Trump’s Nuclear Nod: 3 Discounted Stocks Primed for a 2026 Breakout

Photo of Rich Duprey
By Rich Duprey Published
Trump’s Nuclear Nod: 3 Discounted Stocks Primed for a 2026 Breakout

© bigjom jom / Shutterstock.com

President Donald Trump addressed the World Economic Forum in Davos yesterday, where he praised nuclear energy for its safety improvements and affordability. He also announced an executive order directing agencies to approve new nuclear reactors, stating, “We’re going heavy into nuclear.” This builds on his administration’s earlier actions to expand U.S. nuclear capacity to 400 gigawatts (GW) by 2050. 

Shares of Oklo (NYSE:OKLO | OKLO Price Prediction), NuScale Power (NYSE:SMR), and Nano Nuclear Energy (NASDAQ:NNE) all rose on the news, with gains of 0.95%, 3.95%, and 2.66% respectively. However, these stocks remain down an average of about 50% from their 52-week highs due to broader market corrections. With nuclear sentiment improving on Wall Street and elsewhere, could these three stocks now represent strong buys for investors eyeing clean energy growth?

Trump’s Nuclear Push Gains Global Attention

Trump has prioritized nuclear energy since he took office a year ago, issuing four executive orders in May to reform the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, reinvigorate domestic fuel chains, and deploy advanced reactors for national security. These include targets for 5 GW of upgrades at existing plants and 10 new large reactors under construction by 2030. 

Trump’s Davos remarks elevated this agenda internationally, criticizing renewables while highlighting nuclear’s role in reliable power. Earlier, the Department of Energy allocated $2.7 billion for uranium enrichment to reduce foreign dependence. This policy shift coincides with rising demand from AI data centers for energy, positioning advanced nuclear developers like Oklo, NuScale, and Nano Nuclear for potential gains.

How Oklo Could Capitalize on the Momentum

Oklo focuses on microreactors like its Aurora design, which uses recycled fuel for 15 megawatts (MW) to 50 MW per unit. The company is pre-revenue, but is advancing toward a 2027-2028 operational timeline for its first plant. A key deal is its binding agreement with Meta Platforms (NASDAQ:META) for a 1.2-GW nuclear campus in Ohio, including prepayments for early development starting this year. 

Bank of America just upgraded Oklo to buy from hold with a $127 per share price target, citing the Meta deal as a shift from concept to execution. Oklo also signed on with the Energy Dept. for a radioisotope pilot plant, bypassing some regulatory hurdles.

NuScale Power’s Edge in Certification and Partnerships

NuScale Power leads with the only small modular reactor design certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, uprated to 77 MW per module, though it remains in development, with commercial deployment expected in the late 2020s. 

Notable deals NuScale has under its belt include a framework with ENTRA1 Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority for up to 6 GW, plus Romania’s RoPower project for a six-module plant. A recent techno-economic study with Oak Ridge National Laboratory showed NuScale’s reactors could profitably power chemical plants. 

Bank of America upgraded NuScale to neutral two weeks ago with a $28 price target, noting improved deployment prospects after its stock underwent a correction.

Nano Nuclear’s Bet on Microreactors

Nano Nuclear Energy develops portable microreactors like ZEUS and ODIN, targeting remote or defense applications, but it remains in early-stage development, with commercialization likely in the 2030s. It has made progress, however, including acquiring the KRONOS MMR design — a 4th Generation nuclear energy system — and a University of Illinois collaboration for a demo reactor, with a construction permit application planned for sometime in early 2026. 

The company raised over $100 million in 2025 for development, and analysts at HC Wainwright reiterated a buy rating with a $50 target last August, forecasting revenue growth to $4 billion by 2037.

Key Takeaway

These small modular reactor companies are pre-revenue and posting losses, with Oklo showing a loss of $76 million, NuScale forecast to post losses of $0.92 per share for 2026, and Nano Nuclear not expected to be profitable until 2033. This means each is still a speculative bet because of the regulatory risks and high costs they face, and large stock purchases carry significant downside potential 

However, Trump’s nuclear push — now taking it to the world stage — creates a brighter outlook, making the trio of advanced nuclear developers intriguing stocks to buy for diversified exposure to energy’s future.

Photo of Rich Duprey
About the Author Rich Duprey →

After two decades of patrolling the dark corners of suburbia as a police officer, Rich Duprey hung up his badge and gun to begin writing full time about stocks and investing. For the past 20 years he’s been cruising the markets looking for companies to lock up as long-term holdings in a portfolio while writing extensively on the broad sectors of consumer goods, technology, and industrials. Because his experience isn’t from the typical financial analyst track, Rich is able to break down complex topics into understandable and useful action points for the average investor. His writings have appeared on The Motley Fool, InvestorPlace, Yahoo! Finance, and Money Morning. He has been featured in both U.S. and international publications, including MarketWatch, Financial Times, Forbes, Fast Company, and USA Today.

Continue Reading

Top Gaining Stocks

TTWO Vol: 3,488,610
MRNA Vol: 13,049,068
WDC Vol: 15,837,005
POOL Vol: 866,697
JPM Vol: 11,087,963

Top Losing Stocks

CBOE Vol: 2,742,701
MPWR Vol: 1,039,514
CTRA Vol: 73,319,495
INTC Vol: 132,671,208
KLA
KLAC Vol: 14,036,455