Uranium stocks have been laggards in the energy sector, largely due to concerns about safety issues after the tragic Fukushima incident in Japan. Since the event, there has certainly been investor aversion to the space, especially since Germany moved to abandon its nuclear program to focus on renewables. Yet that move has caused a surge in power prices, largely due to renewables maybe being asked to do too much too soon in the aftermath of Fukushima. With that said, subsidies galore in Germany are now being curtailed and lofty power prices remain, well, lofty.
China recently announced it would put another five reactors into operation this year. Japan, yes the same Japan that experienced Fukushima, may restart 10 out of 50 reactors this year after safety reviews, according to Bloomberg News. Here at home, the U.S. is forging forward with supporting development of small modular reactors (SMRs). Add on top of that a growing concern about focusing on reducing global carbon issues, and nuclear power is quietly starting to regain investor interest. This, coupled with uranium moving above $35 per pound (still down from pre-Fukushima levels above $70), is likely behind the upside moves with above-average trading volume seen recently in shares of Energy Fuels (UUUU +3.35%), Denison Mines (DNN +1.57%), Cameco (CCJ +0.87%), Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC +1.55%) and the Global X Uranium ETF (URA +1.58%).
