Nuclear-themed ETFs are in breakout mode and moving full steam ahead, fueled by a wave of investor enthusiasm for the industry’s contribution to fueling the AI revolution. On Monday morning, the VanEck Uranium+Nuclear Energy ETF (NYSE:NLR) surged to an all-time high 52-week peak of $138.11, up more than 110% from lows, while the Range Nuclear Renaissance Index ETF (NYSE:NUKZ) reached $66.6, up around 100% from lows.
NLR is up 61% year-to-date. Track its prices live, here.
They’re not the only ones. The Global X Uranium ETF (NYSE:URA) is up over 75.2% year-to-date, reaching its 52-week high of $49.94 on Friday. The Themes Uranium & Nuclear ETF (BATS:URAN) and Sprott Junior Uranium Miners ETF (NASDAQ:URNJ) both posted solid gains between 35% and 55% over the year-to-date. For investors, the message is clear: nuclear energy ETFs are quietly some of the hottest trades of 2025.
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The rally reflects a sharp shift in how markets view nuclear power. Once seen as a stagnant industry, nuclear has been "rediscovered," according to a new Bank of America report that estimates the sector could represent a $10 trillion market opportunity by 2050, Yahoo Finance reported. The push is being fueled by the electricity-hungry buildout of AI data centers, electric vehicle adoption, and industrial electrification, all of which require reliable, around-the-clock energy.
Beneath the surface, SMRs are emerging as the game-changer. Companies such as NuScale Power Corp (NYSE:SMR) and Oklo Inc (NYSE:OKLO) are competing to get SMRs online in the decade. At the same time, uranium enrichment giant Centrus Energy (AMEX:LEU) has become the essential player after US sanctions slowed down Russian imports of uranium. These individual stocks have risen by triple digits this year. However, ETFs offer a diversified entry into the entire nuclear value chain, mitigating the volatility risk associated with these stocks.
Policy is adding more fuel. The Trump administration has pledged its support to nuclear power with an offer of loan guarantees and tax breaks, while Goldman Sachs and Bank of America strategists both expect nuclear supply to pick up after decades of inactivity. “By 2040, global nuclear generating capacity is expected to rise from 378 gigawatts to 575 gigawatts, representing an increase in nuclear energy's share of the global electricity mix from around 9% to 12%,” said Goldman Sachs in a report from earlier this year.
Moreover, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) also revised its nuclear power expectations, marking the fifth consecutive upward revision since 2021, seeing nearly 1,000 GW(e) by 2050.
With global capacity set to triple by 2050 and over $3 trillion in investment forecasted in the next 25 years, such ETFs as NLR, NUKZ, URA, URAN, and URNJ are increasingly becoming a convenient entry point to one of the most significant energy tales of the decade.
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