Sydney, Jan 23, 2026, 17:44 AEDT — Market closed
- After soaring 9.5% yesterday, DroneShield shares slipped 5.5% to close at A$4.47.
- Bell Potter raised its target to A$5, highlighting U.S. public safety spending as a catalyst in the near term
- The ASX will be closed Monday for Australia Day, reopening Tuesday with attention on earnings schedules and contract flow.
DroneShield Limited (ASX:DRO) slipped 5.5% to close at A$4.47 on Friday, pulling back from Thursday’s 9.5% jump to A$4.73. The share price fluctuated between A$4.43 and A$4.69, with roughly 15.3 million shares traded. 1
The pullback came just a day after Bell Potter upgraded its view on the counter-drone developer, raising the target price to A$5 and highlighting a possible surge in defense spending. The broker flagged a potential A$2.5 billion sales pipeline and predicted significant contracts could arrive within three to six months, also mentioning ASX peers EOS Electro Optic and Elsight in the same “drone” sector. 2
“We see 2026 as a turning point for the global C-UAS market,” said Bell Potter analyst Baxter Kirk, referring to counter-uncrewed aircraft systems, the tech aimed at detecting and neutralizing drones. Capital Brief noted the broker pointed to US$250 million in funding tied to security at major U.S. events and raised its 12-month price target for DroneShield from A$4.40 to A$5. 3
DroneShield kept the news coming Wednesday, unveiling Q1 2026 software updates for its DroneSentry-C2 command-and-control suite and RfPatrol-Plugin. The upgrades are designed to streamline operations and enhance sensor coordination — what the industry calls “sensor fusion,” or merging data from various sensors into a single track. 4
Looking ahead, the ASX cash market will shut down Monday in observance of Australia Day. Local traders won’t get a fresh read on prices until trading resumes Tuesday. 5
Investors have learned to watch that gap closely. DroneShield’s stock has been volatile since last year, following executive share sales and governance worries that shook confidence and sent the price tumbling, according to a November report by Reuters. 6
But the optimistic broker calculations come with a caveat. Defense and public safety orders often arrive in fits and starts, procurement schedules get pushed back, and chatter about a “pipeline” doesn’t always translate into signed deals — particularly as agencies weigh options among numerous radar, radio-frequency detection, and jamming vendors.
Traders eye the week ahead for contract news or guidance that could confirm—or challenge—the notion of near-term U.S. victories. MarketIndex’s company calendar pins DroneShield’s preliminary and annual reports to Feb. 24, marking the next key update for the stock. 7
