最新ニュース Global X Uranium ETF (ARCA:URA)

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The fund invests at least 80% of its total assets in the securities of the underlying index and in American Depositary Receipts (ADRs) and Global Depositary Receipts (GDRs) based on the securities in the underlying index. The underlying index is designed to measure broad based equity market performance of global companies involved in the uranium industry. The fund is non-diversified.

Cameco Corp Common Stock

Paladin Energy Ltd Common Stock

Nac Kazatomprom Jsc

Uranium Energy Corp

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd

Global X Uranium ETF

Direxion Shares ETF Trust Direxion Daily Uranium Industry Bull 2X Shares

United Rail Inc

Themes ETF Trust Themes Uranium & Nuclear ETF

INTL PROSPECT VENTURS LTD by International Prospect Ventures Ltd.

International Prospect Ventures Ltd

Tidal Trust II Defiance Daily Target 2x Long Uranium ETF

After a breakthrough in early 2024, when uranium prices surged above $100 per pound, the market experienced consolidation in late 2024, with prices stabilizing around $75–$80 per pound.
However, nuclear energy's role as a zero-carbon alternative drives the need for more uranium, pushing governments and businesses to prioritize <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/uranium" rel="noreferrer noopener">nuclear energy sources</a>.
As uranium prices rallied to levels not seen since 2011, companies sought to secure resources and expand production capabilities. Paladin Energy's (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/PALAF#OTC">PALAF</a>) $846 million <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/10/41151688/paladins-846m-fission-uranium-deal-draws-scrutiny-as-canadian-regulators-flag-foreign-investments" rel="noreferrer noopener">acquisition of </a><a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/10/41151688/paladins-846m-fission-uranium-deal-draws-scrutiny-as-canadian-regulators-flag-foreign-investments" rel="noreferrer noopener">Fission Uranium</a> strengthened its position in Saskatchewan, Canada's top uranium-producing province. Paladin also successfully restarted its Langer Heinrich mine in Namibia, achieving commercial production.
Other significant deals included IsoEnergy's (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ISENF#OTC">ISENF</a>) acquisition of Anfield Energy, which expanded its uranium reserves to 17 million pounds of measured and indicated resources, positioning the company as a key player in the U.S. market. Additionally, Uranium Energy Corp. resumed operations at its Willow Creek project in Wyoming.
Geopolitical tensions have significantly influenced the uranium market, particularly with the U.S. banning Russian uranium imports. However, reports suggest that China might have been facilitating the sale of Russian uranium to bypass sanctions.
"China is selling enriched uranium to the U.S. that's actually Russian-enriched uranium — but (China) owns it," Chris Temple, a principal analyst at The National Investor, <a target="_blank" href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IG3rh60KKf0" rel="noreferrer noopener">said</a>. "It's the same as when China goes and sets up a car factory in Mexico, and Mexico sells the cars to the U.S."
Among alternatives, the African continent, which holds 20% of global uranium reserves, according to the World Nuclear Association, is also gaining attention. However, resource nationalism in countries like Niger and Mali raises risks for uranium projects in the region, prompting companies to focus on stable jurisdictions like Canada and <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/global/24/12/42482377/australian-opposition-goes-nuclear-211-billion-plan-could-open-doors-for-uranium-miners" rel="noreferrer noopener">Australia</a>.
Companies like Cameco (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CCJ#NYSE">CCJ</a>) are already ramping up production, with plans to increase output at its McArthur River mine to 25 million pounds annually. Similarly, France has injected $310 million into a state-owned miner, Orano, to revitalize its uranium industry, while Brazil is partnering with mining firms to revive domestic production.
Although a recent DeepSeek disruption caused a dip below $70 per pound, analysts remain unfazed and tout a long-term positive outlook.
"Despite a negative shift in AI sentiment, our reactor demand outlook remains unchanged out through 2030, underpinned by significant growth from ongoing reactor builds in China," George Heppel, BMO Capital Markets senior analyst, wrote <a target="_blank" href="https://dig.watch/updates/deepseek-also-triggered-drop-of-uranium" rel="noreferrer noopener">per</a> DW's report.
Price Watch: Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URNM#NYSE">URNM</a>) has gained 3.40% year-to-date, while the Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URA#NYSE">URA</a>) is up 5.70%.&nbsp;
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Uranium Sector Heating Up In 2025 Despite A DeepSeek Cooldown

SMR Alliance example of nuclear power development in EU
Government officials say funding available for nuclear energy
<a href="https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/122624-eu-moving-to-develop-infrastructure-for-nuclear-energy-expansion-officials" title="https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/122624-eu-moving-to-develop-infrastructure-for-nuclear-energy-expansion-officials">https://www.spglobal.com/commodity-insights/en/news-research/latest-news/electric-power/122624-eu-moving-to-develop-infrastructure-for-nuclear-energy-expansion-officials</a>

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'EU moving to develop infrastructure for nuclear energy expansion: officials' - S&P Global

-Reuters Citing Report
-Reuters Citing Report

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TSLA

U.S. Data Center Power Use Could Account For As Much As 12% Of Total U.S Electricity Consumption; Data Center Power Demand Could Nearly Triple By 2028

Nuclear stocks are trading lower across the board on Monday after regulators rejected Talen Energy Corp&#8217;s (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/TLN#NASDAQ">TLN</a>) plans to increase power for an Amazon.com Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/AMZN#NASDAQ">AMZN</a>) <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/24/11/g41704326/talen-energy-statement-on-ferc-order-rejecting-susquehanna-isa">data center</a>. 
What Happened: The Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) on Friday rejected Talen Energy&#8217;s request to increase how much power its Susquehanna nuclear plant in Pennsylvania can provide to Amazon Web Services.
According to a CNBC <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2024/11/04/tech-partnerships-with-power-companies-for-ai-in-doubt-after-ferc-order.html">report</a>, Talen Energy sold a data center campus to Amazon in March for $650 million. The company had filed a request to increase the power dispatched to the facility from 300 megawatts to 480 megawatts, but FERC shot it down, saying the arrangement could have &#8220;huge ramifications&#8221; on grid reliability and consumer costs. 
Talen issued a statement in response to the order rejecting its amended plans, saying it believes FERC &#8220;erred&#8221; in its decision. The company noted that it&#8217;s evaluating its options with a focus on commercial solutions. 
&#8220;We believe this ISA amendment is just and reasonable and in the best interest of consumers. FERC&#8217;s decision will have a chilling effect on economic development in states such as Pennsylvania, Ohio, and New Jersey,&#8221; the company said in the statement.
Talen noted that the existing agreement allows for 300 MW of co-located load at Susquehanna. Despite the rejected amendment, Talen said it can still proceed with development of the first phases of the Amazon Web Services data center campus using the 300 MW while it continues to pursue approval of an amended agreement. 
See Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/11/41703497/iran-flexes-nuclear-muscle-threatens-us-with-tooth-breaking-retaliation">Iran Flexes Nuclear Muscle, Threatens US With &#8216;Tooth-Breaking&#8217; Retaliation</a>
Several nuclear stocks are falling Monday after rallying over the past month. Constellation Energy Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CEG#NASDAQ">CEG</a>) and Vistra Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/VST#NYSE">VST</a>) were down 10.5% and 2.2%, respectively, in sympathy with Talen.
Oklo Inc (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/OKLO#NYSE">OKLO</a>), which is chaired by OpenAI&#8217;s Sam Altman, has been one of the most popular nuclear plays in recent weeks. It was down 6.65% at $20.22 at the time of writing. 
Other small modular reactor (SMR) companies like NuScale Power Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMR#NYSE">SMR</a>) and Nano Nuclear Energy Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NNE#NASDAQ">NNE</a>), were also trading lower, down 2.5% and 10.2%, respectively. 
Nuclear fuel names have also seen increased attention in recent weeks. Shares of uranium fuel producer Cameco Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CCJ#NYSE">CCJ</a>) were down more than 2% at the time of writing. Shares of Lightbridge Corp (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/LTBR#NASDAQ">LTBR</a>), a nuclear fuel technology company, were down 1.93% at last check. 
Shares of ASP Isotopes Inc (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ASPI#NASDAQ">ASPI</a>), which signed a deal with Bill Gates-backed <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/10/41624818/asp-isotopes-stock-is-soaring-wednesday-whats-going-on">TerraPower</a> last week and has seen increased attention across social platforms in recent weeks, were down about 14% at the time of writing. 
The VanEck Uranium And Nuclear ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NLR#NYSE">NLR</a>) was down 3.22% and the Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URA#NYSE">URA</a>) was down 2.37% in afternoon trading Monday.
Despite Monday&#8217;s pullback, nuclear stocks are still up significantly over the past month driven by an increased focus on nuclear from hyperscalers aiming to keep up with the rising energy demands of data centers related to the AI boom.
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/11/41719271/constellation-energy-q3-earnings-beat-revised-fy24-eps-guidance-more">Constellation Energy Q3: Earnings Beat, Revised FY24 EPS Guidance &amp; More</a></li>
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Photo: Shutterstock.

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OKLO

Nuclear Stocks Are Tumbling Monday: What's Going On?

<a href="https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-republic-korea-reach-provisional-agreement-nuclear-cooperation#:~:text=Consistent%20with%20the%20deep%20and,Principles%20Concerning%20Nuclear%20Exports%20and">https://www.energy.gov/articles/us-republic-korea-reach-provisional-agreement-nuclear-cooperation#:~:text=Consistent%20with%20the%20deep%20and,Principles%20Concerning%20Nuclear%20Exports%20and</a>
Consistent with the deep and longstanding relationship between the United States and the Republic of Korea, the two countries reached a significant outcome on November 1, advancing their cooperation on civil nuclear energy by initialing a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on Principles Concerning Nuclear Exports and Cooperation. The United States and the Republic of Korea reaffirmed their mutual commitment to promoting the expansion of peaceful nuclear energy while upholding the highest standards of nonproliferation, safety, safeguards, and security. Toward this end, the parties strengthened their administration of export controls on civil nuclear technology. These further commitments will provide a springboard for the expansion of our bilateral work in combatting climate change, accelerating global energy transitions, and assuring critical supply chains while creating billions of dollars worth of new economic opportunities and the creation or maintenance of tens of thousands of manufacturing jobs for both of our industries. The MOU will proceed to final review in both countries' capitals.

Contracts

Global

U.S.-Republic Of Korea Reach Provisional Agreement On Nuclear Cooperation

Taiwan is "very open" to using new nuclear technology to meet surging demand from chipmakers devouring electricity in the AI boom, according to Premier Cho Jung-tai — one of the strongest signs yet that the government is rethinking its opposition to reactors.
&nbsp;
<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-20/taiwan-signals-openness-to-nuclear-power-amid-surging-ai-demand" title="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-20/taiwan-signals-openness-to-nuclear-power-amid-surging-ai-demand">https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-10-20/taiwan-signals-openness-to-nuclear-power-amid-surging-ai-demand</a>

Reported October 20: 'Taiwan Signals Openness to Nuclear Power Amid Surging AI Demand' - Bloomberg

Russian Foreign Ministry Says It Sees No Point To Nuclear Talks With U.S. Given Washington's Stance On Nato Expansion

<a href="https://www.barrons.com/articles/amd-amazon-spotify-tech-stocks-3f3f7fc9" title="https://www.barrons.com/articles/amd-amazon-spotify-tech-stocks-3f3f7fc9">https://www.barrons.com/articles/amd-amazon-spotify-tech-stocks-3f3f7fc9</a>

ORCL

'Oracle's Larry Ellison Sees $100B AI Boom Powered By Nuclear Energy' - Barron's

A decommissioned nuclear power plant in Michigan is being brought back to life.
Pushed by a growing need for carbon-free energy, the Palisades nuclear power plant will be the first in the U.S. to be recommissioned after shutting down.
The Palisades plant was built in the late 1960s and began running in 1973. It was purchased in 2006 by Louisiana-based electricity producer Entergy Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ETR#NYSE">ETR</a>), which ran it until 2022.
Although the plant had a license extension that allowed it to be active until 2031, Entergy chose to shut it down, citing the high costs associated with running a nuclear power plant.
The plant was sold to nuclear equipment provider Holtec International, which was in charge of taking the plant out of commission.
In 2022, Holtec announced plans to re-open the facility, something that has never been done before in the U.S.
This year, the U.S. Department of Energy announced a commitment of $1.52 billion in loans to finance the restoration and resumption of service of the plant in the hands of Holtec.
According to a WSJ <a href="https://www.wsj.com/business/energy-oil/biden-nuclear-power-plant-loan-michigan-eee64904?mod=hp_lead_pos7">report</a>, the company is now working on restoring the facility to modern-day standards. The plant will be back online by October 2025, according to the company's plans.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Nuclear Gets Revamped&nbsp;</h3>
A growing need for electricity is behind the renewed interest in nuclear energy.
In a recent interview with Elon Musk, former President Donald Trump <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/08/40329545/trump-left-shocked-by-power-hungry-ai-tells-elon-musk-requires-twice-the-energy-that-the-country-alr">expressed shock at the amount of electricity required</a> to fuel artificial intelligence systems.
The AI revolution is<a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/06/39489296/as-the-ai-race-rages-on-depletion-of-energy-and-water-resources-poses-a-new-threat"> doubling demand for data center power</a> and will eventually consume <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/asia/24/04/38163078/ai-could-consume-25-of-us-power-by-2030-the-more-information-they-gather-the-more-power-it-takes-war">25% of all U.S. power </a>by 2030, according to Arm Holdings PLC &#8211; ADR (NASDAQ:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ARM#NASDAQ">ARM</a>) CEO Rene Haas.
<a href="https://www.goldmansachs.com/insights/articles/AI-poised-to-drive-160-increase-in-power-demand">According</a> to Goldman Sachs, data centers will use 8% of U.S. power by 2030, up from 3% in 2022.
Former Microsoft CEO Bill Gates recently said to <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39543587/bill-gates-dismisses-concerns-that-big-techs-investment-in-power-hungry-ai-says-it-will-ultimately-o">"not go overboard" with panic over energy-hungry AI systems</a>, as investment from Big Tech companies into clean energy might help boost the shift toward green energy production.
Read Also: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/40409572">Nvidia AI Dominance Challenged By Asian Startups Betting On Energy-Efficient And Cost-Effective Silicon — &#8216;Inference&#8217; And &#8216;Training&#8217; Chips Emerge As Key Focus</a>
The Biden administration has placed a high bet on the ability of nuclear power to free the country from its dependency on fossil fuels to produce energy.&nbsp;
Fossil fuels account for 60% of U.S. electricity production, according to the Energy information Administration.
The Biden White House has set the goal of having a zero-emission power grid by 2035 and has included several tax credits and other incentives for nuclear within the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/inflation-reduction-act">Inflation Reduction Act of 2022</a>.
The government recently set-up <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/06/39553699/us-to-invest-2-7b-in-domestic-uranium-cutting-reliance-on-russia">a $2.7-billion investment in U.S.-made uranium</a> to decrease dependency on Russian imports.
Interest in nuclear power dropped as fracking practices opened the floodgates for cheap natural gas, which lowered the cost of burning gas to produce electricity.
Isolated nuclear plant accidents helped strengthen public rejection of the technology. These include the meltdown of the Three Mile Island reactor in 1979, the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 in Ukraine and the Fukushima accident in Japan in 2011.
High construction costs and continuing concerns regarding the storage of nuclear waste continued to weigh against the development of new nuclear energy projects in recent decades.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">New Projects Come Online</h3>
The nuclear sector might be getting a new push. A Pew Research Center <a href="https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2024/08/05/majority-of-americans-support-more-nuclear-power-in-the-country/">survey</a> from May of this year found that support for nuclear power in the U.S. has grown consistently throughout the last 10 years. 
Today, 56% of U.S. adults support the development of nuclear energy projects.
The U.S. has 94 active nuclear reactors, down from a peak of 111 in the late 1990s. These exist in 54 nuclear power plants in 28 states.
The two newest reactors launched commercial operations in 2023 and 2024 at the Alvin W. Vogtle Electric Generating Plant in Georgia. They're operated by Southern Nuclear, a subsidiary of Southern Co (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SO#NYSE">SO</a>).
The two reactors cost $35 billion to build, <a href="https://www.eenews.net/articles/after-vogtle-whats-next-for-nuclear/">according</a> to E&amp;E News.
Some companies working on advanced reactor designs are looking to obtain licenses from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission to build new reactors.
Nuscale Power Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/SMR#NYSE">SMR</a>), a company developing small modular reactors, canceled its project to build a six-reactor, 462-megawatt plant in Utah in 2023 after several municipalities pulled out due to high construction costs, Reuters reported.
The company is expecting to deploy two dozen small modular reactors for plants in Ohio and Pennsylvania, per E&amp;E News.
Other companies are developing new projects that still need demonstrations to become mainstream technology.
Kairos Power is developing a test reactor in Oak Ridge, Tennessee to test its fluoride salt-cooled, high temperature reactor technology. The company has received a $303-million pledge from the Department of Energy to complete this project.
Earlier this month, TerraPower, a company founded by Bill Gates, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/06/39263769/bill-gates-terrapower-ventures-into-advanced-nuclear-plant-construction-aiming-to-combat-climate-cri">started building its first advanced reactor in Wyoming</a>, which, like Kairos', doesn't use water for cooling.
ETFs To Watch
<ul>
<li>The VanEck Uranium and Nuclear Energy ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NLR#NYSE">NLR</a>) which follows the nuclear power sector, gained 0.21% Tuesday and is up 2.4% in the last five trading days.</li>
</ul>
<ul>
<li>Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URA#NYSE">URA</a>), following the global uranium market, is up 4.3% in the last five trading days.</li>
</ul>
Read Next: 
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<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/equities/24/07/39755062/nano-nuclears-18m-upsized-offering-eyes-funding-for-advanced-micro-nuclear-reactor-designs">Nano Nuclear&#8217;s $18M Upsized Offering: Eyes Funding for Advanced Micro Nuclear Reactor Designs</a></li>
</ul>
Palisades Nuclear Plant photo via Nuclear Regulatory Commission.

Power-Hungry AI Revives Interest In Nuclear Energy: Michigan To Reopen Closed Plant For First Time In History

<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/20/us/politics/biden-nuclear-china-russia.html">https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/20/us/politics/biden-nuclear-china-russia.html</a>
President Biden approved in March a highly classified nuclear strategic plan for the United States that, for the first time, reorients America's deterrent strategy to focus on China's rapid expansion in its nuclear arsenal.
The shift comes as the Pentagon believes China's stockpiles will rival the size and diversity of the United States' and Russia's over the next decade.
The White House never announced that Mr. Biden had approved the revised strategy, called the "Nuclear Employment Guidance," which also seeks, for the first time, to prepare the United States for possible coordinated nuclear challenges from China, Russia and North Korea. The document, updated every four years or so, is so highly classified that there are no electronic copies, only a small number of hard copies distributed to a select few national security officials and Pentagon commanders.
But in recent speeches, two senior administration officials were allowed to allude to the change — in carefully constrained, single sentences — ahead of a more detailed, unclassified notification to Congress expected before Mr. Biden leaves office.
&nbsp;
"The president recently issued updated nuclear-weapons employment guidance to account for multiple nuclear-armed adversaries," Vipin Narang, an M.I.T. nuclear strategist who served in the Pentagon, said earlier this month before returning to academia. "And in particular," he added, the weapons guidance accounted for "the significant increase in the size and diversity" of China's nuclear arsenal.
In June, the National Security Council's senior director for arms control and nonproliferation, Pranay Vaddi, also <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/07/us/politics/us-nuclear-russia-china.html">referred to the document</a>, the first to examine in detail whether the United States is prepared to respond to nuclear crises that break out simultaneously or sequentially, with a combination of nuclear and nonnuclear weapons.
The new strategy, Mr. Vaddi said, emphasizes "the need to deter Russia, the PRC, and North Korea simultaneously," using the acronym for the People's Republic of China.
In the past, the likelihood that American adversaries could coordinate nuclear threats to outmaneuver the American nuclear arsenal seemed remote. But the emerging partnership between Russia and China, and the conventional arms North Korea and Iran are providing to Russia for the war in Ukraine have fundamentally changed Washington's thinking.
Already, Russia and China are <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/08/13/world/asia/china-russia-military-patrols.html">conducting military exercises together</a>. Intelligence agencies are trying to determine whether Russia <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/06/20/world/asia/russia-korea-defense-asia.html">is aiding the North Korean and Iranian missile programs in return</a>.
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&nbsp;
The new document is a stark reminder that whoever is sworn in next Jan. 20 will confront a changed and far more volatile nuclear landscape than the one that existed just three years ago. President Vladimir V. Putin of Russia has repeatedly threatened the use of nuclear weapons against Ukraine, including during a crisis in October 2022, when Mr. Biden and his aides, looking at intercepts of conversations between senior Russian commanders, feared the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/03/09/us/politics/biden-nuclear-russia-ukraine.html">likelihood of nuclear use</a> might rise to 50 percent or even higher.
Mr. Biden, along with leaders of Germany and Britain, got China and India to make public statements that there was no role for the use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, and the crisis abated, at least temporarily.
"It was an important moment," Richard N. Haass, a former senior State Department and National Security Council official for several Republican presidents, and the president emeritus of the Council on Foreign Relations, noted in an interview. "We are dealing with a Russia that is radicalized, the idea that nukes wouldn't be used in a conventional conflict is not longer a safe assumption."
The second big change arises from China's nuclear ambitions. The country's nuclear expansion is running at an even faster pace than American intelligence officials anticipated two years ago, driven by President Xi Jinping's determination to scrap the decades-long strategy of maintaining a "minimum deterrent" to reach or exceed the size of Washington's and Moscow's arsenals. China's nuclear complex is now the fastest-growing in the world.
Although former President Donald J. Trump confidently predicted that Kim Jong-un, the North Korean leader, would surrender his nuclear weapons after their three in-person meetings, the opposite happened. Mr. Kim has doubled down, and now has more than 60 weapons, officials estimate, and the fuel for many more.
&nbsp;
That expansion has changed the nature of the North Korean challenge: When it possessed just a handful of weapons, it could be deterred by missile defenses. But its expanded arsenal is fast approaching the size of Pakistan's and Israel's, and it is large enough that it could, in theory, coordinate threats with Moscow and Beijing.
It was only a matter of time before a fundamentally different nuclear environment began to alter American war plans and strategy, officials say.
"It is our responsibility to see the world as it is, not as we hoped or wished it would be," Mr. Narang said as he was leaving the Pentagon. "It is possible that we will one day look back and see the quarter century after the Cold War as nuclear intermission."
The new challenge is "the real possibility of collaboration and even collusion between our nuclear-armed adversaries," he said.
&nbsp;
So far in the presidential campaign, the new challenges to American nuclear strategy have not been a topic of debate. Mr. Biden, who spent much of his political career as an advocate of nuclear nonproliferation, has never publicly talked in any detail about how he is responding to the challenges of deterring China's and North Korea's expanded forces. Nor has Vice President Kamala Harris, now the Democratic Party's nominee.
At his <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/07/16/insider/biden-news-conference-reporter-sanger.html">last news conference in July</a>, just days before he announced he would no longer seek the Democratic nomination for a second term, Mr. Biden acknowledged that he had adopted a policy of seeking ways to interfere in the broader China-Russia partnership.
"Yes, I do, but I'm not prepared to talk about the detail of it in public," Mr. Biden said. He made no reference to — and was not asked about — how that partnership was altering American nuclear strategy.
Since Harry Truman's presidency, that strategy has been overwhelmingly focused on the arsenal that Russia inherited from the collapsed Soviet Union. Mr. Biden's new guidance suggests how quickly that is shifting.
China was mentioned in the last nuclear guidance, issued at the end of the Trump administration, according to an unclassified account provided to Congress in 2020. But that was before the scope of Mr. Xi's ambitions were understood.
&nbsp;
The Biden strategy sharpens that focus to reflect <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2024/02/04/world/asia/china-nuclear-missiles.html">the Pentagon's estimates that</a> China's nuclear force would expand to 1,000 by 2030 and 1,500 by 2035, roughly the numbers that the United States and Russia now deploy. In fact, Beijing now appears ahead of that schedule, officials say, and has begun loading nuclear missiles into new silo fields that were spotted by commercial satellites three years ago.
There is another concern about Beijing: It has now halted a short-lived conversation with the United States about improving nuclear safety and security — for example, by agreeing to warn each other of impending missile tests, or setting up hotlines or other means of communication to assure that incidents or accidents do not escalate into nuclear encounters.
One discussion between the two countries took place late last fall, just before Mr. Biden and Mr. Xi met in California, where they sought to repair relations between the two countries. They referred to those talks in a joint statement, but by that time the Chinese had already hinted they were not interested in further discussions, and earlier this summer said the conversations were over. They cited American arms sales to Taiwan, which were underway long before the nuclear safety conversations began.
Mallory Stewart, the assistant secretary for arms control, deterrence and stability at the State Department, said in an interview that the Chinese government is "actively preventing us from having conversations about the risks."
Instead, she said, Beijing "seems to be taking a page out of Russia's playbook that, until we address tensions and challenges in our bilateral relationship, they will choose not to continue our arms control, risk reduction, and nonproliferation conversations."
It was in China's interest, she argued, "to prevent these risks of miscalculation and misunderstanding."
 &nbsp;

Macro Economic Events

Economics

"Biden Approved Secret Nuclear Strategy Refocusing On Chinese Threat; In A Classified Document Approved In March, The President Ordered U.s. Forces To Prepare For Possible Coordinated Nuclear Confrontations With Russia, China And North Korea" - NYT

Uranium explorers are calling on Western Australian authorities to lift the ban on uranium mining to capitalize on rising global demand and prices. Australia holds nearly a third of the world's known uranium reserves, yet only two out of its eight states and territories, South Australia and the Northern Territory, permit <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mining" rel="noreferrer noopener">mining</a>.
Uranium prices have surged, driven by the global shift toward nuclear energy as part of the energy transition. This rise in demand is essential for meeting decarbonization goals, with many countries planning to increase their nuclear energy capacity significantly.
Still, Australia has only two operating projects, producing a fraction of its capabilities and potentially missing export opportunities.
"The bans in some states like Western Australia, which is known for its mining history, are nonsensical and leave the nation at risk of missing out on soaring global demand. The time is now to remove these bans — there's a real economic cost to not doing it, "Jonathan Fisher, CEO of Cauldron Energy (OTCPK: CAULF), a uranium explorer, said <a target="_blank" href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2024-08-05/uranium-miners-say-australia-to-miss-out-on-boom-in-nuclear-fuel" rel="noreferrer noopener">for</a> Bloomberg.
Now read: <a target="_blank" href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/07/40044763/uranium-prices-surge-to-16-year-highs-due-to-supply-uncertainties-rising-demand-for-ai-data-centers" rel="noreferrer noopener">Uranium Prices Surge To 16-Year Highs Due To Supply Uncertainties, Rising Demand For AI Data Centers</a>
In addition to environmental concerns, Australia has a complex cultural heritage situation, as evidenced by the recent ban on mining at the Jabiluka site.
Discovered in the early 1970s, this high-grade uranium deposit has been at the center of legal and cultural disputes between Indigenous custodians and mining companies. The government recently <a target="_blank" href="https://www.minister.industry.gov.au/ministers/king/media-releases/work-begins-add-jabiluka-site-kakadu-national-park" rel="noreferrer noopener">extended</a> the Kakadu National Park to include Jabiluka, prohibiting further mining activities.
Despite environmental concerns lingering from past incidents like the Chornobyl and Fukushima disasters and the ongoing cleanup from toxic leaks at the Ranger project in the Northern Territory, the industry argues that modern regulations and technologies can mitigate such risks.
The country's two operating uranium mines, BHP Group's (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BHP#NYSE">BHP</a>) Olympic Dam and Boss Energy's (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/BQSSF#OTC">BQSSF</a>) Honeymoon project, contribute around 9% of the world's uranium supply.
The rising uranium prices, currently above $80 per pound, show the potential economic benefits of lifting the ban.
"Country after country has declared renewables aren't going to achieve their targets, and that nuclear will be a big component to reach net zero," said John Borshoff, CEO of uranium explorer Deep Yellow (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DYLLF#OTC">DYLLF</a>) which has the Mulga Rock project in Western Australia.
The Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Western Australia (CCIWA) supports lifting the ban. Earlier this year, they published a <a target="_blank" href="https://cciwa.com/business-pulse/uranium-mining-worth-1b-and-9000-jobs-cciwa-report/" rel="noreferrer noopener">study</a> estimating that lifting the ban could generate $1 billion and create 9,000 jobs.
Also read:
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.benzinga.com/government/24/08/40163564/deep-sea-mining-hits-breaks-as-carvalho-takes-isa-leadership" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Deep Sea Mining Hits Breaks As Carvalho Takes ISA Leadership</a></li>
</ul>
Benzinga Mining is the bridge between mining companies and retail investors. Reach out to <a href="mailto:licensing@benzinga.com" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">licensing@benzinga.com</a> to get started!
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Government

Regulations

BQSSF

CAULF

DYLLF

Uranium Explorers Call For Lifting Mining Ban In Western Australia, Target $1B In Exports

URAA

US Starts Accepting Bids For $2.7B In Uranium Purchases

NATO's Stoltenberg Says China Heavily Modernizing Its Nuclear Capabilities

NATO's Stoltenberg Says U.S. Modernizing Nuclear Weapons In Europe

Source: <a href="https://www.streetwisereports.com/article/2024/06/03/nuclear-power-renaissance-runs-parallel-to-us-russia-race-for-geopolitical-influence.html?utm_medium=feed">McAlinden Research 06/03/2024</a>
As nuclear power facilities and uranium become deeply involved in the struggle for global influence, McAlinden Research examines how this may impact global uranium supply and uranium ETFs.
The nuclear power renaissance that has been unfolding throughout the world for several years is now blooming a new race for influence in deploying a crop of new reactors across the world. Though a renewed interest in nuclear power stretches back beyond the initiation of Russia&#39;s formal invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, this event sent shockwaves across global energy markets and reshaped global shipments of oil and natural gas. Not only did it serve as a stark reminder of how significant nuclear power can be in bolstering power grids in the face of geopolitical upheaval, but it has gradually frozen the flow of energy products from Russia to the West. Though it has taken longer to reach uranium than other commodities, the building East-West tensions are beginning to envelop the yellow metal as well.
Last month, President Biden signed The Prohibiting Russian Uranium Imports Act, which will initiate the phase-in of a ban on the import of Russian Uranium to the U.S. Though some waivers will be available until 2028, the ban will then be in full effect until 2040. MRP first highlighted the progress of this legislation last August, before it had even been passed by the House of Representatives.
We, The U.S., relied on Russian supplies for about 24% of its enriched uranium demand in 2022 &mdash; making it the U.S.&#39;s top foreign supplier for the year. Part of that is simply due to the scale of Russia&#39;s state-owned uranium giant, Rosatom, which claims to lead the world in uranium enrichment and rank third in uranium production and fuel fabrication. The White House had previously rolled out a spate of sanctions against Rosatom subsidiaries, but this appears to have done little to halt imports of Russian uranium thus far.
In 2023 alone, the U.S. nuclear industry paid over $800 million to Rosatom and its fuel subsidiaries. The bill also unlocked $2.7 billion in repurposed funding for domestic production of high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU), which was contingent upon the U.S. federal government instituting their new ban on Russian uranium imports. Russia is currently the sole commercial supplier of HALEU, which will be critical to operating the next generation of small modular reactors, but U.S. firms are now having success in deploying small batches of their own supply.
Just weeks after Biden inked his signature on the import ban, Russia took the unprecedented step of signing on with Uzbekistan to assist in building Central Asia&#39;s first operational nuclear power plant last week. Uzbekistan and its neighbor Kazakhstan have served as critical miners and exporters of the yellow metal for many years but have not had access to their own facilities to utilize refined fuels derived from uranium &mdash; aside from a prototype in the latter nation, which was shuttered in 1999. Kazakhstan may revive nuclear power in the nation with the eventual construction of its own power plant, but such a move will be subject to a coming referendum that has not yet been given a date.
Despite the country being home to massive deposits of uranium, as well as the world&#39;s single largest producer of natural uranium in Kazatomprom (OTC: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/natky#OTC">NATKY</a>), there is some lingering ambivalence among the populace toward nuclear power due to hundreds of Soviet-era nuclear weapons tests taking place in the country over a period of four decades with little regard for local populations and ecology.
Russian President Putin said Moscow would dedicate $400 million to a joint investment fund of $500 million to finance projects in Uzbekistan. This program follows the initiation of Russian gas flows from state-owned Gazprom to sites in Uzbekistan last year and the promise of a further expansion from an annual flow of 3.8 billion cubic meters (m3) to 11.0 billion m3 by as early as next year.
More refined Russian nuclear fuel will likely be flowing to Uzbekistan alongside the deluge of natural gas. Nuclear power plants are highly specialized and complex facilities that not many companies have experience building. Smaller nations with little or no experience in this field rely on firms from larger markets that have effectively employed nuclear power and the ongoing spread of these facilities will carry with it a diplomatic edge.
As Russia&#39;s war in Ukraine has turned away buyers of its energy supplies in the West, the country&#39;s oil and gas enterprises have shifted the flow of these products to the East, specifically to China, India, and Southeast Asia. That reorientation is now expanding to Central Asia. One area of Europe where Russia has been able to maintain diplomatic leverage is on the periphery, with nations like long-time ally Belarus and Hungary &mdash; a landlocked country that cannot rely on sea-borne shipments of liquefied natural gas (LNG) and has remained more tethered to Russian pipeline gas than other regions of Europe.
These two nations just signed onto their own nuclear power-related agreement that will allow Belarus to assist in the construction of Hungary&#39;s second nuclear power plant, which has been under construction by Rosatom since 2014. Belarus&#39;s experience with similar nuclear power tech is meant to assist Hungarian efforts with personnel training and insights into the handling of radioactive waste.
The next frontier of this ongoing struggle for influence is forming in the heart of the Middle East, where Saudi Arabia has been mulling over several different bids to help it debut a civilian nuclear program in the country. That would include the construction of a nuclear power plant and, potentially, the possibility of uranium enrichment on Saudi soil.
Though the U.S. has been Saudi Arabia&#39;s preferred partner, the Kingdom&#39;s relations with the U.S. have frayed as a result of Riyadh&#39;s continued friendliness toward Moscow in spite of the latter&#39;s aggressiveness in Europe. U.S. assistance to Saudi Arabia&#39;s burgeoning nuclear program has been a fundamental component of a potential normalization of Saudi-Israeli relations for the first time ever. However, this has become a much trickier stumbling block since last autumn when Hamas&#39;s terror attack against Israel sparked the ongoing war in the Gaza Strip. The Kingdom is not totally reliant on the U.S. being its sole partner in its nuclear program, as the Saudis have fielded offers from China, France, and Russia to take part in building the prospective nuclear power station they have been planning.
One key nuclear power development that falls somewhat outside the east-west struggle for influence but provides a new landmark for the rebounding fortunes of nuclear power is Japan&#39;s looming restart of its Kashiwazaki Kariwa Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) &mdash; the largest in the world. Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. started loading nuclear fuel into one of the plant&#39;s seven reactors in April, and the upcoming resurrection of KKNPP would mark the first restart of any of its nuclear reactors that were halted after a massive earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 triggered the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Though only one death can be directly attributed to the meltdown at the Japanese power plant after it was hit by a Tsunami, the event turned much of the world off to nuclear fission more than a decade ago.
That era of anti-nuclear sentiment appears to have only recently met a symbolic end, with the release of treated irradiated water from the destroyed Fukushima plant last August.
In April 2022, MRP noted that 53% of Japanese respondents to a survey from Nikkei said nuclear reactors should restart if safety can be ensured. That marked the first time since the Fukushima disaster in 2011 that an increasing role for nuclear had been favored in the semi-regular surveys conducted by the newspaper. Along with the passage of time, rising power costs have spurred the Japanese back toward a demand for nuclear power. Just 12 of the nation&#39;s 33 operable reactors are back online after the Fukushima crisis, but a resurgence in reactor operations in Japan would provide a material increase in demand for uranium supplies.
Investors can gain exposure to uranium miners and the production of nuclear components via the Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (ARCA:URNM) and Global X Uranium ETF (ARCA:URA).
Important Disclosures:
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Statements and opinions expressed are the opinions of the author and not of Streetwise Reports, Street Smart, or their officers. The author is wholly responsible for the accuracy of the statements. Streetwise Reports was not paid by the author to publish or syndicate this article. Streetwise Reports requires contributing authors to disclose any shareholdings in, or economic relationships with, companies that they write about. Any disclosures from the author can be found below. Streetwise Reports relies upon the authors to accurately provide this information and Streetwise Reports has no means of verifying its accuracy.
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<li>This article does not constitute investment advice and is not a solicitation for any investment. Streetwise Reports does not render general or specific investment advice and the information on Streetwise Reports should not be considered a recommendation to buy or sell any security. Each reader is encouraged to consult with his or her personal financial adviser and perform their own comprehensive investment research. By opening this page, each reader accepts and agrees to Streetwise Reports&#39; terms of use and full legal disclaimer. Streetwise Reports does not endorse or recommend the business, products, services or securities of any company.</li>
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McAlinden Research Partners Disclosures 
This report has been prepared solely for informational purposes and is not an offer to buy/sell/endorse or a solicitation of an offer to buy/sell/endorse Interests or any other security or instrument or to participate in any trading or investment strategy. No representation or warranty (express or implied) is made or can be given with respect to the sequence, accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the information in this Report. Unless otherwise noted, all information is sourced from public data. 
McAlinden Research Partners is a division of Catalpa Capital Advisors, LLC (CCA), a Registered Investment Advisor. References to specific securities, asset classes and financial markets discussed herein are for illustrative purposes only and should not be interpreted as recommendations to purchase or sell such securities. CCA, MRP, employees and direct affiliates of the firm may or may not own any of the securities mentioned in the report at the time of publication.

Politics

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ETFs

NATKY

Nuclear Power Renaissance Runs Parallel to US-Russia Race for Geopolitical Influence

U.N. Atomic Agency Censures Iran Over Nuclear Activities Despite Retaliation Threat; Iran Threatens To Reduce Nuclear Program Monitoring; Washington Opposed European Push For Censure But Voted In Favor -- WSJ
<a href="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-n-atomic-agency-censures-iran-over-nuclear-actions-despite-retaliation-threat-e09626b6?mod=latest_headlines" title="https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-n-atomic-agency-censures-iran-over-nuclear-actions-despite-retaliation-threat-e09626b6?mod=latest_headlines">https://www.wsj.com/world/middle-east/u-n-atomic-agency-censures-iran-over-nuclear-actions-despite-retaliation-threat-e09626b6?mod=latest_headlines</a>

'U.N. Atomic Agency Censures Iran Over Nuclear Actions Despite Retaliation Threat' - WSJ

The global shift towards clean energy sources has intensified the search for reliable and scalable alternatives to fossil fuels. While the solar and wind power sectors&nbsp;have captured significant attention, a renewed interest in nuclear energy is emerging. Nuclear power, with its potential for consistent baseload generation, small footprint (particularly with newer technologies), and improving safety profile, holds the potential to outperform traditional renewables in specific contexts.
Could nuclear energy stocks be the key to outperforming the broader renewable energy market in the long run?&nbsp;
<h2>Unleashing the Power of the Atom: Uranium Miners</h2>
Uranium, the foundational element of nuclear power, will become an increasingly valuable commodity in the coming years. If the push for clean energy fuels a nuclear resurgence, uranium mining companies will be positioned at the forefront of this transition. Let&#39;s look at some of the key players in this subsector of the mining sector:
<h3>Cameco Corporation&nbsp;</h3>
Cameco Corporation (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/ccj#NYSE">CCJ</a>), a global giant in uranium production, stands out for its extensive reserves and established track record in the industry. Ranked among the world&#39;s leading uranium producers, Cameco&#39;s expertise and substantial reserves in Canada make it a significant player in the global uranium market.
<h3>Denison Mines</h3>
Denison Mines&nbsp;(AMEX:DNN)&nbsp;is committed to environmentally conscious mining operations. The company is actively involved in exploration and development projects within the Athabasca Basin region of Canada, which is renowned for its abundance of uranium resources. Denison prioritizes environmentally responsible mining practices and holds a diverse portfolio of projects, including exploration and development assets in this uranium-rich region of Canada.
<h3>Energy Fuels</h3>
Energy Fuels (AMEX:UUUU), a US-based mining company, has diversified operations that encompass uranium, vanadium, and rare earth element recovery. This multifaceted approach positions Energy Fuels to capitalize on various critical material needs. Notably, beyond uranium, Energy Fuels engages in the recovery of vanadium and rare earth elements. This unique combination makes them an intriguing player as demand for these materials evolves.
<h3>NexGen Energy</h3>
NexGen Energy&#39;s (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/nxe#NYSE">NXE</a>) claim to fame is the high-grade Arrow Deposit, a substantial uranium resource located in Canada&#39;s Athabasca Basin. The quality of this deposit and its projected long mine life make NexGen a company to watch. Additionally, NexGen boasts a relatively low expected production cost, which could improve its profitability if uranium prices surge. The company is also exploring the possibility of using innovative in-situ recovery (ISR) mining techniques, further differentiating its approach.
Uranium miners face unique risks, such as fluctuating commodity prices and the potential for regulatory changes that could impact their operations. However, if the anticipated surge in nuclear power demand materializes, these companies could potentially deliver substantial returns for investors.
<h2>The Next Generation: Reactor Developers</h2>
While traditional nuclear power plants have proven their capabilities, they often come with large capital costs, lengthy construction timelines, and a degree of public anxiety. A wave of innovative companies are tackling these challenges by developing new reactor technologies that promise greater safety, scalability, and potential cost advantages. Let&#39;s examine a few key players in this space:
<h3>NuScale Power&nbsp;</h3>
NuScale Power (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/smr#NYSE">SMR</a>) pioneered small modular reactor (SMR) technology. Unlike traditional plants, SMRs are designed to be smaller, factory-built units that can be deployed more quickly and potentially with lower upfront costs. NuScale aims to make nuclear power more accessible for a broader range of electricity needs, potentially opening new markets for nuclear energy.
<h3>Centrus Energy&nbsp;</h3>
Centrus Energy&nbsp;(AMEX:LEU) isn&#39;t solely focused on reactor design but plays a crucial role in the nuclear fuel cycle. The company is developing advanced nuclear fuels explicitly designed for next-generation reactors. They&#39;ve also forged a significant partnership with TerraPower, a venture-backed by Bill Gates, to advance new reactor technologies. This partnership highlights Centrus&#39; importance in the broader scheme of nuclear innovation.
<h3>BWX Technologies&nbsp;</h3>
BWX Technologies (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/bwxt#NYSE">BWXT</a>) has a strong legacy of providing components and services for the existing nuclear power industry. However, it is also looking ahead by actively developing microreactors. These ultra-small reactors hold the potential to provide energy in remote areas or to power specific applications like military bases. BWX&#39;s diversification across both current and future nuclear needs makes it a compelling company to add to your watchlist.
With their advancements, reactor developers have the potential to transform the nuclear power technology landscape. As they strive to make nuclear energy safer, more adaptable to diverse energy demands and scalable, these companies spearhead innovation. Although technological challenges remain, the triumphs of these pioneers could significantly expand nuclear energy&#39;s role in a future powered by clean energy.
<h2>Established Utilities with a Nuclear Advantage</h2>
Traditional energy utilities already heavily invested in nuclear power offer investors a unique way to participate in the sector. While new technologies are exciting, established utility companies with operational nuclear fleets provide exposure to a more established segment of the industry. Let&#39;s take a closer look at two major players:
<h3>Duke Energy&nbsp;</h3>
Duke Energy (NYSE: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/duk#NYSE">DUK</a>) is a leading US utility company that boasts a substantial nuclear power fleet. This nuclear component complements its diverse portfolio, which also includes renewable energy sources and natural gas generation. For investors, Duke Energy offers a balance between the potential upside of the nuclear sector and the stability of a large, diversified utility company.
<h3>Exelon Corporation&nbsp;</h3>
Exelon Corporation&nbsp;(NASDAQ: <a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/exc#NASDAQ">EXC</a>) holds a dominant position as one of the largest operators of nuclear power plants in the United States. Unlike Duke, Exelon&#39;s power generation relies more heavily on nuclear facilities. This makes Exelon a more direct play on potential legislative or market changes that favor the nuclear energy industry and could lead to increased profitability for the company&#39;s nuclear segment.
Established utilities with significant nuclear operations provide a different investment opportunity than pure-play uranium miners or cutting-edge reactor developers. These utilities offer a way to benefit from a potential nuclear resurgence while also often maintaining a broader portfolio of energy assets that can provide some measure of stability. Investors will need to assess their risk tolerance and the role they envision nuclear stocks playing within their overall portfolio when considering companies like Duke Energy and Exelon.
<h2>Diversifying Nuclear Investment: The Role of ETFs</h2>
Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) provide investors a streamlined way to gain exposure to the nuclear energy sector without directly investing in individual companies. This basket approach can mitigate some risks associated with single stocks while allowing investors to benefit from the sector&#39;s potential growth. Here&#39;s a breakdown of two prominent ETFs in the nuclear space:
<h3>Global X Uranium ETF&nbsp;</h3>
The Global X Uranium ETF (ARCA:URA) is specifically designed to track companies involved in the mining and producing of uranium, along with businesses engaged in related stages of the nuclear fuel cycle. This ETF offers investors a more targeted way to bet on the rising demand for uranium if the resurgence of nuclear power comes to fruition.
<h3>VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF</h3>
The VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF (ARCA:NLR) adopts a slightly broader approach than the Global X Uranium ETF. While still capturing exposure to uranium-related companies, this ETF also includes companies engaged in constructing and operating nuclear power plants. This expanded focus could benefit if both uranium demand and positive sentiment towards atomic power generation increase in tandem.
Nuclear energy ETFs present an appealing option for investors seeking a convenient and diversified approach to the industry. These ETFs eliminate the need for extensive research into individual companies but still give investors access to the potential growth trajectory of the nuclear sector. Investors must carefully consider the specific holdings and management fees of any exchange-traded fund before investing.
<h2>Policy and Regulation: The X-Factor</h2>
Government policies and regulations are pivotal in shaping the nuclear energy landscape. Favorable policies, like tax incentives or streamlined development processes, could ignite the sector, while restrictive regulations could hamper its growth. Investors need to keep a close eye on the evolving regulatory environment, as policies can greatly influence the prospects for nuclear-related investments.
<h2>Nuclear Power in A Global Context</h2>
Developing economies with booming energy needs could turn to nuclear power as a solution to reduce reliance on fossil fuels and address growing energy security concerns. China and India, for instance, already have ambitious nuclear power expansion plans. This global trend underscores the long-term potential for the nuclear sector and its associated stocks.
<h2>Challenges and Considerations: The Other Side of the Equation</h2>
Acknowledging the challenges and potential risks associated with nuclear power before making any investment decisions is essential. These include:
<ul>
<li>Waste Disposal: The safe and long-term storage of radioactive waste remains a contentious issue. While technological advancements offer potential solutions, this remains a concern for investors and the communities surrounding nuclear plants.</li>
<li>Risk of Accidents: Though safety standards have significantly improved, the potential for accidents, however rare, can generate public fear and negatively impact nuclear investments.</li>
<li>Long Development Timelines: Constructing new nuclear power plants can be lengthy and capital-intensive, making investment returns less immediate than other energy sectors.</li>
</ul>
Nuclear energy stocks have the potential to be lucrative investments in the long term, particularly if the growing need for reliable, low-carbon energy outweighs the industry&#39;s concerns and challenges. Nuclear technology isn&#39;t a silver bullet, but it can play a significant role in the diverse energy mix required for a sustainable future. While nuclear may not fully eclipse solar and wind power, the unique advantages of atomic energy may prove essential on the path toward a cleaner energy future.
The article &quot;<a href="https://www.marketbeat.com/stock-ideas/why-these-nuclear-stocks-could-beat-solar-and-wind-energy-stocks/">Why These Nuclear Stocks Could Beat Solar and Wind Energy Stocks</a>&quot; first appeared on MarketBeat.

Small Cap

BWXT

Nuveen Arizona Dividend Advantage Municipal Funds 3

UUUU

Why These Nuclear Stocks Could Beat Solar and Wind Energy Stocks

<a href="https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Energy/Japan-eyes-hydrogen-production-using-next-gen-nuclear-reactor">https://asia.nikkei.com/Business/Energy/Japan-eyes-hydrogen-production-using-next-gen-nuclear-reactor</a>
The Japanese government plans to start field testing clean hydrogen production using nuclear power as soon as 2028, Nikkei has learned, with the&nbsp;move following a successful&nbsp;safety test of a next-generation reactor&nbsp;last week.
The Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) tested&nbsp;the High Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR)&nbsp;in Ibaraki prefecture on Mach 28. The trial was conducted in conjunction with the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
The safety test&nbsp;cleared a main hurdle&nbsp;toward practical use. Even at 100% power output&nbsp;at roughly 850&nbsp;C, the HTTR was able to cool down naturally and shutdown without&nbsp;inserting&nbsp;control rods.
"It demonstrated it was capable of a high level of safety even during an accident," said a JAEA representative.
The HTTR is a type of high-temperature gas-cooled reactor that&nbsp;generates less power than a typical reactor, but is considered&nbsp;safer.
The Japanese government plans to use the heat produced by the HTTR to manufacture hydrogen. The government will take the lead until the technology is established, then let the private sector take over when the tech is ready&nbsp;for wider use.
Following the 2011 disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, nuclear power development came to a worldwide standstill. However, after&nbsp;the Paris climate agreement was adopted in 2015, many countries started to focus on researching and developing nuclear power as an electricity&nbsp;source&nbsp;to complement renewable energy.
By 2050, global power demand will expand&nbsp;up to 50% compared with today, according to the International Energy Agency. Meeting that&nbsp;demand&nbsp;with renewables alone will be a challenge.
Nuclear energy is seen by many as a solution for manufacturing hydrogen without producing greenhouse gas emissions.
Hydrogen is thought to be essential for eliminating industrial emissions in several sectors, including&nbsp;power, aviation, marine shipping and steel. Because nuclear energy does not produce greenhouse gases, the hydrogen production process using a reactor can be executed with nearly zero emissions.
The JAEA will petition Japan's Nuclear Regulation Authority as early as this year&nbsp;to begin screenings for connecting hydrogen production equipment to a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor. If the screenings go well, a field test for nuclear hydrogen production will launch in 2028.
The government has set a goal of expanding the annual supply of hydrogen sixfold to approximately 12 million tonnes by 2040.
The HTTR has a thermal output of 30 megawatts. If the scale is expanded to 250 MW, that would make enough green hydrogen to power 200,000 fuel cell vehicles for a year, according to a JAEA estimate.
Because of the limited output of the HTTR, JAEA plans to put multiple units in place.
The Japanese government recognizes five reactor types as next-generation advanced reactors. Apart from the advanced boiling water reactor, which has attained commercial viability overseas, the high-temperature gas-cooled reactor is considered to be the closest to the proof-of-concept test stage. The other three types are not expected to get to that stage until at least the 2040s.
Japan's basic policy for green transformation, approved by the cabinet in February 2023, called for 1 trillion yen ($6.58 billion) to be allocated toward building high-temperature gas-cooled reactors and fast reactors over the next 10 years. This initiative will be funded by green transformation economy transition bonds.
There is still a high degree of skepticism toward nuclear power in Japan post-Fukushima. The location for disposing nuclear waste has not been determined either.
Japan has a history of successfully field testing advanced nuclear technology that failed to reach commercial feasibility. It remains to be seen whether the private sector will see&nbsp;nuclear hydrogen production&nbsp;as a viable&nbsp;investment target.

'Japan Eyes Hydrogen Production Using Next-gen Nuclear Reactor; Japanese Government Plans To Start Field Testing Clean Hydrogen Production Using Nuclear Power As Soon As 2028' - Nikkei Asia

If there's one sector where contrarian investing should be the rule, it's the <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/mining">mining sector</a>.
That's a lesson that Rick Rule, founder and president of Rule Investment Media, learned after being involved in <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/03/37868388/3-top-stock-picks-in-metals-mining-sector-to-consider-right-now">natural resource investing</a> for over 50 years.
"As an investor in resources, if you aren't a contrarian, you're going to be a victim. It's as simple as that," said Rule in an exclusive interview with Benzinga's Chief Content Officer Brad Olesen at the 2024 edition of the PDAC Convention in Toronto.
Rule highlighted the importance of going against market trends in a sector that's known for its volatility and fluctuating cycles.
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"These businesses are capital intensive and cyclical, meaning that the cure for low prices is always low prices, and the cure for high prices is always high prices," said Rule.
Yet swimming against the current can be a real challenge for faint-hearted investors, as "easy money ends up being hard, psychologically."
This means that to be a true contrarian, one needs to invest in commodities that are so deeply out of favor that their selling price tends to be priced below the industry average cost of production.
"You have to have the guts to invest in industries in liquidation," said Rule.
The reason to do that is that some industries will continue to function even when their players are not meeting their sustaining capital requirements, to eventually climb back to sustainable levels.
In 2020, when the price of oil went below $20, it still cost the industry $60 to produce a barrel. The result was obvious: either the price of oil had to climb back to $60 "or your car wouldn't start," said Rule.
Also read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/03/37874531/alaska-governor-wants-overhaul-of-mine-permitting-seeks-700b-in-economic-losses">Alaska Governor Wants Overhaul Of Mine Permitting, Seeks $700B In Economic Losses</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Is The Uranium Boom Over?</h3>
From late March 2023 to mid-January of this year, <a href="https://www.benzinga.com//node/37459629">Uranium experienced a boom, with its price climbing more than 100%</a> in less than a year. Yet in recent months, the mineral began to drop.
"I would say in this market, the easy money's been made," said Rule.
The right moment to get aboard the Uranium wave was late 2022, but at the time, most investors were not willing to take the risk.
However, Rule believes that the Uranium market has one key characteristic that makes it stand out from other markets within the natural resource space.
&nbsp;"Unlike any other mineral commodity business I know, there's a very, very big <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/money/what-are-futures">contract market</a>," he said.
As more of the investment volume goes from the securities to contracts, producers will have price certainty for a very long time, and that's something Rule believes doesn't happen with any other commodity.
Certainty in topline revenue will make it so that in five years, the capital cost of setting up a mining production for uranium will be lower, and the equity multiples, higher.
Cameco Corp (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CCJ#NYSE">CCJ</a>) should be first in line in the eyes of investors looking to get into the Uranium market, who are now willing to do the legwork to choose one of the more speculative names.
Last month, Cameco&#8217;s President and CEO, Tim Gitzel <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/earnings/24/02/37039843/cameco-highlights-2023-growth-benefits-of-nuclear-power-are-clearly-in-focus-ceo-says">said that 28 countries around the world have declared support for tripling nuclear power capacity</a> to reach the goal of achieving zero emissions by 2050.
Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URA#NYSE">URA</a>) and Sprott Uranium Miners ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URNM#NYSE">URNM</a>) are the two largest ETFs following the Uranium market.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Oil And Gas Thrive Despite Market Rejection</h3>
Following his long-standing contrarian stance, Rule believes that the easiest market for investors to make money within natural resources today is <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/oil-and-gas">oil and gas</a>.
"The market hates them, but they're great big businesses," he said.
While many political leaders <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/news/24/03/37811556/saudi-aramco-ceo-amin-nasser-says-abandon-the-fantasy-of-phasing-out-oil-and-gas">share the view that conventional hydrocarbon fuels will go away by 2030</a>, that — in Rule's view — is "totally insane."
"Our species has invested $5 trillion in alternative energies over forty years. We've reduced the market share of hydrocarbons from a high of 82% all the way down to 81%," he said sarcastically.
The half-life of oil and gas reserves is probably 2060, says Rule, which leaves "a lot of life left in that business."
The largest ETFs for the oil and gas sector are United States Oil Fund LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/USO#NYSE">USO</a>), United States Natural Gas Fund LP (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/UNG#NYSE">UNG</a>) and Invesco DB Oil Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/DBO#NYSE">DBO</a>).
Now read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/markets/24/03/37463812/us-oil-and-gas-companies-profits-skyrocket-as-the-us-becomes-the-energy-supplier-of-choice">US Oil And Gas Companies Profits Skyrocket As The US Becomes The Energy Supplier Of Choice</a>
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EXCLUSIVE: Oil And Gas Aren't Going Anywhere, But Uranium Is Dead — Rick Rule's Keys For Understanding Mining

China is no longer building fossil fuel power stations at the rate of two a week, as the world opts for <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/topic/clean-energy">greener energy options</a>.
Still, the metals needed to achieve these goals will surge again, according to Patricia Mohr, commodities expert and a former vice president at Scotiabank.
Mohr told Benzinga&#8217;s Melanie Schaffer that the green transition could see prices for certain commodities spike.
Speaking at the recent Prospectors And Developers Association of Canada (PDAC) conference in Toronto, Mohr said she was especially bullish on both copper and uranium.
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&#8220;In the mining space we think copper is going to do very well — currently trading around $4 a pound, I think in a couple of years it will move above $5 a pound, which will be quite a profitable level,&#8221; she said. &#8220;We need to see that level because we need to see investment in some new mines established around the world to meet the decarbonization goals the world now has.&#8221;
Copper is used heavily in the production of electricity — whether that be in fossil fuel-guzzling power stations or wind and solar farms. The copper is used in turbines that convert rotational energy into electric energy. In fact, more copper is used in wind and solar energy production than in traditional fossil fuel stations.
It&#8217;s akin to when China&#8217;s tiger economy was growing at double-digit percentages every year throughout the 1990s. This required expansion across power and housing. Thus, the price of copper and many other industrial metals reached record highs during the commodity super-cycle well into the early 2010s.
&#8220;With copper, there have been a lot of <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/03/37852494/copper-stocks-rally-as-market-tightness-reaches-historic-levels-analysts-see-major-">operational problems</a>,&#8221; Mohr said
These have included the shutdown of First Quantum&#8216;s (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/FQVLF#OTC">FQVLF</a>) Cobre mine in Panama, which was ordered by the Panama government late last year after public protests over environmental concerns 
There have also been production issues with other mining groups, such as Anglo American Plc (OTC:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/NGLOY#OTC">NGLOY</a>), resulting in lower copper output forecasts for the year.
&#8220;We&#8217;re not seeing a lot of new investment — there is some expansion in capacity, but not as much as the market had expected six months ago. So the market is going to jump in the next year and a half and it will prove to be a very good investment.&#8221;
The United States Copper Index Fund (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/CPER#NYSE">CPER</a>), an ETF that tracks the price of copper, is up nearly 5% so far in 2024, while the Global X Copper Miners ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/COPX#NYSE">COPX</a>), which holds the top copper mining stocks, is up 8.8%.
Also Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/03/37852494/copper-stocks-rally-as-market-tightness-reaches-historic-levels-analysts-see-major-">Copper Stocks Rally As Market Tightness Reaches Historic Levels: Analysts See Major Scarcity By 2025</a>
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Going Nuclear On Uranium</h3>
Global environmental targets are igniting renewed interest in the nuclear option. 
Following the Fukushima disaster in Japan in 2011, when an earthquake caused the release of nuclear contaminants from a power station into the surrounding environment, some countries decided to cut their dependence on nuclear power. 
Germany decided to go nuclear-free, but many countries, given the current supply risks of other fuels such as oil and gas, have revisited their nuclear policies.
 &#8220;We&#8217;re bullish on uranium — an energy source that emits almost no greenhouse gases. It&#8217;s a very clean energy source. Governments around the world are beginning to show interest in nuclear power once more — including in Canada&#8221; said Mohr.
Mohr explained that uranium has been on something of a run. After hitting lows around $15 a pound in 2016, the price is currently $85, having hit more than $100 in January.
&#8220;I wouldn&#8217;t be surprised to see it reach its previous peak of $140 (hit in May 2007) — I think it&#8217;s going to turn out to be a good investment.&#8221;
This week the Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE:<a class="ticker" href="https://www.benzinga.com/stock/URA#NYSE">URA</a>), an exchange-traded fund that tracks global uranium miners, is flat in 2024.
<h3 class="wp-block-heading">Lithium Driven Lower</h3>
While lithium prices have tanked in the past year as demand for electric vehicles appears to have hit a plateau, Mohr is now becoming more bullish, given the lower entry price.
&#8220;I do think EVs are the future, but in the U.S. it&#8217;s coming on more slowly. In the U.S. they&#8217;re not concerned about the global outlook for oil because they are the biggest oil producer,&#8221; she said.
She added: &#8220;Lithium took quite a tumble last year so I think some investors will come back in to take advantage of low valuations and the price will come back slowly.&#8221;
Now Read: <a href="https://www.benzinga.com/analyst-ratings/analyst-color/24/03/37824586/gas-prices-set-for-summer-spike-west-coast-consumers-already-paying-more-than-4-a-g">Gas Prices Set For Summer Spike: West Coast Consumers Already Paying More Than $4 A Gallon</a>
Image via Shutterstock

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