Aristocrat Leisure Raises Midyear Dividend, Swells Share Buyback Program

By David Winning

SYDNEY--Slot machine maker Aristocrat Leisure raised its dividend and increased the size of its share buyback program after expanding its share of the North American and Australian markets in the first half of the 2026 fiscal year.

Aristocrat reported a net profit of 725.4 million Australian dollars (US$525.2 million) in the six months through March, up 9.1% on a reported basis compared to a year earlier. The rise was 17% once currency swings were stripped out.

"Aristocrat delivered a strong first half, with clear progress across the business and market share gains in key segments," Chief Executive Trevor Croker said.

Aristocrat raised its interim dividend to 50 Australian cents a share, from 44 cents a year ago. It also expanded its share buyback program by A$1 billion, bringing its total size to A$2.5 billion in aggregate.

Turning to the outlook, Aristocrat said it expected net profit growth in the 12 months through September on a constant currency basis.

The company said it expects "continued revenue and market share growth from Aristocrat Gaming, supported by net unit growth in Gaming Operations at the upper end of the 4,000 to 5,000 target range."

It also forecast market share growth for Product Madness, with Aristocrat Interactive taking another step toward a target of US$1 billion revenue by FY 2029.

Write to David Winning at david.winning@wsj.com

(END) Dow Jones Newswires

May 12, 2026 18:49 ET (22:49 GMT)