• Shares of Western Gold Resources rise as much as 21.1% to A$0.046, their highest levels since Sept 25, 2024

• The gold explorer says it raised A$720,000 ($446,184) through a share placement at A$0.04 per share

• Issue price represents a premium of 5.3% to the stock's last closing price

• Says funds will be used to support the ongoing advancement of its Gold Duke Project in Western Australia

• Nearly 3.9 mln shares change hands, 15.2 times of the 30-day average volume of 254,252 shares

($1 = 1.6137 Australian dollars)

(Reporting by Jasmeen Ara Shaikh in Bengaluru)