Woolworths' shares climb to 17-month high as value push brings shoppers back

Core Insights - Woolworths reported a 16.4% increase in underlying profit for the first half of the fiscal year, driven by growth in its Australian Food unit and strategic price reductions to attract customers [1][2]. Financial Performance - The underlying net profit after tax for Woolworths reached A$859 million (approximately $606.28 million) for the 27 weeks ending January 4, up from A$739 million in the previous year, exceeding the Visible Alpha consensus estimate of A$813.5 million [2].