In the ever-evolving world of energy stocks, few sectors have captured investor imagination quite like nuclear power. Over the past week, Oklo Inc. has emerged as a focal point for both Wall Street analysts and retail traders, following a dramatic surge in its share price and a flurry of institutional activity. Alongside NuScale Power and Centrus Energy, Oklo is now considered one of the top nuclear stocks to watch, according to MarketBeat’s latest screening tool.
Oklo, founded in 2013 and headquartered in Santa Clara, California, specializes in designing and developing fission power plants built for reliability and commercial-scale energy production. The company also offers used nuclear fuel recycling services, positioning itself as a player in both next-generation reactor technology and the circular economy of nuclear fuel. Its mission is ambitious: provide sustainable, low-carbon energy solutions for the United States at a time when the nation’s energy infrastructure faces unprecedented demand from sectors like artificial intelligence and data centers.
The company’s recent stock performance has been nothing short of eye-catching. According to a summary from Quiver Quantitative, Oklo’s share price surged over 8% as of November 14, 2025, following news of a strategic partnership aimed at developing advanced fuel infrastructure in the U.S. This partnership, widely discussed on social media platform X, has fueled optimism about Oklo’s growth prospects, particularly among those who see nuclear energy as essential to meeting future power needs. As one observer on X put it, "This deal could be a game-changer for Oklo and for the future of clean energy."
But not all the news has been rosy. Despite the upbeat reaction to its strategic moves, Oklo’s Q3 2025 earnings report missed analyst estimates, revealing steep losses and confirming that the company does not expect to generate revenue until at least 2027. This has sparked debate among investors about the high-risk nature of nuclear startups, especially given the sector’s well-known regulatory hurdles and capital intensity. Some users on X voiced concerns about Oklo’s rising costs and questioned whether the company can weather the long development cycle. "No revenue until 2027 and mounting losses? That’s a tough pill to swallow," one post read.
Still, Wall Street appears largely bullish on Oklo’s long-term prospects. In the last several months, eight major firms have issued buy ratings for Oklo stock, with no sell ratings on record. Notably, B. Riley Securities issued a "Buy" rating on November 12, 2025, while Wedbush rated the stock "Outperform" on the same day. Analyst price targets for Oklo have ranged from $65.0 to as high as $175.0, with a median target of $92.0, reflecting both high expectations and considerable uncertainty. Daniel Ives from Wedbush set a target price of $150.0, while Ryan Pfingst from B. Riley Securities pegged it at $129.0, both on November 12, 2025. George Gianarikas from Canaccord Genuity went even higher, setting a target of $175.0 in October.
Institutional investors have also been making bold moves. In the most recent quarter, 433 institutional investors increased their holdings in Oklo, compared to 207 who reduced their positions. Vanguard Group Inc. led the way, adding nearly 2.9 million shares to its portfolio for an estimated $323.9 million in Q3 2025. Other notable buyers included Van Eck Associates Corp. (+1.3 million shares), BlackRock Inc. (+1.3 million shares), and UBS Group AG (+1.1 million shares). However, not all institutional players are doubling down—Morgan Stanley reduced its position by over 670,000 shares in Q2 2025.
Insider trading activity at Oklo has also drawn scrutiny. Over the past six months, company insiders have conducted 43 open-market sales and zero purchases, according to Quiver Quantitative. Co-founders Jacob DeWitte (CEO) and Caroline Cochran (COO) each sold 600,000 shares, netting approximately $67.4 million apiece. Chief Financial Officer Richard Craig Bealmear sold 100,000 shares for an estimated $9.4 million, while Chief Legal & Strategy Officer William Carroll Murphy Goodwin sold over 41,000 shares. The absence of insider purchases, combined with the volume of sales, has led some market watchers to question management’s confidence in the near-term outlook.
Despite these concerns, Oklo’s business model has attracted attention for its potential to reshape the U.S. energy landscape. The company’s focus on recycling used nuclear fuel and its advanced reactor designs are seen as critical innovations for a grid increasingly strained by new technologies. Social media discussions frequently highlight Oklo’s potential to supply low-carbon power to AI-driven data centers, a sector expected to see explosive growth in energy demand over the next decade. However, regulatory challenges remain a persistent theme, with many noting the complex approval process for new nuclear facilities in the U.S.
Oklo is not alone in the nuclear spotlight. NuScale Power and Centrus Energy also rank among the most heavily traded nuclear stocks in recent days. NuScale develops modular light water reactor plants for a range of applications, including electrical generation, district heating, desalination, and hydrogen production. Its signature NuScale Power Module can generate 77 megawatts of electricity, and the company offers scalable VOYGR plant designs. Centrus Energy, meanwhile, supplies nuclear fuel components and services to utilities in the U.S., Belgium, Japan, and beyond, operating through its Low-Enriched Uranium and Technical Solutions segments.
MarketBeat’s stock screener notes that the nuclear sector is often shaped by long-term government policy, uranium prices, regulatory news, and global geopolitical factors. It’s a cyclical and sometimes volatile space, prone to dramatic swings on news of partnerships, policy changes, or safety developments. Oklo’s recent surge and the broader interest in nuclear equities reflect renewed confidence in the sector’s ability to deliver sustainable energy at scale—though, as recent earnings and insider actions suggest, the path is anything but smooth.
Interestingly, while Oklo has captured headlines, MarketBeat points out that it was not among the five stocks most recommended by top-rated research analysts as of November 12, 2025. The company currently holds a "Hold" rating among analysts, underscoring the mixed sentiment and the high stakes of investing in early-stage nuclear ventures.
As the world transitions toward decarbonization and grapples with surging energy needs, nuclear power’s role is back in the limelight. Oklo, NuScale, and Centrus are positioning themselves at the forefront of this shift, each with its own strategy and set of challenges. For investors, the sector offers both promise and peril—a reminder that in the race to power the future, innovation and risk often go hand in hand.
