NEW YORK, Jan 3, 2026, 18:56 ET — Market closed
- NuScale Power shares rose 15.1% on Friday to $16.31.
- Nuclear-linked peers also advanced, alongside a jump in the uranium ETF URA.
- Traders head into Monday watching rates, U.S. data and fresh nuclear-sector headlines.
NuScale Power Corp (SMR) shares climbed 15.1% on Friday to $16.31, after trading between $14.33 and $16.73. Volume was about 31.1 million shares.
The move put the spotlight back on small modular reactor developers, a corner of the market that has been driven as much by shifting risk appetite as by company-specific milestones.
“Value is outperforming growth and AI infrastructure is up, and … energy probably too,” said Jed Ellerbroek, a portfolio manager at Argent Capital in St. Louis, describing the market tone on the first trading day of 2026. 1
NuScale’s jump tracked gains across the nuclear complex. Oklo (OKLO) rose 8.4%, Centrus Energy (LEU) gained 12.2% and BWX Technologies (BWXT) added 5.2%, while the Global X Uranium ETF (URA) climbed 7.8%.
One headline in the sector on Friday was a temporary shutdown at Finland’s Olkiluoto 2 nuclear unit during a software update. Plant operator Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) said a malfunction triggered a “reactor trip” — an automatic safety shutdown that stops the nuclear reaction — and said the plant operated as designed with no impact on nuclear safety. 2
TVO said Olkiluoto 2 was resynchronized to the national grid early Saturday, after an interruption lasting 17 hours and 46 minutes, and that the ramp-up would take about 10 hours. 3
NuScale develops small modular reactors, or SMRs — smaller nuclear plants intended to be built with factory-made components and deployed in multi-module configurations. The company says its NuScale Power Module can generate 77 megawatts of electricity and be scaled to a 12-module plant. 4
The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission approved NuScale’s 77-megawatt design in May 2025, a key regulatory step after the company’s earlier 50-megawatt certification. 5
Before Monday’s open, traders may be left without a near-term company update to anchor expectations. NuScale’s investor calendar lists no upcoming events. 6
Macro signals are also in focus after a choppy start to the year, with rate expectations and upcoming U.S. data seen as key drivers for higher-volatility thematic stocks.
On the chart, Friday’s intraday low near $14.33 is a level some traders will watch as short-term support, while $16.73 marks the session high that could act as near-term resistance.
Beyond the weekend, policy and funding headlines remain part of the bull case for the sector. The U.S. Energy Department said in December it would provide up to $800 million to support development of two small modular reactor projects, underscoring ongoing federal interest even as questions persist about SMR costs and timelines. 7
