The International Atomic Energy Agency recently increased its projections for capacity of global nuclear power for a fifth straight year, and it now expects capacity to more than double by 2050. Still, nuclear energy is unfamiliar enough to many that it's easy for investors to be unaware of the intricacies of the nuclear fuel supply chain, including processes such as mining, enrichment, fabrication, reactor operation, waste disposal, and more.
With nuclear power in ever-increasing demand for data center applications and other uses, companies operating as pick-and-shovel plays within the nuclear supply chain could be positioned to benefit in a big way. Investors can therefore look beyond pure-play mining firms for an innovative approach to the nuclear energy space.
Major Provider of a Critical Enriched Product Sees Big Boost From DEA Contract
Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE: LEU) provides nuclear fuel enrichment services and is, in fact, the only American firm licensed to produce high-assay, low-enriched uranium (HALEU). This type of highly energy-dense uranium is vital for fueling many types of nuclear reactors—meaning that Centrus essentially has a monopoly on a critical corner of the market.
This advantageous position has led to significant wins for Centrus in recent quarters. Late in 2025, for example, the company won a $900-million HALEU enrichment award from the Department of Energy. Structured as a procurement, the award will help Centrus to increase its HALEU production capacity. All of this has led to strong finances for Centrus. In 2025, revenue climbed to nearly $449 million, while backlog reached $3.8 billion, extending to 2040.
Although LEU shares have close to tripled in price in the last year, they are down fairly sharply this year, having fallen by about 10% year-to-date. Part of this has to do with a few precarious elements of its business, including its reliance on Russian supplies and its rapidly growing capital expenditures. Still, half of the analysts rating LEU view the stock as a Buy, and the consensus price target suggests nearly 25% in upside potential may be in store.
Low-Cost In-Situ Production Gives Uranium Energy Corp. a Margin Edge
When it comes to uranium mining firms, Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSEAMERICAN: UEC) stands out as a key—but often overlooked—domestic producer of yellowcake, the uranium concentrate that represents an intermediate step in uranium processing. In its latest quarter, Uranium Energy produced nearly 45,800 pounds of the substance.
What makes Uranium Energy important for investors to know is that its in-situ recovery process keeps costs quite low—during the same period, the cash cost to the firm was only about $40 per pound of yellowcake. During the same period, it sold some 200,000 pounds of yellowcake for more than $100 per pound, leading to $20 million in revenue and about half that much in gross profit.
Uranium's low-cost production process has helped it to amass a solid cash foundation of more than $800 million as of the latest earnings report and has kept it debt-free in the process. With nearly 1.5 million pounds of yellowcake inventory on hand, the company is well-positioned to continue to provide these raw materials to nuclear energy firms across the production cycle for the foreseeable future. This may be why, despite also tripling in the last year, shares of UEC are projected to continue to rise by about 16%.
Rapid Medical Industry Growth Fuels BWX's Expansion
BWX Technologies Inc. (NYSE: BWXT) is a provider of nuclear components and services, with a particular focus on propulsion systems for naval nuclear reactors. The company thus has a niche focus on the defense industry, but also produces small modular reactors and components for non-defense uses as well, including for the medical industry.
BWX's multi-sector approach has paid off well—last quarter, the company closed 2025 with revenue up 18% YOY and earnings per share up 20%. Free cash flow and adjusted EBITDA also climbed thanks to strong commercial operations. In particular, the company's medical segment reached $100 million in annual revenue. This makes BWX an appealing nuclear energy play for investors keen to explore beyond the data center application.
Acquisitions and new facilities are helping BWX to expand its reach rapidly, and the company has been able to do so without jeopardizing its financial position. Indeed, it reduced interest costs and increased its liquidity to $1.7 billion by the end of 2025. On top of all this, BWX also offers investors a modest dividend bonus. Analysts are strongly bullish on BWXT, as more than two-thirds of those rating the stock have called it a Buy or equivalent.
Where Should You Invest $1,000 Right Now?
Before you make your next trade, you'll want to hear this.
MarketBeat keeps track of Wall Street's top-rated and best performing research analysts and the stocks they recommend to their clients on a daily basis.
Our team has identified the five stocks that top analysts are quietly whispering to their clients to buy now before the broader market catches on... and none of the big name stocks were on the list.
They believe these five stocks are the five best companies for investors to buy now...
The article "3 Overlooked Nuclear Fuel Supply Chain Winners" first appeared on MarketBeat.
