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With more than 600k average monthly users on the HotCopper forums, each and every discussion can move markets. That’s why getting in front of those red-hot trends is key for every trader worth their salt. In this daily HotCopper Trends column, we break down the top Oz stocks through each trading day.

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DroneShield (ASX: DRO) was popular on the HotCopper forums after its wholly owned US subsidiary DroneShield LLC was awarded a significant US contract.

This contract is a three-year procurement vehicle with a ceiling value of US$500 million.

The agreement establishes a contracting vehicle through which DroneShield can compete for and receive future task and delivery orders supporting the rapid deployment of counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) capabilities for homeland defence in the US.

“Securing a contract with this significant procurement vehicle in the United States reflects the strength of DroneShield’s technology and our role as part of a multi-layered counter-drone solution,” CEO and MD, Angus Bean, said.

DRO was up 9.60% to $1.77.

Accent Resources (ASX: ACS) jumped after it received a positive report on interim dry magnetic separation testwork completed by LONGI Magnet on representative samples from the Magnetite Range project in Western Australia.

The work was designed to confirm and advance the findings of CSU and assess whether dry processing can produce a saleable magnetite concentrate and provide a technically credible alternative for consideration alongside wet processing routes in the Magnetite Range project pre-feasibility study (PFS).

MD and CEO, Dr David Sun said the LONGI results are an encouraging technical milestone for Magnetite Range.

“The ability to produce 66% to 68% Fe concentrates in the laboratory using a dry processing route gives the company a credible water efficient option to evaluate in the PFS.

“Our next priority is to validate and optimise the flowsheet across representative material and at a scale suitable for engineering design.”

ACS jumped 10.4% to 26.5¢.

Arrow Minerals (ASX: AMD) took off on news planning is underway to drill a series of highly promising iron targets on its Pilbara tenements.

“We have assembled a package of exceptional iron ore tenements on the edge of Rio Tinto’s world-class operations and with the potential to access simple, low-cost infrastructure,” MD, David Flanagan, said.

“Our initial assessments have highlighted the potential to make substantial discoveries on this ground. We are confident that all necessary agreements will be signed in the near future, allowing the tenement to be granted. We are pushing to start drilling as soon as tenure is granted.”

In mid-August Arrow reported it had agreed to acquire a 70% stake in a Direct Shipping Ore-grade iron ore project from Voyage Minerals, a subsidiary of Leeuwin Metals (ASX: LM1).

AMD was up 15.6% to 3.7c.

Looking wider, the S&P/ASX 200 gained 55.00 points or 0.63% to 8,764.30 this morning. This index is virtually unchanged over the last five days and year to date.

Elsewhere, the Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose four per cent in the 12 months to August 2026, up from 3.5% in the 12 months to July, according to the latest data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS).

“Housing was the largest contributor to annual inflation in August, rising by 5.7%,” Rachael McCririck, ABS head of price statistics, said.

“Annual inflation of 5.7% for housing reflected rising costs for both new dwellings and electricity. New dwelling prices rose 5.4% in the 12 months to August as builders passed on higher costs for materials and labour.”

Transport was the second largest contributor to annual inflation in August, rising by 5.6% due to higher automotive fuel prices.

“On a monthly basis, Automotive fuel prices rose 14.8% in August, compared to a rise of 7.5% in July. This was driven by higher world oil prices and the unwinding of the remainder of the federal governments fuel excise relief measures in August,” Ms McCririck said. 

That’s Wednesday’s HotCopper Market Trends, I’m Colin Sandell-Hay ⁠- see you for close.

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The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. Viewers are encouraged to conduct their own research and consult with a certified financial advisor before making any investment decisions. For full disclaimer information, please click here.

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