Drone-zapping firm shooting lights out on stock market

Shares in DroneShield, which makes anti-drone products, are up almost 500 per cent in 2025. (PR IMAGE PHOTO)

A Sydney company that makes anti-drone products for global militaries is the biggest gainer among major companies on the Australian stock market through the first nine months of 2025.

DroneShield's shares were up 490 per cent year-to-date on the ASX as of Tuesday afternoon, the last day of the third quarter.

Its shares have also nearly doubled in the third quarter alone amid increased orders for its anti-drone products, including from the US military.

Fund manager HMC Capital Limited has been the biggest loser among ASX200 companies year-to-date, with its shares sinking 67.7 per cent.

There has been a mixed bag of winners and losers on the Aussie market so far in 2025. (Bianca De Marchi/AAP PHOTOS)

Previously known as Home Consortium, HMC invests in assets such as real estate, energy transition and private credit.

The other top gainers through the third quarter are Western Australian gold producer Catalyst Metals (up 212 per cent); rare earth miner Lynas Rare Earths (161.7 per cent); shipbuilder Austal (up 152.6 per cent); and auto dealership chain Eagers Automotive (147 per cent).

Fast food chain Domino's Pizza Enterprises (down 61.7 per cent); plumbing supplier Reece (down 49.3 per cent); international student services company IDP Education (down 47.9 per cent); and building products company James Hardie (down 43.6 per cent) round out the top losers in the ASX200 so far in 2025.

Investors no longer have the hots for the box with the dots, as Domino's Pizza shares slide. (Joel Carrett/AAP PHOTOS)

Among the broader set of the 500 companies in the All Ordinaries, a Sydney-based company working to develop a gold and rare earth element project in California has provided extraordinary returns.

Dateline Resources shares are up 13,542 per cent so far in 2025, having jumped from 0.35 cents to 48 cents, giving DTR a market capitalisation of $1.6 billion.

The company has been a beneficiary of social media posts by Donald Trump, who posted in May that Dateline's Colosseum mine in California, "America's second rare earths mine, has been approved after years of stalled permitting".

The All Ordinaries' Metal Powder Works (up 2,306 per cent), Electro Optic Systems (649 per cent) and Barton Gold Holdings (up 404 per cent) have also rewarded shareholders handsomely.

Appen (down 67.6 per cent), Botanix Pharmaceuticals (down 67.6 per cent), Coronado Global Resources (down 64.4 per cent) and Myer (down 60.6 per cent) have been the laggards in the All Ordinaries index, along with HMC.