Market Vectors Nuclear Energy ETF (NYSE: NLR) is the ETF that tracks the nuclear energy field. However, it is very global and tracks the DAXglobal Nuclear Energy Index.  It normally invests at least 80% of total assets in equities of U.S. and foreign companies which derive at least 50% of their total revenues from nuclear energy business.  This ETF is down 3.5% at $22.64 and its 52-week trading range is $13.75 to $31.06.

Uranerz Energy Corp. (NYSE/AMEX: URZ) is the speculative exploration stage company for uranium resources.  Shares are down 4.4% at $1.93 in light volume trading of 63,000 shares (avg. volume is 350,000 or so).  Uranerz has a 52-week trading range of $0.40 to $2.67.  Denison Mines Corp. (NYSE/AMEX: DNN) made an investment Uranerz Energy Corp and its stock is down 4% at $1.73 on 380,000 shares, and its 52-week range is $0.54 to $6.95.

Uranium Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ: URRE) is another micro-cap company that engages in the acquisition, exploration, development, and production of uranium.  Its shares are down 6% at $1.05 on about 600,000 shares (vs. 1.15 million avg. volume).  Its 52-week range is $0.36 to $3.69.

Perma-Fix Environmental Services Inc. (NASDAQ: PESI) is a remediation company under a DOE contract for nuclear clean-up.  Its shares are down 2.6% at $2.60 on almost 200,000 shares (vs. almost 300,000 avg. volume).  Perma-Fix has a 52-week trading range of $0.63 to $2.74.

Think of the good news.  If you are investing based upon the notion that the U.S. is going to have to keep being dependent upon foreign energy, this denial just helped to keep that scenario as more likely rather than less likely.

JON C. OGG
JULY 28, 2009

• While we have stated no real exchange exists, there is that old NYMEX-Ux Consulting partnership to provide financially settled on- and off-exchange traded uranium futures contracts.  Unfortunately, no data is available on that.  There is also the tracking via Ux Consulting that shows week-old data.

Another miner, Denison Mines Corp. (AMEX:DNN) has just agreed to sell a 19.9% stake in the company to Korea Electric Power Company, for about $62 million. The company will raise another $16 million from sales to “entities nominated by or affiliated with Denison’s chairman.” The company will issue some 73 million new shares at about $1.06/share.

Since hitting a price high of about $120/pound in 2007, uranium prices have tumbled to around $40/pound and with them the fortunes of uranium miners. Even Cameco, which trades at around $17/share is well down from a 52-week high of $44/share. It’s highest closing price in 2007 was above $55/share, more than two-thirds higher than today’s price. Uranium Resources hit its high of more than $13/share in November 2007 and trades today at about $0.55/share.

Because nuclear power generation still provides the single best hope for generating enough electricity to have a meaningful impact on carbon emissions reductions, it seems reasonable to expect that uranium prices will rise. The problem, of course, is the long lead times and enormous expense of building new nuclear plants, especially in the US. Outside the US, Britain and Korea are actively discussing plans for more nuclear generation, and China and India are both known to have significant interest in nuclear power.

It’s still too early to predict a resurgence in uranium mining stocks. But if energy prices rise or if there is more of an olive branch from the administration, then it’s just a matter of time.

The Market Vectors Nuclear Energy ETF (NYSE: NLR) ETF is also still rather suppressed.  At $18.50, its 52-week trading range is $13.75 to $36.42.

Paul Ausick
April 21, 2009

Let’s assume for a moment that we forget about the discussions leading to delays that have been perpetual.  Let’s for get about the political side of nuclear power.  Lets forget about killing land under mountains where we’ll bury the stuff in Nevada.  And let’s forget about the potential environmental catastrophe that can result if something goes horribly wrong.

There are many stock plays in the U.S. alone that will be huge beneficiaries of this if even one nuclear power plant approval goes through.  If there is one, why not the full dozen of them.  Here is the lot of companies:

Shaw Group (NYSE:SGR) is perhaps the most vertical of the engineering and construction firms.  Fluor (NYSE:FLR) is also in there.  And we can’t leave out the monster General Electric (NYSE:GE) for new reactors, nuclear fuel, reactor services and performance services.

Cameco (NYSE:CCJ) out of Canada is THE go-to behemoth in the stock market for Uranium miners and producers.  The much smaller company in the US is USEC (NYSE:USU), although its shares were hit exceptionally hard Friday after testing started.  Some more smaller and much more speculative stocks in the sector are Uranium Resources, Inc. (NASDAQ:URRE), U.S. Energy Corp. (NASDAQ:USEG), Uranerz Energy Corp (AMEX:URZ), and even Canyon Resources Corporation (AMEX:CAU).  Mosaic (NYSE:MOS) and CF Industries (NYSE:CF) are stealth plays in the sector that can enrich uranium from phosphate, but you should know that prices have to be very high and have to be expected to remain very high for quite some time for those to be cost effective.

The Economist recent magazine cover also flaunted a comeback for nuclear power.It said America’s nuclear industry is about to embark on its biggestexpansion in more than a generation. This will influence energy policyin the rest of the world.  CNET today discussed the wave of coming applications for more nuclear power plantsthat are coming. Personally, I’m a believer in this.  No greenhousegases, no pollution, no icky air around the place.  But the dark sideis not Three Mile Island.  That was nothing.  The dark side isChernobyl and a vast area of land that won’t be habitable forgenerations and generations.  The other thing that might act as apossible lid on investors reviewing nuclear power stocks this timearound is that local gas prices for your car are far lower than earlier this year when energy prices were rising but not as high as the $80.00 seen this week.

No wonder Merrill Lynch got creditfor what seemed to be overly bullish analysis that ended up lookinglike they had a crystal ball for a few months.  They gave a huge safetynet for uranium prices. The Canadian National Post also gave some buyout picks in the sector based on Raymond James analysis.

Nuclear power plants are coming online more and more in China andIndia, and Japan and France are largely dependent upon the glowinggreen juice to power those nations.  Russia is showing it is expandingnuclear power use again and South Korea is expanding its program.  Noneof us in the Western hemisphere are going to be too excited about this,but the chances that we are going to have to deal with a nuclear-usingIran is getting larger instead of smaller.

Back in August an ETF was launched as the Market Vectors Nuclear EnergyETF that launched on the American Stock Exchange under the "NLR" ticker, but only a portion of these stocks in here are US-based and many names wont be familiar.  Here is the full list of the company stocks in the ETF.

Jon C. Ogg
September 14, 2007

Jon C. Ogg can be reached at jonogg@247wallst.com; he produces the 24/7 Wall St. Special Situation Investing Newsletter and does not own securities in the companies he covers.