By Mackenzie Tatananni

Nuclear energy stocks soared in premarket trading Friday ahead of the prospective signing of executive orders by President Donald Trump.

The new orders are expected to kickstart the production of nuclear power in the U.S. by easing the regulatory process on approvals for new reactors and directing the Departments of Energy and Defense to identify federal lands for nuclear deployment, streamlining the current process under the Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Shares of Centrus Energy, Lightbridge, and NuScale Power jumped 22%, 18%, and 17%, respectively, in premarket trading. Futures tracking the benchmark S&P 500 were flat.

Shares of nuclear start-up Oklo also were on the rise, surging 20% to $47.71. Former Oklo Chairman Chris Wright was confirmed to lead the U.S. Department of Energy in February.

In a research note Friday, Wedbush analysts reiterated an Outperform rating on Oklo stock and boosted their price target to $55 from $45, representing potential 15% upside to the current price.

"While the market remains competitive and currently represents an arms race in terms of the approval process and timelines to get power to the ground, we do believe OKLO is a step ahead of the competition," the analysts wrote.

Oklo plans to deploy its first nuclear power plant at Idaho National Laboratory by the end of 2027. The company sells power directly to customers rather than the reactors themselves, "which we believe positions the company in a solid spot to provide long term recurring revenues while reducing many pain points within typical nuclear projects, " the analysts wrote.

Write to Mackenzie Tatananni at mackenzie.tatananni@barrons.com

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May 23, 2025 06:36 ET (10:36 GMT)

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