Australia shares log worst day in 3 weeks: ASX 200 closes lower; DroneShield gains big, Silex Systems falls sharply, check top gainers and losers

Australian shares logged their weakest session in three weeks on Tuesday, as losses in major banks outweighed gains in miners and attention turned to upcoming inflation data that ‌could shape ‌monetary policy. The S&P/ASX 200 closed lower on Tuesday (January 6, 2025), dropping 45.80 points or 0.52% to 8,682.80 and crossing below its 50-day moving average.

Its biggest one-day drop since ‌Dec. 15. Volumes stayed below the 30-day average of 646 million shares. According to news agency Reuters, Financials lost 1.8% to a near three weeks low, marking their sharpest daily fall since mid-November 2025.

According to ASX website, the bottom performing stocks on ASX 200 were SILEX SYSTEMS LIMITED and LOVISA HOLDINGS LIMITED, down 33.33% and 4.58% respectively. The index has lost 0.39% for the last five days, but has gained 5.15% over the last 52 weeks.

ASX 200: Check top gainers and losers

Australian shares saw a mixed session, with notable gains and declines among the top performers on the S&P/ASX 200.

Leading the gains was BlueScope Steel Limited (BSL), which surged to a last price of $29.540, rising $5.090, or 20.818 per cent. DroneShield Limited (DRO) also posted a strong performance, ending the session at $3.920, up $0.610, representing a gain of 18.429 per cent. Liontown Limited (LTR) advanced to $1.940, adding $0.250, or 14.792 per cent. Shares of PLS Group Limited (PLS) climbed to $4.840, gaining $0.420, or 9.502 per cent, while Austal Limited (ASB) rounded out the top five gainers, finishing at $7.180, up $0.550, or 8.295 per cent.

On the downside, Silex Systems Limited (SLX) led the declines, with its shares dropping sharply to $6.500, down $3.250, or 33.334 per cent. Lovisa Holdings Limited (LOV) fell to $28.110, shedding $1.350, or 4.583 per cent. Super Retail Group Limited (SUL) ended the session at $15.240, down $0.580, or 3.667 per cent. Guzman y Gomez Limited (GYG) declined to $20.940, losing $0.790, or 3.636 per cent, while Temple & Webster Group Ltd (TPW) closed at $12.520, lower by $0.440, or 3.396 per cent.

Banks see big drop

Three of the four biggest banks dropped between 2% and 2.4%, while Commonwealth Bank of Australia fell 3% for its worst session in nearly eight weeks. Banks advanced rapidly over the past two ‌years due ‍to high interest rates, but stretched valuations and growth prospects ‍in other sectors have prompted investors to diversify their portfolios.

Miners jumped ‌2.1% to a record close on stronger commodity prices. BHP touched a near two-year high, while Rio Tinto set a fresh peak. BlueScope Steel surged over 20% to a more than 17-year high after billionaire Kerry Stokes led an $8.8 billion takeover bid with U.S.-based Steel Dynamics.