S&P/ASX 200 hits new 50-day low as Australian shares begin week on soft note: Yancoal Australia Limited climbed, Dyno Nobel saw big fall; check top gainers and losers

Australian shares began the week on the lower side with the S&P/ASX 200 ending the day sharply lower on Monday (March 9, 2026), dropping 252.00 points or 2.85% to 8,599.00 and setting a new 50-day low. According to the ASX website, the bottom-performing stocks in this index were DYNO NOBEL LIMITED and DRONESHIELD LIMITED, down 9.73% and 8.85%, respectively. Over the last five days, the index has lost 6.54% and, over the last 52 weeks, 8.19%.

S&P/ASX 200: Top gainers and losers

On the S&P/ASX 200, several companies recorded notable gains during the session. Yancoal Australia Limited (YAL) led the gains, with its share price closing at $7.170, up $0.840, or 13.270 per cent. It was followed by Karoon Energy Ltd (KAR), which finished at $2.000, rising $0.185 or 10.192 per cent.

Other companies also posted gains. Whitehaven Coal Limited (WHC) closed at $8.850, increasing $0.370, or 4.363 per cent, while New Hope Corporation Limited (NHC) ended the session at $5.180, up $0.140, or 2.777 per cent. Santos Limited (STO) also recorded an increase, finishing at $7.640, gaining $0.180, or 2.412 per cent.

Meanwhile, several stocks recorded declines. Dyno Nobel Limited (DNL) was among the biggest fallers, with its share price dropping to $3.060, down $0.330, or 9.735 percent. DroneShield Limited (DRO) also declined, closing at $3.710, falling $0.360 or 8.846 per cent.

Other companies to record losses included Mesoblast Limited (MSB), which ended at $2.110, down $0.190 or 8.261 per cent, and Sandfire Resources Limited (SFR), whose shares fell to $15.690, a decline of $1.400 or 8.192 per cent. Zip Co Limited (ZIP) also dropped, closing at $1.695, down $0.150, or 8.131 percent.