OKLO, SMR, XE: Why Are Nuclear Stocks Soaring Today — July 30, 2026?
I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Nuclear stocks OKLO, SMR, and XE surged over 10% on July 30, 2026, driven by positive small modular reactor (SMR) developments. Holtec International received NRC approval to build four SMRs at the Oyster Creek site, while Crusoe partnered with Aalo Atomic to develop a nuclear-powered AI data center. TipRanks highlights X-Energy as the top pick with a 'Strong Buy' rating and 127% upside potential.
Shares in nuclear energy companies Oklo (OKLO), NuScale Power (SMR), and X-Energy (XE) all climbed by more than 10% on Thursday afternoon. The rally appears tied to positive industry updates about small modular reactors (SMRs).
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Two ETFs to trade SMR long or short: SMU & SMZNuclear Stocks Rally on Positive Updates
On Thursday, nuclear tech firm Holtec International disclosed that the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission has formally accepted its plan to dismantle and clean up its Oyster Creek site.
The site hosted a power plant that was the oldest operating commercial nuclear power plant in the U.S. before it was permanently shut down in 2018. Holtec plans to build four new small modular reactors on the site. The units are planned to deliver a combined 1.36GW of electricity capacity.
Investors are likely reading the news as another validation of the importance SMRs will play in meeting surging demand for power.
'First Nuclear-Powered AI Factory Data Center'
In another positive update, private data center operator Crusoe on Thursday announced that it had entered a strategic partnership with Aalo Atomic. Aalo Atomic, also a private company, produces fully modular nuclear reactors (XMRs) designed to power AI data centers.
Both companies are working together to develop and deploy "the first nuclear-powered AI Factory data center designed to validate nuclear power's effectiveness with AI workloads."
Under the deal, Aalo will help to power the Crusoe Spark modular data center in 2027, as a proof of concept. After this, the goal will be to deploy Aalo's XMRs to power Crusoe data centers by the end of 2029.
"As one of only four companies to reach criticality by President Trump's deadline for companies in the U.S. Department of Energy Reactor Pilot Program, we are now well positioned for not only the full power operation of our 10 MWe Aalo-X reactor, but also the deployment of the Aalo Pod to power commercial data centers," said Matt Loszak, Aalo's chief executive.
Which Nuclear Stock Is the Best Buy?
According to TipRanks' Stock Comparison tool, X-Energy (XE) stands out among the three public nuclear energy stocks discussed in this article.
The stock enjoys a Strong Buy consensus rating from analysts. This comes with a leading upside of about 127% and is based on an average price target of $38.71.