SMR Stock Powers Ahead After Best Day In Over A Month: What’s Behind The Surge?

NuScale Power jumped after reports that the Trump administration is accelerating nuclear power development for AI data centers and advancing a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia.

• Bloomberg reported that the initiative to accelerate nuclear power deployment for AI data centers included Oklo and X-Energy, alongside major technology companies.
• Despite not being named as part of the initiative, NuScale Power also rode the optimism.
• Meanwhile, Reuters reported separately that the administration plans to submit a proposal to Congress within days to facilitate U.S.-Saudi cooperation on a multibillion-dollar civil nuclear program that could include SMR deployment. 

Shares of NuScale Power Corp. (SMR) jumped over 1% overnight Tuesday following its best session in more than a month as investors cheered reports that the Trump administration is accelerating the construction of nuclear power plants to meet the growing energy needs of AI data centers. 

The stock, which ended the previous session nearly 9.5% higher, also got a boost after reports that the administration plans to submit a nuclear cooperation agreement with Saudi Arabia to Congress. 

The Nuclear Push

Earlier on Tuesday, Bloomberg reported that a Trump administration-led initiative to accelerate nuclear power deployment for AI data centers added advanced reactor developers Oklo Inc. (OKLO) and X-Energy Inc. (XE) alongside major technology companies including Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) and Nvidia Corp. (NVDA).

Despite not being named as part of the initiative, NuScale Power also rode the optimism from the administration's wider efforts to expand U.S. nuclear capacity and strengthen energy infrastructure for AI. 

The roughly $200 million program will fund national laboratories and universities to speed the design, licensing and construction of advanced reactors while reducing operating costs, the report said. 

Meanwhile, Reuters reported separately, citing two sources, that the administration plans to submit a proposed 123 Agreement to Congress within days to facilitate U.S.-Saudi cooperation on a multibillion-dollar civil nuclear program.

How Does A Pact With Saudi Arabia Help NuScale?

According to the World Nuclear Association, Saudi Arabia has steadily advanced its civilian nuclear ambitions over the past decade. The country initially targeted 17 GW of nuclear capacity by 2032 before extending the timeline to 2040. 

In 2017, Saudi Arabia launched the Saudi National Atomic Energy Project (SNAEP) under its Vision 2030 strategy, focusing on four priorities: building large nuclear reactors, developing small modular reactors (SMRs) for industrial and desalination use, achieving greater self-sufficiency in nuclear fuel production, and establishing a comprehensive regulatory framework for the sector.

NuScale Power is currently the only Small Modular Reactor (SMR) provider with a design certified by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). A deal with Saudi Arabia could entail the use of its reactors to meet the kingdom’s nuclear goals. 

SMR Stock: What’s Retail Saying?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around SMR improved from ‘bearish’ to ‘neutral’ over 24 hours as message volumes jumped from ‘normal’ to ‘high’ levels. 

One user said, “$OKLO $XE $SMR So now finally they're pumping nuclear stocks for data center power because of a little 200 million dollar investment from the government? Will be interesting to see where this goes ..”

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Another user said, “$SMR Flying tomorrow with Saudi’s deal.”

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However, another user noted, “WE HAVE TO CLOSE THE GAP ON CHINA! Need more from the Trump administration.  Today was good. But we need more. Silicon Valley has hit a wall. Capital expenditure for AI is severely constrained by grid capacity. China currently has roughly 39 nuclear reactors under construction, while the U.S. has zero traditional large-scale commercial reactors underway. Advanced SMRs are the only viable path to close the gap.”

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SMR stock is down more than 46% this year amid a selloff in nuclear names as markets rotated into tech-heavy companies. 

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