DroneShield shares (ASX: DRO) remain under heavy pressure on Thursday, 20 November 2025, as investors digest a brutal 19% plunge on Wednesday, the sudden resignation of the company’s US CEO, and mounting concerns over a multi‑million‑dollar director selldown and a withdrawn contract announcement.
As of the latest trade data this afternoon, DroneShield is changing hands at about A$1.88, down roughly 4–5% on the day, after closing at A$1.97 on Wednesday. The stock has traded in a day range between A$1.84 and A$1.94, versus a 52‑week range of A$0.585 to A$6.705. [1]
That leaves the once‑market‑darling counter‑drone stock down around 70% from its all‑time high of A$6.71 on 9 October 2025, even though it remains well ahead on a 12‑month view. TechStock²
DroneShield share price today: 20 November 2025 snapshot
According to real‑time data from Investing.com, DroneShield’s share price on Thursday, 20 November 2025 is around: [2]
- Last price: ~A$1.875
- Previous close (19 November): A$1.97
- Intraday range: A$1.84 – A$1.94
- Move today: roughly –4.8%
- 52‑week range: A$0.585 – A$6.705
After Wednesday’s collapse, today’s session so far looks more like a continuation of the downtrend than a sharp new shock. But the context matters: the stock has now fallen in six of the past ten sessions and is down nearly 50% over that period, according to technical trackers. [3]
Fundamentally, this is a story about confidence and governance, not a sudden collapse in demand for counter‑drone technology.
What happened on 19 November: US CEO resigns, shares crash nearly 20%
The immediate trigger for DroneShield’s latest leg lower was an ASX announcement titled “Resignation of U.S. CEO”, released on the morning of 19 November 2025. [4]
Key points from that announcement and subsequent coverage:
- DroneShield’s US CEO, Matt McCrann, resigned effective immediately, with the company confirming his departure as of 19 November. [5]
- McCrann joined DroneShield in 2019 and has served as US chief executive since 2022, overseeing expansion in what is widely considered the company’s most important growth market. TechStock²+1
- DroneShield’s global CEO Oleg Vornik remains in place, and the company continues to emphasise its US and European growth strategy in defence and critical‑infrastructure markets. [6]
The market reaction was immediate and severe:
- On Wednesday, 19 November, DroneShield shares fell from A$2.45 to A$1.97, a 19.6% single‑day drop, on extremely heavy volume of roughly 50 million shares. [7]
- The stock swung between an intraday low of A$1.94 and a high of A$2.27, a volatility of more than 17% in a single session. TechStock²+1
News outlets across Australia and overseas framed the move as a leadership‑confidence shock layered on top of an existing governance crisis:
- TS2 Tech highlighted the sell‑off as a near‑20% crash tied directly to the U.S. CEO resignation. TechStock²+1
- The Australian Financial Review reported that DroneShield stock tumbled about 19% to A$1.97 on Wednesday, specifically linking the fall to McCrann’s resignation. [8]
- German and European financial press likewise noted that DroneShield’s US‑CEO exit triggered a drop of around 10%–20% and added to an already deepening “crisis of confidence”. [9]
In short, the US leadership vacuum in DroneShield’s key market is now front and centre in investors’ minds.
The bigger November story: director share sales and a contract announcement error
While the US CEO resignation grabbed headlines on 19 November, the foundations of this sell‑off were laid earlier in the month.
A ~A$67 million insider selldown
Between 6 and 12 November, ASX filings revealed that three top DroneShield insiders had effectively liquidated their ordinary shareholdings: [10]
- CEO Oleg Vornik sold roughly 14.8 million shares, raising about A$49.5 million. [11]
- Chairman Peter James disposed of stock valued at around A$12.4 million. [12]
- Director Jethro Marks sold shares worth close to A$4.9 million. [13]
ASX director‑interest notices now show these three key figures with zero ordinary shares, retaining only performance options. [14]
The scale and timing of the sell‑down sparked intense commentary:
- ABC’s The Business segment on 17 November aired calls from governance experts to tighten ASX rules around directors selling soon after market‑sensitive announcements. [15]
- The Australian’s Margin Call column reported that trading activity by broker Velocity Trade suggested up to 10 million additional shares may have been sold by other insiders or related parties, beyond the already disclosed 19.5 million shares. [16]
- Analysis from NBR and other outlets argued that such concentrated insider selling undermined DroneShield’s credibility after a strong 2025 run‑up in the price. [17]
The A$7.6m “contract error” and ASX query
Compounding the controversy, DroneShield in early November announced what appeared to be new contracts worth A$7.6 million, only to later withdraw the announcement.
- A 10 November ASX PDF clarified that the so‑called “November Contracts” were not new orders, but existing orders reissued by a customer after regulatory updates. The company admitted they had been “inadvertently marked as new contracts rather than revised contracts.” [18]
On 20 November, Capital Brief reported details of DroneShield’s formal response to an ASX price‑query: [19]
- The company said the misclassification stemmed from an error in correspondence from a US counterparty, combined with a failure by a US representative to perform a manual check before distributing the order internally.
- DroneShield described the contracts as mistakenly flagged as new due to an “administrative error”, and said it would engage external advisers to review its continuous disclosure policies.
- In the same response, DroneShield stated it was not aware of any formal agreement among the three directorsto coordinate their share sales and that it disclosed the disposals to the market as soon as it became aware of them.
The combination of a contract retraction and massive insider selling has led to widespread governance concerns, with coverage from outlets such as the AFR, ABC, and Simply Wall St all underscoring a “trust gap” between management and shareholders. [20]
Fresh coverage on 19–20 November: what today’s news is saying
Between 19 and 20 November 2025, news flow around DroneShield shares has been relentless. Among the most notable pieces:
- TS2 Tech (19 Nov) – Detailed how DroneShield shares crashed nearly 20% following the US CEO resignation, highlighting the fall from an A$6.71 peak on 9 October to A$1.97, and framing November as one of the most turbulent months in the company’s history. TechStock²+1
- Rask Media (19 Nov) – Asked why the share price crashed 19% in a day, pointing squarely at the US CEO’s abrupt exit on top of the earlier insider sales and contract confusion. [21]
- The Motley Fool Australia (19 Nov) – Covered the US CEO resignation and share price slump, warning that leadership instability could weigh on market sentiment despite the long‑term counter‑drone opportunity. [22]
- Simply Wall St (19 Nov) – Noted that DroneShield shares had slumped about 56% over the month, but argued that the stock’s price‑to‑sales multiple remains high because analysts still expect triple‑digit revenue growth, at least for now. [23]
On 20 November 2025 itself, several fresh angles emerged:
- Capital Brief (20 Nov) – Summarised DroneShield’s ASX response, saying the company had defended the director selldown and blamed the withdrawn contract announcement on a counterparty error and an internal oversight. [24]
- The Motley Fool Australia (20 Nov) – Published a piece titled “DroneShield directors’ share sales and contract error: What investors need to know”, outlining how the company plans new controls and systems from 2026 to prevent similar mishaps. [25]
- The Australian (20 Nov) – Returned to the theme of insiders dumping shares before the CEO’s shock resignation, reinforcing concerns about timing, transparency and fairness to ordinary investors. [26]
Together, this coverage paints a picture of a company still fundamentally exposed to a strong growth theme, but now operating under an intense governance and disclosure spotlight.
How analysts and technical models are reading DroneShield now
Despite the dramatic share‑price reversal, sell‑side analysts have not abandoned DroneShield, though some targets and labels are now clearly lagging events.
Price targets still far above today’s price
- TipRanks data shows an average 12‑month price target of about A$5.12, with published targets ranging from roughly A$4.98 to A$5.28 from brokers including Bell Potter and Shaw and Partners. [27]
- Investing.com lists a similar consensus target around A$5.15, implying well over 150% upside from today’s A$1.875 level — but those forecasts were mostly issued before the latest governance storm and US CEO resignation, so investors should treat them as historical, not fresh guidance. [28]
Some research outlets that were previously bullish have already toned down their enthusiasm. Coverage cited by TS2 notes at least one broker now describing DroneShield as “dead money” in the near term, arguing that sentiment damage will take time to repair. TechStock²+1
Technical signals: heavily sold off, still high‑risk
Short‑term technical models tracked by StockInvest and others show: [29]
- The stock has fallen almost 49% over the past 10 trading days.
- Indicators such as the 10‑day and 20‑day moving averages are far above the current price, signalling a strong downtrend.
- The Relative Strength Index (RSI) has slipped toward oversold territory, but not yet in a way that guarantees a bounce — instead, it underlines high volatility and elevated risk.
In other words, DroneShield looks technically oversold but not yet technically “safe”. Any positive or negative headline could trigger outsized moves in either direction.
Investor focus after 19–20 November: what matters from here
For readers following DroneShield shares today (20 November 2025), the key issues highlighted across the 19–20 November news cycle can be grouped into a few themes:
1. Leadership and US strategy
- The US CEO role is vacant, and investors will be watching how DroneShield handles interim leadership and succession in its largest market. [30]
- Any update on a replacement for Matt McCrann or a reorganisation of US operations will be read as a signal on execution risk.
2. Governance, insider selling and ASX scrutiny
- The A$67m director selldown and the withdrawn contract announcement have already attracted media and regulatory attention. [31]
- DroneShield has said it will bring in external advisers to review its continuous disclosure settings, but investors will want to see concrete policy changes and clearer communication, not just promises. [32]
3. Customer confidence and contract pipeline
- The company continues to operate in a fast‑growing counter‑drone and electronic warfare market, with previously reported record revenue and a large pipeline of defence and homeland‑security contracts. [33]
- A crucial open question is whether recent turmoil affects customer confidence, especially in the US, Europe and NATO‑aligned markets, or whether contracts remain insulated from boardroom drama.
4. Valuation versus execution risk
- Even after the crash, DroneShield still trades on rich multiples relative to many other aerospace and defence names, reflecting high growth expectations. [34]
- That means execution missteps — whether on governance, leadership or delivery — can be punished disproportionately, as the last two weeks have shown.
Final thoughts: a high‑growth story now dominated by trust questions
As of 20 November 2025, DroneShield (ASX: DRO) sits in a paradoxical position:
- Fundamentals: The company remains a pure‑play counter‑drone and electronic warfare specialist, leveraged to rising global defence and security spending on unmanned‑threat protection. [35]
- Share price: The stock is down about 70% from its October highs, yet still up strongly over 12 months, and analyst targets (set before the turmoil) sit multiple times above today’s price. TechStock²+2Investing.com+2
- Narrative: Instead of talking mainly about technology, contracts and margins, the market is now fixated on director behaviour, disclosure controls and leadership stability.
For readers and potential investors following DroneShield in Google News or Discover, the core takeaway from the 19–20 November 2025 news flow is that trust has become the key variable:
- Trust that management will align with shareholders,
- Trust that disclosures will be accurate and timely, and
- Trust that the company can navigate leadership transitions without derailing its growth trajectory.
This article is news and commentary only and does not constitute financial advice. DroneShield’s share price is highly volatile, and anyone considering an investment should do their own research or seek guidance from a licensed financial adviser.
References
1. www.investing.com, 2. www.investing.com, 3. stockinvest.us, 4. www.asx.com.au, 5. company-announcements.afr.com, 6. www.droneshield.com, 7. www.intelligentinvestor.com.au, 8. www.afr.com, 9. de.marketscreener.com, 10. www.reddit.com, 11. www.capitalbrief.com, 12. www.capitalbrief.com, 13. www.capitalbrief.com, 14. www.marketindex.com.au, 15. www.abc.net.au, 16. www.theaustralian.com.au, 17. www.nbr.co.nz, 18. announcements.asx.com.au, 19. www.capitalbrief.com, 20. simplywall.st, 21. www.raskmedia.com.au, 22. www.fool.com.au, 23. simplywall.st, 24. www.capitalbrief.com, 25. www.fool.com.au, 26. www.theaustralian.com.au, 27. www.tipranks.com, 28. www.investing.com, 29. stockinvest.us, 30. company-announcements.afr.com, 31. www.capitalbrief.com, 32. www.capitalbrief.com, 33. www.droneshield.com, 34. simplywall.st, 35. www.droneshield.com
