In a recent interview, AI permabull and Wedbush analyst Dan Ives responded that the energy concerns around the revolutionary tech can be mitigated effectively by nuclear sources. The market seems to agree with him, as shares of the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF (NLR) are up 49% on a year-to-date (YTD) basis. The ETF, with an AUM of about $3.4 billion, is one of the biggest in the sector, covering companies involved in uranium mining, nuclear reactors/power production, and equipment & services in the nuclear industry.
Moreover, projected to reach a size of about $51.83 billion by 2035 from about $37 billion today, the uptick story for stocks in the sector is expected to continue. Several reasons are cited for the same: whether it is the huge buildup of data centers for AI, the large pipeline of new capacity in Asia, or government support across the globe to cut harmful emissions from fossil fuels, the case for nuclear going “nuclear” in terms of growth is many.
As such, investors can consider this space to be a solid bet and gain upside from an energy theme that is certain to gain widespread acceptance in the coming years. But how? Well, here are three names from the sector that analysts on Wall Street are quite bullish about.
Tracing its roots back to the 1980s, Asp Isotopes (ASPI) was incorporated in Delaware in September 2021. The company describes itself as an advanced materials company dedicated to developing technology and processes to produce enriched isotopes for multiple industries. It employs a proprietary technology called the Aerodynamic Separation Process (“ASP technology”) for isotope enrichment.
Valued at a market cap of $620 million, ASPI stock is up 31% on a YTD basis.
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In the most recent quarter, Asp Isotopes reported total revenues of $4.9 million, up substantially from the previous year’s figure of just $1.1 million. However, the company’s losses for Q3 2025 widened to $0.15 per share from $0.12 per share. This also came in higher than the consensus estimate of a loss of $0.10 per share.
Net cash used in operating activities also increased for the first nine months of 2025 to almost $20 million from about $13 million in the year-ago period. Yet, it fortified its cash balance from the start of the year to $113.9 million from $61.9 million. This was much higher than the company’s short-term debt levels of about $13 million.
Overall, amid limited coverage of just one analyst, the ASPI stock has been assigned a rating of “Strong Buy” with a mean target price of $11. This indicates an upside potential of about 83% from current levels.
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Founded in 2015, Talen Energy (TLN) owns and operates a portfolio of power generation assets across nuclear, natural gas, oil, and coal in the U.S., producing electricity, capacity (rights to generate or reserve capacity), and ancillary services into wholesale power markets. It also increasingly focuses on the infrastructure side of the energy transition, supplying large off-take customers (like data centers) and aiming to convert or retire legacy coal assets, shift toward lower-carbon generation, and monetize its land/infrastructure for future growth.
TLN stock has seen a healthy rise so far this year, going up by 81%, taking its current market cap to $16.8 billion.
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Suitably profitable with growing revenues, the diversified energy player with interests in nuclear reported a beat on both the revenue and earnings front for Q3 2025, its latest quarter. Operating revenues witnessed an annual rise of 25% to $812 million as both the key segments of Capacity and Energy saw growth. Earnings per share witnessed an even sharper rise in the same period, to $4.25 from $3.16 in the year-ago period. The EPS also comfortably outpaced the consensus estimate of an EPS of $3.18.
Meanwhile, the first nine months of 2025 saw the company reporting net cash from operating activities of $424 million, up from $246 million in the same period a year ago. Overall, Talen closed the quarter with a cash balance of $497 million, much higher than its short-term debt levels of $17 million.
Thus, analysts have attributed a consensus rating of “Strong Buy” for the stock, with a mean target price of $462.29, which denotes an upside potential of roughly 25.2% from current levels. Out of 15 analysts covering the stock, 12 have a “Strong Buy” rating, one has a “Moderate Buy” rating, and two have a “Hold” rating.
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We conclude our list with Ur Energy (URG), a uranium mining company founded in 2004, engaged in the acquisition, exploration, development, and operation of uranium mineral properties in the U.S., with its flagship project in Wyoming. Ur-Energy produces uranium (U₃O₈) via in-situ recovery (ISR) mining methods in Wyoming. Their flagship site is the Lost Creek Project in south-central Wyoming. At its core, their business covers uranium recovery, processing, and exploration of uranium mineral properties, with the aim to capitalize on rising nuclear power and uranium demand.
Valued at a market cap of $443.9 million, URG stock is up just 0.43% on a YTD basis, heavily underperforming not only its peers above but the broader market as well.
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Moreover, in Q3 2025, the company reported a miss on both the topline and the bottom line. In fact, sales declined by 1.2% from the prior year to $6.3 million, while losses more than tripled to $0.07 per share from the year-ago figure of $0.02 per share.
Cash bleed from operations, however, slowed down somewhat. Net cash used in operating activities for the first nine months of 2025 was $24.3 million compared to $32.5 million in the prior year. Moreover, the company’s cash balance of about $52 million was much higher than its short-term debt levels of about a million.
Considering all this, analysts have deemed the URG stock to be a “Strong Buy,” with a mean target price of $2.24, which represents an upside potential of about 89.8% from current levels. Out of six analysts covering the stock, five have a “Strong Buy” rating, and one has a “Hold” rating.
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Nuclear energy is here to stay, and it is here to grow. Although there are various ways to play this theme, these three companies have garnered the confidence of Wall Street. Notably, Talen looks particularly strong among them, and its diversified presence across the energy field also gives it an edge. However, pure plays such as URG and ASPI are also well-positioned with a stable balance sheet and revenues and can be considered as bold bets on the exciting sector.
On the date of publication, Pathikrit Bose did not have (either directly or indirectly) positions in any of the securities mentioned in this article. All information and data in this article is solely for informational purposes. This article was originally published on Barchart.com
