BWX Technologies, the U.S. Navy's main nuclear reactor supplier, soared higher, along with other nuclear-related plays, during Tuesday's stock market after reporting much better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and revenue. Meanwhile, reports emerged late Monday that Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy will announce plans this week to build a nuclear reactor on the moon, the latest example of the Trump White House's support for nuclear power.
BWX Technologies reported late Monday that Q2 EPS grew 23% to $1.02 with revenue totaling $764 million, representing a 12% increase vs. a year ago. Those results were well above the analyst consensus of 79 cents per share and $711.1 million in sales, according to FactSet.
The company also raised its 2025 financial guidance on Monday, expecting adjusted EPS of $3.65 to $3.75 and free cash flow of $275 million to $285 million. BWX Technologies previously predicted 2025 profit between $3.40 and $3.55 per share.
"We had exceptionally strong second quarter 2025 financial results driven by solid operational performance and pacing of work, particularly in government operations, which was complemented by robust bookings in both segments, leading to record backlog," BWX Technologies CEO Rex Geveden said in the earnings release Monday.
"The demand for nuclear solutions in the global security, clean energy, and medical markets continues to accelerate," Geveden added.
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Not Just A Nuclear Power Play
William Blair analyst Jed Dorsheimer wrote Tuesday that BWX Technologies' earnings report demonstrates "why it is our most robust pure play in nuclear" and that BWXT should be seen by investors as a "core holding" in the nuclear energy space.
Dorsheimer added that while the nuclear power outlook is strong, and BWX Technologies is "actively bidding on projects," the largest near-term upside is from the radiopharma business. The company's medical business makes up about $100 million, or 3% of revenues so far this year.
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"The success of Novartis's (NVS $117.83) Pluvicto has brought attention to the sector and highlighted the lack of supplier scale for the critical isotopes," Dorsheimer said Tuesday.
"BWXT is well positioned to scale isotope production and serve as a supplier to this $30 billion TAM (total available market) in 2030," the analyst added.
BWXT stock soared 17.8% to 181.98 during Tuesday's stock market, adding to a 3.4% gain from Monday. Meanwhile, other nuclear stocks also moved higher Tuesday.
Trump's Nuclear Moon Plans
Politico reported late Monday that Transportation Secretary and interim NASA head Duffy will announce this week expedited plans for a nuclear reactor on the moon. According to documents reviewed by Politico, the Trump White House is ordering the agency to solicit industry proposals for a 100 kilowatt nuclear reactor to launch by 2030.
NASA previously funded research into a 40 kilowatt reactor for use on the moon, with plans to have a reactor ready for launch by the early 2030s, Politico reported.
This comes after Trump in late May signed four executive orders to support the nuclear energy sector and put in place a "total and complete reform" of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, or NRC.
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Nuclear Stocks Making Moves
Nuclear-power startup Oklo jumped 10.4% to 84.36 Tuesday, gaining momentum after surging nearly 7% on Monday.
Oklo is focused on the emerging small modular reactor, or SMR, technology. The startup is looking to bring its first commercial SMR online in late 2027 or early 2028.
No operating SMRs now exist, but a number of companies are developing the technology. SMRs aim to provide power at the company level, drastically reducing the time and cost of permitting, constructing and operating full-scale nuclear facilities.
Fellow SMR-focused plays NuScale Power and Nano Nuclear Energy advanced 4% and 6.7%, respectively, in Tuesday's stock market.
Uranium miner Centrus Energy gained 1.7% Tuesday before reporting significantly better-than-expected second-quarter earnings and revenue after the stock market close. This was primarily due to favorable pricing on contracts for nuclear fuel. LEU stock moved 16% higher early Wednesday.
Canada-based uranium refiner Cameco fell around 1% in stock market trade.
Cameco, which owns a 49% stake in nuclear reactor builder Westinghouse, reported better-than-expected second-quarter earnings on Friday, with quarterly profit soaring 410%.
Among other nuclear plays, GE Vernova dropped about 2% Tuesday. Uranium Energy moved 3.2% higher while Lightbridge edged up 0.6%. Energy Fuels fell early before ending Tuesday's stock market up 2%.
Investors can keep tabs on the IBD Leaderboard watchlist, the IBD 50 list of top growth stocks and IBD SwingTrader along with the IBD Sector Leaders list.
BWXT stock has a robust 96 Composite Rating out of a best-possible 99. The nuclear stock also has a 95 Relative Strength Rating and an 88 EPS Rating.
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