Why Is NuScale Power (SMR) Stock Up +9.16% Today?
Key Takeaways
- NuScale Power (SMR) shares climbed 9.16% to close at $9.06, up from a prior close of $8.30.
- The primary catalyst was the U.S. House of Representatives' 417–3 passage of the Ratepayer Protection Act, a bill that would shift data center grid-upgrade costs onto large power consumers.
- A broad rally across advanced nuclear developers — led by peer Oklo (OKLO), which rose roughly 11–13% — amplified the move.
- The rebound followed a sharp post-downgrade selloff; shares remain down substantially year-to-date despite the gain.
- Volume was elevated at roughly 44–49 million shares versus a ~38 million average.
- Traders are watching Senate action on the bill and progress toward a potential Tennessee Valley Authority power purchase agreement.
Opening Summary
NuScale Power Corporation (SMR) is a developer of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) and the only U.S. company with a small modular reactor design certified by the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. On Thursday, its shares rose 9.16% to close at $9.06, up from a prior session close of $8.30. The advance was driven not by a company-specific announcement but by a policy development in Washington that markets interpreted as a tailwind for dedicated, behind-the-meter nuclear generation serving data centers.
House Vote on Data Center Power Costs Sparks Rally
The dominant catalyst behind the move was the House of Representatives' passage of H.R. 9340, the Ratepayer Protection Act, by a decisive 417–3 margin. The bill would direct state utility regulators to consider standards for large-load customers — including data centers with demand of at least 100 megawatts — that recover the full incremental costs of the generation, transmission, and distribution upgrades such facilities require.
For advanced nuclear developers, the read-through is straightforward. If hyperscale data center operators must internalize grid-upgrade costs, long-term contracts with dedicated generators become more economically attractive. Small modular reactors are marketed precisely as firm, carbon-free, customer-sited power that can be added incrementally near large loads, positioning developers like SMR to benefit if the legislation ultimately becomes law. Importantly, the bill still requires Senate approval and does not mandate any specific energy source, so Thursday's price action reflected a policy tailwind rather than confirmed new demand.
Sector Sympathy Amplifies the Advance
The rally in SMR was part of a broader bid concentrated in reactor developers rather than across the full nuclear supply chain. Peer Oklo (OKLO) surged roughly 11–13% on the same headline, while the Global X Uranium ETF (URA) rose a more modest 3–4%, signaling that investors treated the vote as a developer-specific catalyst rather than a sector-wide endorsement. The move also followed a difficult stretch for SMR, which had tumbled after a UBS downgrade to Sell on September 11, making the rebound a recovery from a depressed base rather than a fresh record-setting breakout.
Market Context and Trading Activity
The session's gains outpaced the broader market. The SPDR S&P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) advanced about 1.15% on the day, while SMR led well ahead of the tape. Trading volume was elevated, with roughly 44–49 million shares changing hands compared with a recent daily average near 38 million, indicating genuine buying interest rather than a low-liquidity drift higher.
From a technical standpoint, the advance lifted the stock back to the vicinity of its 50-day moving average near $9.06, a level that had acted as a magnet during recent volatility. The stock remains well below its 52-week high and its 200-day moving average, underscoring that Thursday's rally occurred within a longer-term downtrend.
What Comes Next for SMR
The sustainability of the move hinges on follow-through beyond the initial policy headline. The Ratepayer Protection Act must still clear the Senate, and its ultimate rules would be shaped by state regulators — meaning the legislative path remains uncertain and could fade as a catalyst if momentum stalls.
The more company-specific catalyst investors are tracking is progress toward a definitive power purchase agreement between SMR's development partner ENTRA1 Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority for a deployment that could reach up to 6 gigawatts of NuScale capacity. A signed agreement would convert a prospective pipeline into contracted revenue visibility, while continued delays would leave the stock sensitive to sentiment shifts and further analyst revisions.
NuScale's next earnings report is expected around November 5, 2026. Wall Street consensus on the stock remains a Hold, with an average price target above current levels, though analyst views span a wide range. Key risks include the absence of binding customer contracts, ongoing cash burn, and shareholder dilution tied to the company's at-the-market equity programs.
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Contributor
Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
SMR in downward trend: price may decline as a result of having broken its higher Bollinger Band on September 08, 2026
SMR broke above its upper Bollinger Band on September 08, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to drop as the stock moves back below the upper band and toward the middle band. You may want to consider selling the stock or exploring put options. The A.I.dvisor looked at 46 similar instances where the stock broke above the upper band. In 43 of the 46 cases the stock fell afterwards. This puts the odds of success at 90%.
Technical Analysis (Indicators)
Bearish Trend Analysis
The 10-day RSI Indicator for SMR moved out of overbought territory on September 09, 2026. This could be a bearish sign for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 30 similar instances where the indicator moved out of overbought territory. In 26 of the 30 cases, the stock moved lower in the following days. This puts the odds of a move lower at 87%.
The Momentum Indicator moved below the 0 level on September 11, 2026. You may want to consider selling the stock, shorting the stock, or exploring put options on SMR as a result. In 74 of 94 cases where the Momentum Indicator fell below 0, the stock fell further within the subsequent month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 79%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence Histogram (MACD) for SMR turned negative on September 14, 2026. This could be a sign that the stock is set to turn lower in the coming weeks. Traders may want to sell the stock or buy put options. Tickeron's A.I.dvisor looked at 41 similar instances when the indicator turned negative. In 36 of the 41 cases the stock turned lower in the days that followed. This puts the odds of success at 88%.
SMR moved below its 50-day moving average on September 11, 2026 date and that indicates a change from an upward trend to a downward trend.
The 10-day moving average for SMR crossed bearishly below the 50-day moving average on September 22, 2026. This indicates that the trend has shifted lower and could be considered a sell signal. In 14 of 16 past instances when the 10-day crossed below the 50-day, the stock continued to move higher over the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 88%.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where SMR declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 85%.
The Aroon Indicator for SMR entered a downward trend on October 07, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
Bullish Trend Analysis
The Stochastic Oscillator shows that the ticker has stayed in the oversold zone for 17 days. The price of this ticker is presumed to bounce back soon, since the longer the ticker stays in the oversold zone, the more promptly an upward trend is expected.
Following a +7.50% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where SMR advanced for three days, in 196 of 248 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 79%.
Fundamental Analysis (Ratings)
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 38 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.575) is normal, around the industry mean (5.342). P/E Ratio (0.000) is within average values for comparable stocks, (66.065). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.000) is also within normal values, averaging (1.879). Dividend Yield (0.000) settles around the average of (0.014) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (208.333) is also within normal values, averaging (186.943).
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 82 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating slightly worse than average price growth. SMR’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 97 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating weak sales and an unprofitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 100 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating that the returns do not compensate for the risks. SMR’s unstable profits reported over time resulted in significant Drawdowns within these last five years. A stable profit reduces stock drawdown and volatility. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 75, placing this stock worse than average.
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