Oklo vs. NuScale: Which Nuclear Startup Stock is the Better Player Now?

As the global clean energy sector continues to evolve, nuclear energy stocks like Oklo Inc. OKLO and NuScale Power Corporation SMR have started gaining attention. With rising government support and increased investment in small modular and advanced nuclear technologies, both companies are well-positioned to contribute to the future energy mix.

While Oklo is focused on developing next-generation fission powerhouses and compact fast reactors that can recycle used nuclear fuel, NuScale is working on small modular reactors that use light water nuclear reactor technology to deliver carbon-free power. With industries across the board shifting toward clean and reliable energy and the U.S. nuclear capacity boasting the potential to triple by 2050, both OKLO and SMR have strong potential for long-term growth.

This leads to a key question for investors: which of these two stocks to buy right now? Let’s take a closer look.

Key Takeaways for OKLO

Recent Achievements: Oklo recently signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Korea Hydro & Nuclear Power (“KHNP”), which should support the development and global deployment of its Aurora powerhouse by advancing design verification, manufacturing and supply-chain planning. In addition, the company successfully completed borehole drilling at the onset of May 2025 for site characterization at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), marking another key milestone in the development of its first Aurora Powerhouse.

Moreover, in March, the company signed an Interface Agreement with INL, to ensure its strict adherence to environmental regulations throughout the site investigation process, and also finalized a Memorandum of Agreement with the U.S. Department of Energy, as part of its progress toward deploying its first commercial powerhouse in Idaho.

Earlier, in February, Oklo acquired Atomic Alchemy to combine its reactor and fuel recycling expertise with Atomic Alchemy’s radioisotope production. The merger aims to meet the growing demand for radioisotopes across multiple industries and thereby enhance the company’s market presence.

Financial Stability: The company ended first-quarter 2025 with cash and cash equivalents (including marketable debt securities) worth $201 million, lower than its 2024-end figure of $228 million. However, as of March 2025, it did not report any notable debt. So, its financial stability seems to be solid at the moment, which, in turn, should enable Oklo to reliably fund its Aurora powerhouses, operations and growth plans in the coming years.

Challenges to Note: One key concern for investors is that Oklo has not yet started generating revenues, as its first Aurora powerhouse is expected to go live in 2027. This means limited income in the near future. At the same time, the company continues to face high operating costs as it works to develop its reactors, which might put pressure on its bottom-line performance in the near term.

Key Takeaways for SMR

Recent Achievements: NuScale Power ended the first quarter of 2025 on a solid note, with its loss per share being narrower than the prior-year quarter by 10 cents. The company also reported massive year-over-year revenue growth of 857.1%. Moreover, currently SMR is the only small modular reactor company with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) design approval and is on track to receive final clearance by July 2025 to upgrade its module output from 50 MW to 77 MW.

Further, with NuScale in advanced discussions with around 10 potential customers, along with multiple customer site visits for its manufacturing facilities, its future revenue generation prospect remains bright.

Financial Stability: The company ended first-quarter 2025 with cash and cash equivalents (including short-term investment) worth $527 million, higher than its 2024-end figure of $447 million. However, as of March 2025, the company did not report any notable debt. So, its financial stability seems to be solid at the moment, which, in turn, should enable SMR to reliably fund its operations and growth plans in the coming years.

Challenges to Note: While NuScale’s technology is advanced and customers are showing interest, it is yet to secure a firm commercial order (with its expectation of the first firm order this year) . NuScale continues to incur operating losses as it invests in supply-chain development and long-lead components that may hurt its bottom-line. Like others in the nuclear space, it also faces industry-wide challenges such as tight supply chains and complex project coordination, which an investor should consider before investing in SMR.

How do EPS Estimates Compare for OKLO & SMR?

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Oklo’s 2025 earnings per share (EPS) is pegged at a loss of 42 cents, which implies an improvement from the year-ago reported loss of 74 cents per share. The company’s EPS estimates have also been trending upward over the past 60 days.

The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SMR’s 2025 EPS is pegged at a loss of 41 cents, which implies a deterioration from the year-ago reported earnings of 42 cents per share. The company’s EPS estimates have been constant over the past 60 days.

Stock Price Performance: OKLO vs SMR

SMR (up 128.9%) has outperformed OKLO (up 88%) over the past three months. Yet, in the past year, OKLO rallied 437.4% compared with SMR’s 306.1% growth.

SMR’s Valuation More Attractive Than OKLO's

OKLO shares are expensive on a relative basis, with its trailing 12-month Price/Book (P/B TTM) being 28.55X compared with SMR’s P/B TTM of 18.97X.

Choose SMR Over OKLO for Now

While both companies operate in promising corners of the nuclear energy space, NuScale currently appears to be the more attractive investment opportunity.

Unlike Oklo, which is still in the pre-revenue stage, NuScale has already started generating revenues through its RoPower project in Romania. The company also has a much stronger cash position, giving it more financial flexibility to manage operations and support future growth. Additionally, NuScale’s valuation is more favorable, suggesting the stock may be more reasonably priced.

Oklo has shown notable development, but the lack of revenues and continued operating losses might encourage investors to keep a cautious stance on this stock for the time being. For investors looking for a nuclear stock with solid liquidity and near-term growth potential, NuScale stands out as the better choice for now.

Both Oklo and NuScale Power carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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