Flight Centre shares climb as ASX slips after upbeat trading update

Flight Centre Travel Group shares rose on Tuesday morning despite a softer broader market, advancing 2.6% to $10.42 as the ASX 200 fell 0.6%. The gains followed the company’s presentation and trading update at the annual Macquarie Group Conference. In an update covering the nine months to 31 March, the travel group reported total transaction value (TTV) up 7.6% year on year to $19.5 billion.

Third-quarter TTV rose 6.8% to $7 billion, equivalent to 9.4% growth on a constant-currency basis. Underlying profit before tax (UPBT) increased 9.7% to $226.4 million over the same nine-month period, with the corporate segment’s UPBT up 23% and leisure profits 2% higher year on year.

The company said investors on the register at market close on 24 April were eligible for a fully franked interim dividend of 12 cents. It also completed a $200 million share buyback program in the first nine months of FY 2026. Management said momentum remained solid across both corporate and leisure businesses amid a challenging travel environment, citing ongoing investments in technology and efficiency.

Looking ahead, management reaffirmed full-year FY 2026 UPBT guidance of $315 million to $350 million. The company said it continues to monitor the impact of global events on short-term results, noting that hostilities in the Middle East are creating near-term uncertainty and temporarily disrupting international travel patterns.

While the global corporate division has not yet been significantly affected, the leisure business incurred an estimated $10 million profit hit in April. The company added that the impact of ongoing unrest and potential future fuel supply disruptions is not currently clear heading into the key May–June trading period.

Despite Tuesday’s intraday rise, Flight Centre shares remain down 19% over the past year, excluding dividends.