Aristocrat Leisure Ltd (ASX: ALL) shares are on the move on Wednesday morning.
At the time of writing, the ASX 200 gaming technology stock is up 5% to $48.40.
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ASX 200 stock charges higher on results day
Investors have been buying the company's shares today following the release of its half-year results.
For the six months ended 31 March, Aristocrat reported normalised revenue of $3.03 billion. This was broadly flat on a reported currency basis but up 6.4% in constant currency.
The company's largest division, Aristocrat Gaming, delivered revenue of $1.96 billion, which is up 4.9% on the prior corresponding period.
This was supported by strong outright sales growth and market share gains in North America and Australia and New Zealand. Its Gaming Operations installed base also expanded, with market share increasing to 43%.
Product Madness revenue fell 4.1% to US$546.2 million. However, this reflected the sale of the Social Casual business early in the half. Its Social Casino revenue increased 4.7% to US$541.7 million, with the division maintaining a 23% market share in the Social Casino Slots market.
Aristocrat Interactive revenue increased 6.5% to US$230.3 million, driven by iLottery and the continued scaling of content, particularly in North America. Management notes that this was partially offset by Platforms following the strategic decision to exit White Label.
Normalised EBITA increased 6.2% to $1.12 billion, or 14% in constant currency. Normalised net profit after tax rose 9.1% to $725.4 million, while normalised NPATA increased 8.4% to $794.0 million. On a constant currency basis, normalised NPATA was up a sizeable 16.3%.
The ASX 200 stock's board declared an unfranked interim dividend of 50 cents per share. This is up 13.6% on the prior corresponding period.
In addition, the company revealed that it is increasing its on-market share buy-back program by $1 billion (up to $2.5 billion in aggregate) and extending it through to 12 May 2027.
Management commentary
Aristocrat's CEO and managing director, Trevor Croker, said the result reflected disciplined execution and continued momentum across the business. He commented:
Aristocrat delivered a strong first half, with clear progress across the business and market share gains in key segments. Our earnings growth reflects disciplined execution, strong revenue momentum throughout our portfolio, and a continued focus on efficiency and extracting operating leverage.
This result once again highlights our market leadership and scale as fundamental strengths of the business. At the same time, we have maintained a balanced approach to capital allocation, returning capital to shareholders while investing strategically to strengthen our long-term growth and resilience.
Outlook
Looking ahead, no firm guidance has been given for FY 2026.
However, management advised that it "expects to deliver NPATA growth over the full year to 30 September 2026 on a constant currency basis."
This reflects expectations for continued revenue and market share growth from Aristocrat Gaming, continued market share growth from Product Madness, and "accelerating performance at Aristocrat Interactive toward [its] FY29 US$1 billion Revenue Target."
