Key Points
-
Many nuclear energy stocks have fallen sharply from their highs.
-
Some stocks have rock-solid business models, while others are much riskier.
-
Investing in the nuclear energy sector should be fruitful, but it requires buying the right stocks to succeed.
-
The energy requirements for artificial intelligence (AI) data centers are astounding. Funded by utilities and directly by some of the world’s largest companies, reliable baseload power is becoming a hot commodity, which is why nuclear power is undergoing a renaissance.
However, if you look at a lot of nuclear energy stocks, you would think the opposite has occurred. When looking at some of the largest nuclear-associated stocks in the world, like Constellation Energy (NASDAQ: CEG), Vistra (NYSE: VST), and BWX Technologies (NYSE: BWXT), or hot nuclear energy start-ups like Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) and NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR), they are all down about 35% to more than 80% from their highs.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Does that make the sector a buying opportunity today? Here’s what $1,000 invested in each of these five nuclear stocks could be worth in 2030.
Rise and fall of nuclear stocks
When looking at nuclear stocks, it can pay to zoom out. Constellation Energy is down 35% from its highs, but during the past five years, it is up almost 500%. That makes it one of the best performers of the post-pandemic era. Vistra is up even more, rising more than 600% during that stretch.
This is due to simultaneous improvements in their businesses and in investor sentiment toward nuclear power. Contsellation Energy’s revenue hit a record, while Vistra’s grew to $9.66 billion in the first half of 2026, compared to $8.18 billion in the same period a year ago. Constellation is an operator of nuclear power plants, while Vistra is a power producer diversified across different energy types, but has recently made a large investment in nuclear power.
So why are the stocks down? In recent years, nuclear power has become a major theme among investors, and this has begun to show up in financial results. However, stock prices started to get way ahead of themselves, and with the AI energy sector cooling off, it is no surprise that these nuclear energy stocks have come back to earth.
Differences in business maturity
Constellation Energy and Vistra are relatively mature businesses with reliable contracts for their nuclear energy facilities. On the other end of the business spectrum are start-ups like Oklo and NuScale Power.
These are two stocks trying to disrupt the status quo in nuclear energy with small modular reactors (SMRs), which are theoretically expected to make it easier to scale up power production. However, in the nuclear energy business, things move rather slowly. NuScale Power has an SMR design approved by federal regulators, but it has failed to win any meaningful contracts. Oklo does not even have an approved design. Even if contracts were started, it would take many years for reactors to come online.
Seeing this context, it is no surprise that these pre-revenue businesses have declined more than 80% from their highs set last year.
OKLO data by YCharts
What will these stocks return by 2030?
The last stock to mention is BWX Technologies, which is a unique situation in the nuclear energy sector. It is the sole supplier of nuclear reactors for the U.S. Navy, and it is expanding into components for SMR technology and even space nuclear propulsion. Its shares are down 42% from their high, and consolidated revenue grew 18% year-over-year last quarter. It should maintain a strong foothold in its niches within the nuclear energy sector for years to come.
I believe that Constellation, Vistra, and BWX Technologies can deliver solid returns for shareholders through 2030 if demand for nuclear power continues to rise. However, Oklo and NuScale Power seem well behind the times when it comes to actually building nuclear infrastructure. This should lead to solid returns if you spread $1,000 across each of these five stocks. However, in all honesty, it would be best to avoid buying shares in Oklo and NuScale Power entirely, sticking with the other three for your portfolio.
Should you buy stock in Oklo right now?
Before you buy stock in Oklo, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Oklo wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $334,793!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,257,420!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 874% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 209% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of November 1, 2026.
Brett Schafer has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends BWX Technologies, Constellation Energy, and Vistra. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
