ASX Top Gainers Today (18 December 2025): RocketBoots Soars on $9.1m ARR Contract as Australian Shares Trade Lower

Australia’s share market was softer in late-morning trade on Thursday, 18 December 2025, with tech stocks again in the firing line — but that didn’t stop a handful of small caps from posting eye-catching gains.

By around 11:00am Sydney time (AEDT), the S&P/ASX 200 was modestly lower in early trade and the tech sector was extending a multi-session slide. ^[1] Even so, “top gainer” lists were dominated by companies moving on fresh contracts, corporate activity, and headline-driven momentum in low-priced names.

Below are the standout top gainers on the Australian stock market today, plus the news and analysis from 17–18 December 2025 that traders are using to explain the moves.

Market snapshot: ASX slips, tech weakness lingers, and volatility is elevated

Market Index’s live coverage flagged that ASX 200 futures were slightly higher pre-market, pointing to a flat-to-firm open, before early selling pressure re-emerged. ^[2] As trading got underway, the ASX 200 edged down 0.16%in early trade, while the tech sector fell for an eighth straight session, with several high-multiple names among the notable decliners. ^[3]

Adding to the day’s “twitchy tape,” Market Index also highlighted options expiry as a short-term volatility driver, noting that pre-market pricing can swing more aggressively before the opening auction clears imbalances. ^[4]

That broader caution matters for today’s gainers: in risk-off sessions, single-stock news can overwhelm the market’s direction, especially in smaller companies where liquidity is thinner.

Top gainers on the ASX today (as at ~11:00am AEDT)

Based on Investing.com’s Australia Top Gainers board in late morning trade, these were among the biggest movers (prices and timestamps shown on the feed): ^[5]

RocketBoots (ROC): $0.370, +94.74% (10:47:54) ^[6]
Ovanti (OVT): $0.003, +50.00% (10:24:25) ^[7]
Flexiroam (FRX): $0.024, +41.18% (10:45:06) ^[8]
Volt Resources (VRC): $0.010, +25.00% (10:33:20) ^[9]
Liberty Metals: $0.003, +20.00% (10:26:23) ^[10]
360 Capital Group (TGP): $0.310, +19.23% (10:45:05) ^[11]
TrivarX (TRI): $0.020, +17.65% (10:38:13) ^[12]
FBR: $0.004, +14.29% (10:25:39) ^[13]
Rincon Resources: $0.016, +14.29% (10:45:52) ^[14]
American West Metals: $0.05, +13.04% (10:36:05) ^[15]

Market Index’s own “Top Gainers (percentage)” scan showed a similar picture — with RocketBoots and Flexiroamsitting near the top of the leaderboard in late morning trade. ^[16]

Why RocketBoots is the standout: a “transformational” contract headline

The most dramatic move in late morning trade belonged to RocketBoots (ASX: ROC), which surged after the company announced a major global contract for its AI SaaS solution.

A company release published via Medianet said RocketBoots had signed a five-year agreement (with automatic one-year extensions) tied to approximately A$9.1 million of annual recurring revenue (ARR), describing it as a “transformational” contract and highlighting the scale-up potential once rollout is completed. ^[17]

That announcement followed a trading halt on 17 December 2025, requested pending the release of an announcement — a common pattern when a company is preparing to disclose price-sensitive information. ^[18]

For investors, the key issue now becomes execution: a large, multi-year ARR headline can be market-moving in a microcap, but the market will typically watch for follow-through — milestones, rollout timing, and any commentary around conversion and retention.

Flexiroam jumps after “AI-powered eSIM agent” launch

Flexiroam (ASX: FRX) was also a late-morning standout, up more than 40% on the Investing.com leaderboard. ^[19]

On 17 December 2025, a Flexiroam item appearing in its news flow referenced: “FlexiRoam Launches World’s First AI-Powered eSIM Agent.” ^[20] The combination of an AI-labelled product launch and a low-priced stock can attract sharp momentum buying, particularly in sessions where broader tech is weak and traders are selective about where they take risk.

360 Capital Group rises on takeover bid coverage

360 Capital Group (ASX: TGP) traded higher on corporate activity headlines, with ShareCafe reporting that TT Investments launched a takeover bid for the group.

According to the ShareCafe report, the offer price was $0.31 per TGP security, described as a 24% premium to the 17 December close of $0.25, and the bidder (with associates) already had a 76.75% relevant interest in TGP as at 18 December 2025. ^[21]

In takeover situations — particularly where the bidder already controls a large stake — the price action can hinge on market expectations about the likelihood of success, potential bumps, and timing.

Ovanti spikes after a BNPL partnership headline

Ovanti (ASX: OVT) appeared among the sharpest gainers (up 50% in late morning trade). ^[22]

An Intelligent Investor summary attributed attention to Ovanti announcing a partnership with The Ticketing Co., integrating Flote (Ovanti’s U.S. BNPL offering) into a ticketing checkout flow, with the stated aim of improving conversion and reducing cart abandonment through flexible payment options. ^[23]

As with many microcaps, the immediate share-price reaction often reflects how investors translate a partnership headline into potential volume and revenue — with follow-up disclosures typically determining whether the move holds.

BetMakers lifts on a new deal with Stake

While not the biggest percentage gainer on the board, BetMakers (ASX: BET) was also in the green in late morning trade. ^[24]

The Motley Fool reported that BetMakers struck a multi-year agreement with Stake to supply racing data to the global operator, pushing shares higher. ^[25] The Australian Financial Review also flagged BetMakers’ jump in the context of a market session shaped by AI nerves and broader stock-specific newsflow. ^[26]

The “momentum cluster”: why low-priced stocks dominate top gainer lists

Several names near the top of today’s gainers board were trading at only fractions of a cent to a few cents — for example, FBR (0.004) and Liberty Metals (0.003) — which can amplify percentage moves. ^[27]

In practice, these “penny” moves can be driven by:

thin liquidity (small orders move the price),
a rush of speculative buying after an announcement elsewhere in the sector,
corporate actions (placements, share issuances, notices of quotation),
and short-term trader positioning into year-end.

That doesn’t mean news is absent — but it does mean percentage gain tables can over-represent microcaps versus larger ASX 200 constituents.

A note on Volt Resources: share/quotation headlines can move the stock

Volt Resources (ASX: VRC) was up strongly in late morning trade. ^[28]

One piece of coverage referenced the company announcing an application for quotation of new securities, with an issue date set for mid-December 2025 — a type of update that can influence short-term trading dynamics around supply and liquidity. ^[29] While this doesn’t automatically explain the day’s price action on its own, it’s the kind of near-term “structure” factor traders often watch closely in small resources names.

The broader backdrop today: what analysts were focused on (17–18 December)

Even though this article is about the day’s biggest gainers, the macro and market narrative still shapes risk appetite — and it’s been a busy 48 hours for headlines.

Tech pressure and “AI capex scrutiny”

Market Index flagged that global markets have been grappling with concerns about hyperscaler balance sheets and AI infrastructure spending, even as investor anxiety has shown signs of easing in some surveys. ^[30]

Fed talk and rates expectations

Market Index also highlighted remarks from Fed Governor Christopher Waller, describing them as somewhat dovish versus expectations, with markets focused on the path of easing and labour market trends. ^[31]

Commodities: gold and silver remain strong; oil rebounds

On the commodity front, Market Index noted gold and silver extending gains (with silver at fresh highs in that coverage window) and Brent oil rebounding from multi-year lows on renewed geopolitical headlines — factors that can feed into resources sentiment even when the index is soft. ^[32]

Local corporate headlines in focus

Among ASX-specific stories on 18 December, Market Index highlighted:

Woodside CEO Meg O’Neill resigning to become BP’s CEO (effective 1 April 2026), with an acting CEO appointed immediately ^[33]
Bendigo Bank facing additional regulatory measures tied to AML/CTF issues ^[34]
Bapcor’s CEO resignation and leadership change ^[35]
APA Group selling a non-core stake in a gas distribution asset ^[36]

These kinds of headlines can pull attention (and capital) away from broad-market bets and into single-stock positioning — a setup that often benefits “news movers” and contract-driven microcaps.

Yesterday’s setup: what happened on 17 December 2025

Wednesday’s session matters because it framed today’s tone: Market Index’s 17 December live blog recorded a market where lithium and gold were among the stronger pockets, while major stock-specific announcements drove sharp losses in selected names. ^[37]

In late morning on 17 December, Market Index listed IGO (+7.31%) and Liontown (+5.54%) among the top ASX 200 gainers at the time, while Treasury Wine Estates (-11.93%) and Austal (-11.62%) were among the biggest decliners. ^[38]

That “rotation and reactions” pattern — selective upside, headline-driven downside — has carried into today’s trade.

What to watch from here

As the session continues beyond late morning, keep an eye on a few practical factors that often decide whether top gainers hold their moves:

Follow-through disclosures: Contract wins (like RocketBoots) can create a second wave of scrutiny — investors will look for rollout detail, timing, and revenue recognition clarity. ^[39]
Corporate action mechanics: In takeover situations (like 360 Capital Group), the stock can gravitate toward the bid price — but spreads can widen if investors expect changes to terms or timing. ^[40]
Liquidity and volatility: Many of today’s biggest percentage moves are in very low-priced shares, where swings can be fast and reversals can be sharp. ^[41]
Options expiry effects: Intraday volatility can be higher around expiry-related positioning and hedging flows. ^[42]

This article summarises market moves and publicly reported news as of late morning trade on 18 December 2025. Prices can move quickly and should be checked against live market data before making any investment decision.

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