We recently released a list According to billionaires, 10 best nuclear energy stocks to buy. In this article, we will explore the position of Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) against other best nuclear stocks.
Nuclear power now provides less than 10% of the global electricity supply, making it the second largest source of low-emission electricity in the world. According to the International Energy Agency, this number is expected to grow significantly, with more than 70 gw of new nuclear capacity worldwide, and more than 40 countries around the world plan to expand the role of nuclear energy in their energy systems. Nuclear energy also provides more than 19% of U.S. electricity in 2024, although less than 8% of the country's total operating capacity.
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Nuclear power has also become a pioneer in powering the ongoing AI boom and its accompanying data centers. According to the latest estimates from Deloitte, electricity demand in data centers may increase by fivefold to 176 GW by 2035. About 10% of demand is expected to be met through nuclear energy. Just last month, several tech giants met off-site at the Ceraweek conference in Houston and signed a commitment to support a goal of at least tripling the world's nuclear capacity by at least 2050.
The problem, however, is that many of these projects will take years to build, or even decades or more. They also spend billions of dollars and often face challenges related to building timelines and cost overruns, which may hinder their economy’s viability and competitiveness. One solution comes in the form of SMR or small module reactors with a power capacity of 300 megawatts per unit and builds a larger cost reduction range faster. Additionally, they can be factory-set from standard parts and touted to be flexible enough to pour for individual customers, such as data centers or industrial complexes. The IEA estimates that with the right support, SMR installation can reach 80 GW by 2040, accounting for 10% of the global total nuclear capacity.
Despite the surge in demand, large amounts of nuclear energy inventory fell sharply last year due to the decline in uranium prices, which has dropped by about 37% since January 2024. This stems in part from rising tensions between the United States and Canada, the largest supplier of uranium to its southern neighbors. Another reason why uranium is believed to be low is the possibility of lifting of sanctions on Russia, the largest supplier of uranium rich in the U.S. commercial sector in 2022 and 2023.
However, the country banned Russian uranium imports last year in an attempt to inspire domestic manufacturing. The Department of Energy also received $2.7 billion in funding to stimulate growth in the U.S. nuclear fuel supply chain. As a result, five U.S. facilities in Wyoming and Texas prompted a 24% increase in domestic uranium production throughout 2024. In addition, investors are piled up in domestic uranium companies after President Trump recently ordered tariffs on tariffs including imports of key minerals, including uranium.
To collect the data for this article, we scan Insider Monkey’s Billionaire database and selected the top 10 companies with the largest number of hedge fund investors in the fourth quarter of 2024. When two or more companies have the same number of billionaires invested in their billionaires, we rank them by their market cap. The following is Billionaire's best nuclear energy inventory.
At Insider Monkey, we are addicted to the stocks accumulated by hedge funds. The reason is simple: Our research shows that we can beat the market by mimicking the top stocks of the best hedge funds. Our strategy for quarterly newsletters selects 14 small and large stocks quarterly, returning 275% since May 2014, exceeding 150 percentage points (See more details here).
Number of billionaire holders: 25
In our list Best Nuclear Energy Stocks to Buy Now IS is Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST), the largest competitive generator in the United States with a capacity of approximately 41,000 megawatts powered by a diverse portfolio of investments including natural gas, coal, nuclear, solar and battery storage facilities.
Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST) reported earnings per share for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $2.41, which is in line with market expectations. However, the company's $4.04 billion revenue reached its highest estimate of $124 million, in addition to a 31.16% increase. Adjusted core profits that Vistra, which continued to operate in the quarter, grew to $1.99 billion, compared to $965 million in the previous year, as strong electricity demand from AI data centers helped boost its earnings. The company also maintained a strong balance sheet, generating more than $4.56 billion in operating cash flows in 2024 and ended with $1.2 billion in cash. In addition, VST has promised to reach at least $2.25 billion in stock buybacks by 2025, with another $1 billion target.
Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) began using “only” 2.4 gw of nuclear power generation capacity in 2024, but significantly increased that number in a deal to acquire the Energy Port in March. The deal adds 4 GW of nuclear power generation capacity, making it the owner of the second largest competitive nuclear fleet in the United States.
Clearbridge Investments lists the following about Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) in its Q1 2025 Investor Lettle:
“Volatility also creates entry points to inspire our first purchase in the utility space, Vistra Corp. (NYSE: VST), and reduces our underweight in the consumer discretion sector and adds to the Cava Group. Vistra is the largest competitive generator in the U.S., diversified by 41 GW models of power-type institutions, the company’s power source is a multi-supply type of fuel, and the company’s power source is geographic and fueled. A good location can benefit greatly in its markets for major PJM (Interconnects in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland) and ERCOT (Texas) industry.”
Overall, vst Ranked first According to the billionaire, we are on our list of best nuclear energy stocks. Although we acknowledge the potential growth of VST, our belief lies in the belief that AI stocks have greater hope to provide higher returns and do so in a shorter time frame. AI stocks have risen since the beginning of 2025, while popular AI stocks have lost about 25%. If you are looking for AI stocks that are more promising than VST but have less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report Cheapest AI stocks.
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Disclosure: None. This article was originally published in Inside monkey.