Woolworths trails Coles in Q4; Jefferies sees margin pressure, Big W drag

Coles

03/08/2025 23:10

** Analysts at Jefferies expect Australian retailer Coles COL.AX to have outperformed bigger rival Woolworths WOW.AX in Q4

** Says COL's out-performance aided by its Curtis Stone collectibles campaign; WOW's own Disney campaign began mid-July

** Flags Australian Food EBIT seen down mid-single digits in 2H25 for WOW, with about A$70 million ($45.22 million) in supply chain and weather-related costs; implies FY25 EBIT of A$2.80 bln

** Expects department store arm Big W to post ~A$70 mln H2 loss — nearing 2017–18 trough levels — with investors likely to press for turnaround strategy

** Commentary on price competitiveness vs non-traditional rivals like Chemist Warehouse and Bunnings may flag further margin investment, flags brokerage

** Brokerage lifts PT on WOW to A$30 from A$29.50

** WOW up 2.5% YTD while COL has gained 8.8%

($1 = 1.5480 Australian dollars)

 (Reporting by Rishav Chatterjee in Bengaluru; editing by Diane Craft)

 ((Rishav.Chatterjee@thomsonreuters.com;))