December 2025 Quarter Wages Data Bode Well for Consumer Stocks

This report is an updated version of the report published on 23 February 2026 at 12:20 PM AEDT.

Company Overview: EDU Holdings Limited (ASX: EDU) is an Australia-based company, which owns and operates tertiary education businesses, with a focus on education and human services fields of study. It serves both domestic and international students through its national campus network and online learning platforms. Biome Australia Limited (ASX: BIO) develops, licenses, commercialises and markets innovative, evidence-based live biotherapeutics (probiotics) and complementary medicines supported by clinical research. Biome aims to improve health outcomes and quality of life, making products accessible through professional health channels.  Kalkine’s Market Event Report covers the Investment Summary, Event Summary, Data Insights & Analysis, Key Financial Metrics, Risks, Outlook, Technical Analysis along with the Valuation, Target Price, and Recommendation on the stock.

Investment Summary

Event Highlights

Data Insights and Analysis

Key Drivers versus Key Challenges

Based on the above data, two ASX stocks have been identified to showcase the momentum.

1) EDU Holdings Limited (ASX: EDU) (Recommendation: ‘Speculative Buy’ at AUD 0.790, Potential Upside: Low Double-Digit) (M-cap: AUD 96.33Mn)

Company Overview: EDU is an Australia-based company, which owns and operates tertiary education businesses, with a focus on education and human services fields of study. It serves both domestic and international students through its national campus network and online learning platforms.

6-month ended 30 June 2025 (H1FY25) Financial Performance: EDU reported revenue of AUD 36.12mn, up 114% over AUD 16.85mn in H1FY24, supported by increased enrolments growth across both Ikon and ALG. Operating EBITDA jumped 309% year-on-year to AUD 12.25mn while its operating EBITDA margin expanded to 34% vs 18% in pcp as the company benefitted from operating leverage. Net profit after tax jumped significantly to AUD 6.27mn in H1FY25 vs AUD 0.028mn in pcp. EDU is scheduled to report its FY25 earnings on 26 February 2026.

Recent Update: On 20 February 2026, EDU announced that Mr Gary Burg has resigned as Non-Executive Chair and Director, effective immediately, due to health reasons. To maintain leadership continuity, long-serving Non-Executive Director Mr Peter Mobbs has been appointed Interim Non-Executive Chair.

Guidance & Outlook: On 27 January 2026, EDU announced it expects FY25 results toward the top end of guidance, with revenue of AUD 80.4–82.4mn, EBITDA of AUD 24.1–25.6mn and NPAT of AUD 13.6–15.1mn. Performance is expected to be driven by its higher education arm, Ikon Institute, which expanded into postgraduate programs and witnessed higher enrolment growth. Management highlighted a positive outlook for 2026, supported by enrolment momentum and course duration visibility. While enrolments in its VET business, Australian Learning Group (ALG), remain soft, EDU believes its diversified student mix and strengthened balance sheet position it well for future growth and regulatory changes.

The stock has increased by ~12.86% in last one month, and over the past six months, it has jumped by ~64.58%. The stock has a 52-week low and 52-week high of AUD 0.130 and AUD 1.025, respectively, and is currently trading above the 52-week high-low average. EDU was last covered in a report dated ‘24 June 2025’.

2) Biome Australia Limited (ASX: BIO) (Recommendation: ‘Speculative Buy’ at AUD 0.415, Potential Upside: Low Double-Digit) (M-cap: AUD 90.15Mn)

Company Overview: BIO develops, licenses, commercialises and markets innovative, evidence-based live biotherapeutics (probiotics) and complementary medicines supported by clinical research. Biome aims to improve health outcomes and quality of life, making products accessible through professional health channels.

6-month ended 31 December 2025 (H1FY26) Financial Performance: BIO reported revenue of AUD 12.40mn in H1FY26, up 40% year-on-year, supported by growth in Activated Probiotics, which is the fastest growing probiotic brand in the category as claimed by the company. Biome Daily also performed well and is closing in on the #1 position nationally. Net profit after tax stood at AUD 1.18mn for the reporting period, up 172% on PCP.  

Recent Update: On 3 February 2026, BIO announced it received ethics approval from La Trobe University’s Human Research Ethics Committee for its first human clinical trial of the proprietary probiotic strain Lactobacillus plantarum BMB18 (DSM 35214). This marks the final regulatory requirement for the study, allowing the trial to commence in February 2026, in line with the timeline previously outlined in the company’s 15 December 2025 announcement.

Outlook: BIO management said it is ahead of schedule across several pillars of its Vision 27 strategy, driven by broader distribution, rising international sales, expanding proprietary IP and a wider product portfolio. H1FY26 was the strongest half in the company’s history, accelerating progress toward its medium-term targets. Management expects a strong H2, supported by the peak cold and flu season, deeper pharmacy penetration, a national advertising campaign and scaling international operations. The launch of the BMB18 clinical trial strengthens its IP position, with continued revenue growth and margin expansion anticipated.

The stock has witnessed a correction of ~6.02% in last one month, and over the past six months, it has decreased by ~23.15%. The stock has a 52-week low and 52-week high of AUD 0.380 and AUD 0.640, respectively, and is currently trading below the 52-week high-low average.

Markets are trading in a highly volatile zone currently due to certain macro-economic issues and geopolitical tensions prevailing. Therefore, it is prudent to follow a cautious approach while investing.

Note 1: Past performance is neither an Indicator nor a guarantee of future performance. 

Note 2: The reference date for all price data, currency, technical indicators, support, and resistance levels is 23 February 2026. The reference data in this report has been partly sourced from REFINITIV. 

Note 3: Investment decisions should be made depending on an individual’s appetite for upside potential, risks, holding duration, and any previous holdings. An ‘Exit’ from the stock can be considered if the Target Price mentioned as per the Valuation and or the technical levels provided has been achieved and is subject to the factors discussed above.

Note 4: Kalkine reports are prepared based on the stock prices captured either from REFINITIV or Trading View. Typically, REFINITIV or Trading View may reflect stock prices with a delay which could be a lag of 25-30 minutes. There can be no assurance that future results or events will be consistent with the information provided in the report. The information is subject to change without any prior notice. 

Technical Indicators Defined: - 

Support: A level at which the stock prices tend to find support if they are falling, and a downtrend may take a pause backed by demand or buying interest. Support 1 refers to the nearby support level for the stock and if the price breaches the level, then Support 2 may act as the crucial support level for the stock. 

Resistance: A level at which the stock prices tend to find resistance when they are rising, and an uptrend may take a pause due to profit booking or selling interest. Resistance 1 refers to the nearby resistance level for the stock and if the price surpasses the level, then Resistance 2 may act as the crucial resistance level for the stock. 

Stop-loss: It is a level to protect further losses in case of unfavourable movement in the stock prices.