ASX Lifts FY26 Expense Guidance as ASIC Inquiry Drives Investment in Market Infrastructure

ASX ( (AU:ASX) ) has provided an update.

ASX Limited has revised its FY26 expense growth guidance upward as it accelerates investment in risk management and technology modernisation in response to the Australian Securities and Investments Commission’s expert Inquiry Panel findings. Excluding ASIC inquiry costs, ASX now forecasts FY26 expense growth of 13%–15%, rising to 20%–23% when inquiry-related and associated legal and commitments plan costs are included, reflecting additional spending on major platforms, the reset of its Accelerate program, governance enhancements for clearing and settlement boards, and higher costs linked to strong trading volumes and slower adoption of e‑statements. To provide context, ASX released unaudited 1H26 figures showing operating revenue up 11.2% to $602.8 million, statutory and underlying NPAT of $263.6 million (up 8.3% and 3.9% respectively), and total expenses up 12.1% excluding ASIC inquiry costs and 20.0% including them, with underlying return on equity steady at 13.5%; the company emphasised that these investments are intended to reinforce its stewardship role and long‑term sustainable growth as a critical market operator, even as higher regulatory capital requirements temper returns.

The most recent analyst rating on (AU:ASX) stock is a Hold with a A$58.10 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on ASX stock, see the AU:ASX Stock Forecast page.

More about ASX

ASX Limited operates Australia’s primary securities exchange and related market infrastructure, providing trading, clearing and settlement services across cash equities, derivatives and other financial products. As a critical market infrastructure provider, ASX focuses on technology modernisation, risk management and regulatory compliance to support high-volume trading activity and the broader Australian capital markets.

Average Trading Volume: 625,426

Technical Sentiment Signal: Sell

Current Market Cap: A$10.46B

Learn more about ASX stock on TipRanks’ Stock Analysis page.