Macquarie Group's annual results sent the stock to an intraday record on Friday as the Australian investment bank recorded a marked rise in profit, supported by stronger performance in its commodities trading business.
Shares in Macquarie Group (ASX:MQG) initially rose more than 3% to a record A$249.490 on the session, though the price later pared gains and was down roughly 1.5% by 23:32 ET (03:32 GMT), mirroring losses across the ASX 200 index.
For the 12 months to March 31, Macquarie said profit attributable to shareholders increased 30.5% to A$4.85 billion, equivalent to about $3.50 billion. The company described that figure as its largest in three years.
Revenue for the year climbed 13.2% year-on-year, reaching A$19.48 billion. Management attributed much of that rise to income from its Commodities and Global Markets segment, where trading fees expanded as oil prices moved higher following geopolitical developments in Iran.
The commodities unit benefited from heightened volatility and increased trading activity tied to the Iran crisis, with client hedging activity rising as commodity prices swung. That combination contributed materially to the firmwide revenue uplift reported for the fiscal year.
Alongside the results, Macquarie declared a final dividend of A$4.20 per share, up from A$3.90 per share in the prior year for fiscal 2025.
Separate commentary in the disclosure materials highlighted a third-party service that evaluates stocks including MQG using more than 100 financial metrics and machine learning-driven models. That service referenced prior notable winners and offered to flag whether MQG appears in current model strategies.
What the results show
- Profit attributable rose 30.5% to A$4.85 billion for year to March 31.
- Group revenue increased 13.2% to A$19.48 billion, led by Commodities and Global Markets income.
- Final dividend raised to A$4.20 per share from A$3.90 for fiscal 2025.
These outcomes underscore the sensitivity of the bank's trading-related income to swings in commodity prices and client hedging demand, and the immediate market reaction showed both initial enthusiasm and subsequent sensitivity to broader index moves.