Patrick Martin
2 min read
Two nuclear energy stocks are making major moves this afternoon, NuScale Power Corp (NYSE:SMR) and Oklo Inc (NYSE:OKLO). The latter has been one of the best performers on Wall Street today, while the former is enjoying a halo lift.
Nuclear energy maven OKLO reported a slimmer-than-expected adjusted first-quarter loss of seven cents, while also announcing it was moving forward with the location of its first plant. CEO Jacob DeWitte has said Oklo remains on course to achieve commercial power by the end of 2027.
OKLO is up 17.4% to trade at $37.30 in response, padding its 76.2% year-to-date gain. The shares have staged a neat bounce off their 200-day moving average, and are now trading at their highest level since late February.
Options are flying off the shelves. Nearly 100,000 calls have changed hands by lunch, volume that's 6 times the average intraday amount. The May 40 call that expires on Friday is the most popular by a wide margin.
Looking toward NuScale Power stock, the shares were last seen up 4.3% to trade at $22.59, enjoying a halo lift today. The shares added 21.6% yesterday, after the company's first-quarter revenue exceeded expectations. Similar to its sector peer, NuScale specializes in small modular reactors (SMRs) that are designed to meet power demand goals with a smaller footprint.
SMR is now up 28% in 2025, breaking out of a channel of lower highs starting with its Nov. 29 record peak of $32.30. Year-over-year, the equity is 212% higher. NuScale options activity is also elevated, with 39,000 contracts trading hands, volume that's 5 times the average intraday amount. The June 25 call is the most popular, with new positions being bought to open.
Both stocks have massive short squeeze potential. Roughly 13.8% of OKLO's total available float is sold short, while short sellers represent 20% of SMR's total available float.
