SYDNEY, March 30, 2026, 05:11 AEDT
- JPMorgan Chase & Co. bumped up its stake in DroneShield, according to a Friday filing, lifting its voting power to 6.29% from 5.29%.
- DroneShield put in a separate request to quote 160,000 shares tied to employee performance options, flagging that certain staff could look to sell those shares. 1
- Shares finished Friday at A$3.88, dropping 13.39% from Thursday’s A$4.48 close. 2
JPMorgan Chase & Co. and related entities bumped up their voting power in DroneShield Ltd, taking it to 58.0 million shares, or 6.29%, according to a Friday filing. That’s up from 48.8 million shares, or 5.29%. In another filing that day, DroneShield announced plans to quote 160,000 fresh ordinary shares after staff exercised performance options.
Why does this matter? Investors are weighing whether DroneShield’s 2025 momentum will hold through 2026. The annual report laid out the numbers: record 2025 revenue came in at A$216.5 million, profit after tax reached A$3.5 million, and cash plus term deposits totaled A$209.5 million. Management added that fiscal 2026 kicked off with A$103.5 million already locked in as committed revenue.
JPMorgan showed up as a major shareholder on March 20, crossing the 5% threshold with 48.8 million shares, giving it 5.29% of voting rights. According to Friday’s filing, a change on March 24 pushed that up to 58.0 million shares, lifting its voting power to 6.29%.
The filings failed to prevent a steep drop late in the week. DroneShield closed Friday at A$3.88, falling 13.39% from Thursday’s A$4.48 finish. Shares moved between A$4.305 and A$3.85 during the session. 2
DroneShield, which makes counter-UAS systems that use a mix of radio-frequency sensors, AI, and electronic warfare, recently announced the launch of a European manufacturing facility. Production there is set to begin delivering units by mid-2026. The move fits into the company’s aim of boosting its total annual manufacturing capacity to A$2.4 billion by the end of 2026, spanning sites in Australia, Europe, and the U.S. 3
Oleg Vornik, the chief executive, described Europe as experiencing “a profound shift” in anti-drone measures. The annual report pointed to Europe overtaking other regions as DroneShield’s biggest market in 2025, making up 40% of total revenue. The United States, which previously held a 69% share, dropped sharply to 14%. 3
DroneShield hasn’t let up on contract wins. Back on Feb. 26, the company reported six deals through an in-country reseller, together totaling A$21.7 million, for a western military client. Delivery is slated for the first quarter, with payment due in the second. 4
The company last week announced plans for its DroneSentry-C2 software to work with OpenWorks optical sensors, aiming to expand its sensor network beyond just its core command-and-control platform. “Operators need clarity, not complexity,” Chief Product Officer Angus Bean said in the statement. 5
But with Friday’s second filing, a near-term overhang looms. Those 160,000 fresh shares trace back to performance options that vested in November 2025 and January 2026. DroneShield noted employees could sell, pending company policy and legal requirements. Once these are quoted, total ordinary shares will stand at 922.95 million. 1
Execution remains the big question mark. DroneShield ended 2025 holding an unweighted sales pipeline of A$2.3 billion—almost double the prior year, up 92%. Still, that figure needs to translate into real orders, shipped hardware, and actual cash coming in.
