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Will Trump's Push to Quadruple US Nuclear Capacity Benefit OKLO Stock?

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Key Takeaways

  • OKLO stock surged 30.3% since May 23, outperforming both its sector and the broader market.
  • Trump's nuclear expansion plan aligns with OKLO's strategy and may fast-track its Aurora reactor deployment.
  • OKLO's 2025-2026 EPS estimates have declined over the past 60 days.

U.S. President Donald Trump signed a handful of executive orders (late last month), which include bolstering the nation’s nuclear power generation capacity through increased deployment of new nuclear reactor technologies as well as expanding America’s nuclear energy capacity from approximately 100 gigawatts (GW) in 2024 to 400 GW by 2050. This should definitely bode well for Oklo Inc. (OKLO - Free Report) , a California-based next-generation nuclear power developer, currently engaged in constructing its Aurora line of powerhouses, which can run on fresh or recycled nuclear fuel.

Notably, the company’s shares rose a solid 30.3% since May 23, when the aforementioned orders were signed, outperforming its sector’s return of 7.6% and the S&P 500’s rise of 3.1%. Trump’s nuclear push was the primary growth catalyst behind this stock’s recent price surge.   

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To this end, it is imperative to mention that Oklo’s management has welcomed the recent executive orders as a pivotal step toward accelerating advanced nuclear deployment. The company’s CEO Jacob DeWitte, who joined President Trump at the signing, emphasized that the orders align with Oklo’s mission to modernize licensing, fuel and construction processes. 

With a Department of Energy site use permit, a federal fuel award and active regulatory engagement for its first plant, Oklo sees these policies as key enablers of its commercial rollout.

As the current U.S. administration aims at establishing America’s dominance in the global nuclear energy market, through these executive orders, OKLO’s licensing process for the Aurora powerhouse, which is currently underway with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (“NRC”), might get expedited. Resultantly, this may fast-track Oklo’s path to commercial deployment, reinforcing its position as a key player in the future of U.S. nuclear energy. 

In line with this, OKLO’s price target reflects a potential upside. Based on short-term price targets provided by seven analysts, Oklo’s current high-price target of $75 signals a 17.8% upside above its last closed price.

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What About Other Nuclear Stocks?

Other stocks that bear a solid exposure in the U.S. nuclear market, like BWX Technologies (BWXT - Free Report) and NuScale Power Corporation (SMR - Free Report) , also stand to benefit from the aforementioned executive orders. 

BWX Technologies specializes in small modular reactors and nuclear components for both commercial and military applications. In January 2025, BWXT secured historic manufacturing contracts for two major nuclear energy projects, which include providing support for the life extension of the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station and deploying a new small modular reactor at the Darlington site. Its shares have risen 15.5% since May 23. 

On the other hand, NuScale is working on small modular reactors that use light water nuclear reactor technology to deliver carbon-free power. Currently, it is the only small modular reactor company with design approval from the NRC and has received the final clearance in May 2025 to upgrade its module output from 50 megawatts (MW) to 77 MW. Its shares have risen 28.4% since May 23.

The Zacks Rundown for OKLO

From a valuation standpoint, OKLO is currently trading at a trailing 12-month price-to-book (P/B) multiple of 32.90X, a premium to the industry average of 5.13X.

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The Zacks Consensus Estimate for OKLO’s 2025 and 2026 earnings per share has declined over the past 60 days.

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OKLO currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here


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