NEW YORK, July 4, 2026, 11:04 EDT
- Oklo ended the session at $52.36 on July 2 ahead of the U.S. holiday break.
- The stock gained 4.7% over the four-session week, but still finished 7.1% under Thursday’s high.
- The latest data showed short interest at 27.22 million shares, equal to 19.29% of the float.
- Next up is the DOE readiness review and startup approval for Groves.
Oklo Inc. NYSE:OKLO heads into the next U.S. session with a bit of a standoff. The company landed a true regulatory win, but the stock failed to jump, and shorts are still hanging on to a big reported position.
The NYSE didn’t open Friday, July 3, for Independence Day, and Saturday wasn’t a trading session. Thursday’s close was the last regular price. Google Finance listed Oklo at $52.36, down 0.17%, in a $50.69 to $56.34 band. Volume hit 9.68 million shares. Market cap stood at $9.11 billion.
Oklo ended the week up 4.7% from last Friday, with almost all of that gain coming on Monday. Shares then went flat for three trading days.
| Date | Close | Daily change | Volume |
|---|---|---|---|
| June 26 | $50.00 | -1.98% | 22.90 mln |
| June 29 | $52.76 | +5.52% | 9.07 mln |
| June 30 | $52.33 | -0.82% | 7.27 mln |
| July 1 | $52.45 | +0.23% | 9.72 mln |
| July 2 | $52.36 | -0.17% | 9.68 mln |
July 2 was the key session. Oklo jumped to $56.34 but finished at $52.36, about 7.1% off its high. The stock had a swing of around 10.8% of its close, a broad move for a ticker before a three-day market break.
Oklo said Wednesday the U.S. Department of Energy cleared the Documented Safety Analysis for Oklo Isotopes’ Groves Isotope Test Reactor in Texas through the DOE Reactor Pilot Program. The company said the last steps are DOE readiness review and startup approval. After that, Oklo will move to fuel receipt, fuel loading, startup testing, and get to first criticality. CEO Jacob DeWitte called Groves “that demonstration” and said it now “moves into the final phase before startup.” Oklo
This is key for the stock since Groves is mostly about timing and credibility, not selling power. Barron’s said the Groves reactor isn’t meant to generate electricity but will focus on radioisotopes. Oklo’s bigger Aurora power project is still a different effort.
Oklo still has a big short overhang even with no earnings right now. MarketBeat said short interest was at 27.22 million shares as of June 15, or 19.29% of float, with $1.65 billion worth of shares sold short. That equals about 18% of Oklo’s market cap.
| Company | Latest reported short % of float | Days to cover |
|---|---|---|
| Oklo Inc. NYSE:OKLO | 19.29% | 1.9 |
| NuScale Power Corporation NYSE:SMR | 19.26% | 1.8 |
| Centrus Energy Corp. NYSE:LEU | 21.62% | 4.4 |
| Nano Nuclear Energy Inc. NASDAQ:NNE | 32.80% | n/a |
| Lightbridge Corp. (NASDAQ:LTBR) | 12.67% | n/a |
Oklo’s short interest is high, but the stock trades differently from others with big short bases. Shares last valued the company at about 3.6 times the $2.54 billion in cash, cash equivalents and marketable debt it reported on March 31. Oklo posted a net loss of $33.1 million for the first quarter and an operating loss of $51.2 million.
Analysts seem divided. According to Google Finance, there are 10 buys versus seven holds in the last three months, with an average 12-month price target of $90.08. Craig-Hallum’s Eric Stine was at hold as of July 1. Guggenheim’s Joseph Osha is on hold and targeting $54.06 as of June 25. Ryan Pfingst at B. Riley Securities kept a buy with a $92 target, while UBS’s Jon Windham is still a hold at $55.
This week is less about the Friday market holiday and more about the DOE decision and if it can get the stock past last week’s failed move near $56. Oklo is still aiming for Groves’ first criticality in July 2026, pending DOE’s readiness check and green light to start up.
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