Why Centrus Energy Stock Soared Today

Centrus Energy (NYSEMKT: LEU) stock jumped 8.8% through 3:15 p.m. ET Wednesday on (potentially) terrific news for the nuclear power industry.

Earlier this year, investors in nuclear stocks -- and artificial intelligence (AI) stocks -- were all aflutter after reports said Microsoft is slow-rolling setting up data centers for AI services. And if Microsoft is foreshadowing AI doom, this might mean we won't need to build a lot of nuclear power plants to keep AI server farms humming.

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Yesterday, though, Constellation Energy announced a 20-year deal to supply nuclear power to Meta Platforms server farms. Today, it was Amazon's turn to give nuclear stocks a boost, announcing a $10 billion investment in new data centers in North Carolina.

Image source: Getty Images.

What's Amazon up to in North Carolina?

Amazon is building the data centers to support its own AI infrastructure -- part of a plan that could see Amazon spend $100 billion this year on capital improvements in general, AI infrastructure in particular.

And what does this mean for investors in companies like Centrus, which enriches uranium for use in nuclear power plants? Well, we now have two gigantic AI firms -- Meta and Amazon -- announcing over two straight days back-to-back gigantic deals to grow their AI businesses.

Whether or not Microsoft is scaling back its own AI bets (and there is still some debate on that point), if Meta and Amazon are still going full speed ahead, that means AI is still growing. And if AI is growing, then the need for nuclear power plants to fuel that growth -- and for enriched uranium to fuel the power plants -- will grow as well.

That's bullish for Centrus stock. It's why Centrus stock is going up today.

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John Mackey, former CEO of Whole Foods Market, an Amazon subsidiary, is a member of The Motley Fool’s board of directors. Randi Zuckerberg, a former director of market development and spokeswoman for Facebook and sister to Meta Platforms CEO Mark Zuckerberg, is a member of The Motley Fool's board of directors. Rich Smith has positions in Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Amazon, Constellation Energy, Meta Platforms, and Microsoft. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.