Own Telstra shares? Here's what happened in April

Telstra had an interesting month over April…

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Well, April has been and now gone, and we are, somehow, into the fifth month of 2026. After a bumpy March, April was another wild ride for investors. After ending March at 8,481.8 points, the S&P/ASX 200 Index (ASX: XJO) ended up closing at 8,665.8 points yesterday afternoon, putting the index's performance for the month at a gain of 2.2%. However, those bookends mask a volatile month, which saw the ASX 200 go as high as 9,021.5 at one point. But let's talk about Telstra Group Ltd (ASX: TLS) shares.

Telstra is one of the most popular ASX 200 shares on our market, particularly for dividend investors. Australians have long been drawn to this telco for its dominant market share, stable earnings base, and typically high dividend yield (which, until recently, always came fully franked).

So how did the Telstra share price fare over the month just gone?

Well, Telstra's performance was remarkably unremarkable, especially when compared to the volatility of the broader market. The telco started April at $5.33 a share. Yesterday, those same shares closed at $5.32 each. That works out to be a monthly loss of 0.19%. Telstra did have some high and low points that were a little more varied, though.

Just two days ago, on 29 April, Telstra hit a low of $5.24 a share, the lowest the telco descended to last month. In contrast, the company's high point came on 8 April, and saw Telstra clock $5.45 a share. That's a difference worth about 4%.

Given Telstra's current 52-week high is $5.46, we can say that the telco is still flying high and in demand with investors.

A man wearing a colourful shirt holds an old fashioned phone to his ear with a look of curiosity on his face as though he is pondering the answer to a question.

Image source: Getty Images

How much have investors made with Telstra shares?

Telstra has truly been a phenomenal investment for anyone who has bought this telco's shares in recent years. As of today's price ($5.35 at the time of writing), Tesltra shares are up an impressive 9.75% year to date in 2026. Over the past 12 months, the gains sit at an even more lucrative 17.7%.

Two years ago, Telstra was about $3.50 a share, meaning investors who picked up the stock back then would be sitting on a gain of roughly 50% today.

That's approximately where investors' five-year gains stand as well.

At the current Telstra share price, this ASX 200 blue chip stock is trading on a price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 26.93, and with a dividend yield of 3.74%.

Motley Fool contributor Sebastian Bowen 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 Telstra Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Scott Phillips.

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