Aristocrat Leisure lifts annual payout as CEO Croker prepares to step down

what happened

Slot machine maker Aristocrat Leisure said chief executive Trevor Croker will step down in April and be succeeded by Dafne Guisard. Guisard joined the company in February as chief commercial officer for Europe, the Middle East and Africa, a newly created post, and three months later took charge of the Product Madness business, Dow Jones Newswires reported.

For the 12 months to September, net profit from continuing operations reached 1.36 billion Australian dollars, roughly US$930 million, up 15% from a year earlier. Excluding currency movements, the gain was 24%. The board set a closing payout of 51 Australian cents a share, versus 49 cents twelve months earlier, bringing the fiscal 2026 total to A$1.01 per share. Revenue from continuing operations fell 3% to A$6.09 billion.

The gaming division grew strongly in North America, the company said. Its profit rose 2%, or 10% at constant currency, with a margin of 55%. Product Madness profit dropped 7%, although the key social casino titles outperformed a shrinking market.

why it matters

Two points stand out for investors: the leadership change and the uneven performance across divisions. Strong gaming margins and a higher payout support the shares, while weaker Product Madness earnings signal pressure in social casino.

market impact

Aristocrat Leisure shares: higher profit and dividend support investor interest in the stock

• ▲Aristocrat Leisure shares pressure up — higher profit and a bigger dividend support investor interest

tags

instruments