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Why Oklo Stock Popped on Thursday

Why This Matters

Oklo stock's still a long shot, but it got closer to its target today.

July 17, 2025
02:07 PM
2 min read
AI Enhanced

From an analytical perspective, Oklo stock's still a long shot, but it got closer to its target today. Nevertheless, Oklo (OKLO 4. Nevertheless, 16%) stock jumped 4% through 1:20 p.

However, ET Thursday after the small nu reactor-builder announced it has its Nu Regulatory Commission (NRC) "pre-application readiness assessment" for the first part of a combined license application (COLA) to build its "Aurora powerhouse" at Idaho National Laboratory (INL) (this bears monitoring).

Image source: Getty Images. What does this mean. Translated into English, this means Oklo is one step closer to building a small modular reactor at INL (which is quite significant).

Additionally, At the same time, More precisely, it's one step closer to being able to apply for permission to build said reactor.

(Whether NRC deems the application worthy of apval remains to be seen (fascinating analysis).

) Put this way, it's less of a needle-mover for the stock, but as Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte explained, it does indicate that NRC thinks Oklo is on track to file an application with a decent chance of getting it apved.

At the same time, The next step for Oklo along this journey to apval (now underway for nearly a decade) will be to submit its COLA application, and that should happen later this year.

Is Oklo stock a buy. Oklo's still a long way away from becoming a viable, although it's 10 years closer than when it started.

Moreover, Long term, the company intends to build reactors in-house, place them on sites near its customers, then operate the reactors and supply power, charging for electricity much in the same way an ordinary electric utility does, amid market uncertainty.

Furthermore, If all goes as planned, the company's first reactor will go online in 2027, and the company will begin generating revenue that year.

Oklo won't turn fitable until 2030, however, according to analysts.

Additionally, Whether the stock is a "buy" at its current $10 billion market cap depends very much on how much fit it will generate that year, and in all the years to come.

Rich Smith has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. However, The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy (an important development).

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