X-Energy and NuScale Power are among the two most well-known small modular nuclear reactor companies that are being touted as an efficient solution to surging AI power needs.

  • According to Koyfin data, eight analysts covering XE stock have a 12-month average price target of $37.86, implying more than 130% upside.
  • Meanwhile, SMR stock has a 12-month average price target of $14.57 based on 18 analyst estimates, which implies an upside of nearly 68%.
  • On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around XE was ‘extremely bullish,’ and it was ‘bearish’ for SMR. 

Nuclear power stocks are back in the spotlight amid renewed government backing, as booming demand for AI data centers and energy security priorities drive a sharp increase in power consumption.

Amid this, X-Energy Inc. (XE) and NuScale Power Corp. (SMR) are among the two best-known small modular nuclear reactor companies touted as an efficient solution to surging power needs. 

However, one of these is emerging as the superior bet among both Wall Street and Main Street. 

XE’s Latest Win

X-Energy has joined Prometheus, a research initiative led by Idaho National Laboratory, Nvidia Corp. (NVDA), and Amazon’s AWS to advance the U.S. Department of Energy’s Genesis Mission.

As a Tier 1 partner, X-Energy will invest $10 million and contribute its proprietary Xe-100 small modular reactor and TRISO-X fuel technology, with the project expected to speed up reactor design, licensing, manufacturing and deployment across its 11 GW commercial pipeline.

NuScale’s Development Efforts

Recently, NuScale Power announced two developments supporting its small modular reactor ecosystem. 

Last month, Mirion Technologies' Paragon unit was awarded a contract to complete the final design of critical safety and instrumentation systems for NuScale's NRC-approved SMR, including reactor protection, safety monitoring, and plant control systems. 

Separately, NuScale opened its 12th Energy Exploration (E2) Center at the University of Virginia's College at Wise to train the next generation of nuclear professionals using advanced reactor simulators.

XE Vs SMR: Wall Street Consensus

According to Koyfin data, eight analysts covering XE stock have a 12-month average price target of $37.86 on the company, implying an upside of more than 130%. Six of the analysts have a ‘Buy’ or higher rating on the stock, while two have a ‘Hold’ rating. 

Meanwhile, SMR stock has a 12-month average price target of $14.57 based on 18 analyst estimates, which implies an upside of nearly 68% from its last close. Six analysts have a ‘Buy’ or higher rating on the stock, while 10 have a ‘Hold’ rating. The remaining two have a ‘Sell’ or lower rating. 

Most recently, Barclays lowered the price target on NuScale Power to $11 from $15 and kept an ‘Equal Weight’ rating on the shares ahead of the Q2 report. The firm said that a slower delivery of all Tennessee Valley Authority-related projects led to the target cut. 

Meanwhile, Citi raised the price target on the company to $7.50 from $7 and maintained a ‘Sell’ rating on the shares, citing adjusted ratings in the alternative energy equipment and services sector as part of a Q2 earnings preview. 

What Does Retail Think About XE, SMR?

On Stocktwits, retail sentiment around XE stock was ‘extremely bullish’ amid ‘extremely high’ message volumes. 

Meanwhile, sentiment was ‘bearish’ for SMR at the time of writing amid ‘normal’ message volumes. 

XE stock is down more than 43% so far in 2026, while SMR stock is down nearly 47% in the same time. 

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