Shares of NuScale Power (SMR) surged 5.25% in pre-market trading on Thursday, as nuclear stocks rallied amid investor optimism over the potential demand for nuclear power to support the energy-intensive operations of artificial intelligence (AI) data centers.
The rally was fueled by concerns surrounding the impact of Chinese AI start-up DeepSeek on projected electricity demand and tech spending in the United States. As investors re-evaluated the potential demand for electricity from data centers powering AI technologies, nuclear stocks emerged as potential beneficiaries.
Other nuclear-related stocks also saw significant gains, with NANO Nuclear Energy (NNE) up 4.7%, Oklo (OKLO), and Vistra Energy (VST) rising around 3%, and Constellation Energy Corp (CEG) climbing 2.7%. The surge in these stocks reflects investor expectations that the growing adoption of AI technologies will drive a surge in energy demand, potentially boosting the prospects of nuclear power producers.