Why Oklo Stock Jumped 51.6% in September and Is Up 500% in 2025

Key Points

• President Donald Trump wants to turbocharge the U.S. nuclear energy industry to make the nation self-reliant.

• The U.S. has kicked off nuclear pilot programs and selected Oklo as one of the participants.

• Investors should know some things before buying this stock that has risen 500% in 2025.

• 10 stocks we like better than Oklo ›

Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) stock is up a staggering 500% so far in 2025. A significant portion of those gains occurred in September, as the nuclear energy stock rallied 51.6% during the month, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence.

Oklo is developing fast-fission, modular nuclear power plants called Aurora that can deliver steady, affordable, and clean energy at scale. That seems to be the right technology at the right time, what with the U.S. government going all-in to drive the domestic nuclear energy industry. And for Oklo, September was a blockbuster month.

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What's fueling Oklo's surge?

Since returning to the Oval Office in January, President Donald Trump has signed several executive orders aimed at reviving America's nuclear energy industry. Plans include restarting and completing existing nuclear plants, building new reactors, and shoring up domestic supplies of key nuclear fuel uranium.

In September, Trump signed the Technology Prosperity Deal (TPD) with the U.K. government to fast-track projects in artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and nuclear energy. Nuclear is a major focus area, with both nations pledging billions of dollars to speed nuclear site licensing and achieve "full independence from Russian nuclear fuel" by the end of 2028.

Nuclear energy stocks jumped on the announcement, with Oklo stealing the spotlight as investors see the company as a major beneficiary under the Trump administration. That's because Oklo already has fuel supply agreements with the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and was among the handful of companies recently selected by the DOE for its reactor pilot program. In September, Oklo even broke ground on its first Aurora power plant at Idaho National Laboratory under the pilot program.

On Sept. 30, Oklo was also selected for the DOE's Advanced Nuclear Fuel Line Pilot Projects, joining three other companies planning to build nuclear fuel fabrication facilities for advanced nuclear reactors.

Should you buy Oklo stock?

While the stock of a start-up like Oklo can often surge on momentum trading and speculation, that wasn't entirely the case for Oklo in September. Oklo isn't the only one building small, modular, and scalable nuclear reactors to capitalize on the Trump-driven nuclear resurgence, but it has hit quite a few milestones lately, including being picked by the DOE for its nuclear projects and inking collaborations with data center providers.

Moreover, Oklo is carving out a unique position by focusing on nuclear fuel recycling. Last month, it announced a $1.68 billion investment to build a fuel recycling facility in Tennessee and said it is looking for opportunities to collaborate with the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA) to recycle the utility's used fuel and later sell nuclear energy to TVA, the largest public power provider in the U.S.

Oklo's dizzying rally this year and a hefty market capitalization of over $18 billion reflect investors' bold bet on a nuclear energy comeback. But last heard, Oklo doesn't expect to deploy its first plant before late 2027 or early 2028. On top of that, its eventual business plan to sell power under long-term contracts means actual sales won't start flowing once a plant is set up -- it will need buyers for its energy output. Keep that in mind before investing in the stock.

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Neha Chamaria has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.