The first full trading week of 2025 is ending on a high note for stockholders of two rocketing ASX small-cap shares.
How high?
Well, shares in rare earths and nickel-focused resource explorer Aldoro Resources Ltd (ASX: ARN) were up 34.5% in early trade on Friday at 39 cents apiece. After some likely profit-taking, shares are changing hands for 33 cents each at the time of writing, up 14%.
And investors in ASX small-cap share Radiopharm Theranostics Ltd (ASX: RAD) will really be cheering today. In earlier trade shares in the clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company reached highs of 3.7 cents, up 54.2%. They're currently trading for 3.5 cents apiece, up 45.8%.
Here's what's stoking investor interest today.
Image source: Getty Images
ASX small-cap shares soar on promising updates
Turning to Aldoro Resources first, investors are piling into the ASX small-cap share after the explorer reported on assays confirming an "exceptional uninterrupted niobium strike" at its Kameelburg project, located in Namibia.
Following strong results reported in December, Aldoro said the assays it received for the remainder of Line 3 confirmed that the entire 388 meters of the line was mineralised with niobium and appeared open in both directions.
The niobium grade across the entire line was confirmed to be 0.52% Nb2O5.
Also likely spurring investor excitement, the company said that an additional 4,500 meters of trench sampling were awaiting assay, with rare earths mineralisation previously discovered along this line.
Moving on to Radiopharm Theranostics, the ASX small-cap share is shooting the lights out today after announcing it has executed a subscription agreement for a private share placement to United States-based radiopharmaceutical-focused company Lantheus Holdings.
Management noted that the placement of 133 million shares was completed at an issue price of 6 cents per share, a 150% premium to the last traded share price of 2.4 cents per share.
The company expects the settlement of $8.0 million capital raising to occur within seven days.
Commenting on the deal sending the ASX small-cap share rocketing today, Radiopharm Theranostics CEO Riccardo Canevari said: "We are delighted to have Lantheus increase its shareholding in RAD, now making it the largest shareholder with over 12% of the company."
Canevari continued:
We have been working closely with Lantheus since the initial investment announced in June 2024, and we are delighted with the collaboration that has been taking place between our two companies. We look forward to continuing this positive momentum going forward.
Lantheus CEO Brian Markison added, "We are pleased to increase our holding in Radiopharm, while continuing to work jointly in Australia on the clinical development of radiopharmaceutical assets."
