be more amply rewarded in 2026 (courtesy of The Bull).

We’ll look at why in just a tick.

Buit first…

Why did Woolworths shares come under pressure?

The biggest headwind to impede the ASX 200 supermarket this year was the release of the company’s FY 2025 results on 27 August.

Investors responded to those results by sending Woolworths shares down 14.7% on the day. And the stock remained under pressure, plumbing multi-year lows of $25.91 on 14 October.

Investors were clearly concerned over rising costs, with the company reporting a 0.66% increase in cost of doing business to 23.3%. And Woolies’ gross margin declined by 0.07% year on year to 27.2%.

Earnings also went backwards, with FY 2025 earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) declining by 12.6% to $2.75 billion.

With costs up and earnings down, net profit after tax (NPAT) of $1.39 billion fell by 17.1% year on year.

And passive income investors would not have been happy with the 21.1% cut in the final dividend payout of 45 cents per share, fully franked.

Now, that’s the year gone by.

Here’s why Bell Potter Securities’ Christopher Watt sees a light at the end of the tunnel for Woolworths shares.

Should you buy the ASX 200 supermarket giant today?

“After a challenging period marked by margin pressure and earnings downgrades, Woolworths is showing early signs of stabilisation,” said Watt, citing his first reason to buy the stock.

“Recent trading updates indicate improving momentum in core divisions, particularly Australian Food and B2B (Business-to-Business), suggesting the worst may be behind WOW,” he added.

As for the third reason you may want to buy Woolworths shares for Christmas, Watt concluded:

Given the supermarket giant generates solid cash flow, WOW stands out among consumer staples. As market sentiment improves, so too should investor confidence in the group’s earnings outlook.

The post 3 reasons to buy Woolworths shares for Christmas appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.

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Motley Fool contributor Bernd Struben has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia’s parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia has positions in and has recommended Woolworths Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.