The Woolworths Group Ltd (ASX: WOW) share price is on fire today.
Shares in the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) supermarket giant closed yesterday trading for $31.54. In morning trade, shares are swapping hands for $34.66 apiece, up 9.9%.
For some context, the ASX 200 is up 0.9% at this same time.
This strong outperformance follows the release of Woolworths’ half-year results for the period ending 4 January (H1 FY 2026).
Here’s what’s stoking investor interest today.
Woolworths share price leaps on profit growth
Looking at the results before significant items, Woolworths reported half-year sales of $37.14 billion, up 3.4% year on year.
The company’s eCommerce sales were a particularly strong performer, up 14.6% to $5.4 billion.
Earnings before interest and tax (EBIT) of $1.66 billion was up 14.4% from H1 FY 2025.
The supermarket highlighted that all of its segments achieved year-on-year sales and EBIT growth. This growth was supported by cost of doing business (CODB) reductions in Australian Food, New Zealand Food, and BIG W. Australian Food sales increased by 3.6% in the half.
And on the bottom line, the Woolworths share price looks to be getting a big boost today with net profit after tax (NPAT) surging 16.4% year on year to $859 million.
With profits rising, management declared a fully-franked interim dividend of 45 cents per share. That’s up 15.4% from last year’s interim payout.
If you want to bag the interim Woolworths dividend, you’ll need to own shares at market close on 3 March. The ASX 200 stock trades ex-dividend on 4 March. You can then expect to bank that passive income payout on 2 April.
What did management say?
Commenting on the half-year results lifting the Woolworths share price today, CEO Amanda Bardwell said, “We are making progress on the strategy we outlined in August and have invested in value, our fresh offer, On Demand convenience and in-store execution.”
She added, “All customer metrics have improved, trading momentum is stronger and we are seeing market share stabilise.”
Looking to the months ahead, Bardwell said:
Trading in Q3 to date has been strong in Australian Food; however, customers continue to be value-focused, shopping multiple retailers in a highly competitive environment.
Our focus is to continue to provide value to customers, rebuild trust and maintain sales momentum while making further progress on our strategic priorities to deliver for our customers, team and shareholders.
With today’s big intraday gains factored in, the Woolworths share price is up 17.8% in 2026.
The post Why is the Woolworths share price rocketing 10% on Wednesday? appeared first on The Motley Fool Australia.
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More reading
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- Where to invest $10,000 in ASX 200 blue chip shares today
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.