Is NuScale Power Stock a Buy Now?

By Justin Pope – Feb 18, 2026 at 10:05AM ESTKey PointsNuScale could benefit from the Trump administration's lean toward nuclear energy.However, the company's first commercial deployment is still likely years away.It's difficult to find NuScale's sizable $4.3 billion market cap appealing.We’re bullish on these 10 stocks ›NYSE: SMRNuScale PowerMarket Cap$4.0BToday's Changeangle-down(0.70%) $0.10Current Price$14.37Price as of February 18, 2026 at 10:49 AM ETThe company has struggled to capitalize on the first and only SMR design approved in the U.S.The rapid deployment of data centers for artificial intelligence has revived nuclear power as a viable electricity source in the United States. NuScale Power (SMR +0.70%) sits in a unique position as the only nuclear energy stock with a small modular reactor (SMR) design approved by the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission. Small nuclear reactors offer exciting investment potential because they are less expensive, easier to build, and more compact than traditional nuclear reactors. Yet, NuScale Power stock hasn't fared well, declining by nearly 40% over the past year. Is the stock a buy now? Here is why investors may struggle to pull the trigger here. Image source: Getty Images. Nuclear energy is a tricky business, which is weighing on NuScale Power NuScale Power currently has the only SMR design with U.S. regulatory approval. Its SMR design can expand to 12 modules, capable of generating 924 megawatts of carbon-free electricity. In May 2025, President Donald Trump signed executive orders calling for increased construction of new and existing reactors to quadruple U.S. nuclear power generation capacity by 2050. Later that year, the Tennessee Valley Authority signed an agreement with ENTRA1 for up to 6 gigawatts of new nuclear capacity using NuScale's SMR plants. It's the largest SMR agreement signed to date, enough electricity to power roughly 60 data centers. Unfortunately, the nuclear industry is extraordinarily regulated. Things move very slowly due to all of the red tape, and that appears to be dragging on NuScale's first-mover advantage in SMR technology. NuScale has been planning a six-module plant for a customer in Romania since 2021, its primary business prospect aside from its new deal with the Tennessee Valley Authority. That customer only recently gave final approval for the first module, which won't begin commercial operations until July 2033, followed by the completed plant in December 2034. That timeline prompted TD Cowen analyst Marc Bianchi to downgrade NuScale Power stock, prompting a recent sell-off. Therefore, it's hard to get too excited about the Tennessee Valley Authority agreement, because it will have to jump through similar hoops before NuScale Power sees any notable payoff. It could literally take years. ExpandNYSE: SMRNuScale PowerToday's Change(0.70%) $0.10Current Price$14.37Key Data PointsMarket Cap$4.0BDay's Range$13.88 - $14.6152wk Range$11.08 - $57.42Volume289KAvg Vol27MGross Margin64.95% No near-term commercial deployment makes buying the stock more difficult The stock is quite expensive at its current market capitalization of $4.3 billion, given its trailing-12-month revenue of just $64 million from design and engineering work, and no commercially operating SMR module on the horizon. Meanwhile, the global SMR market is estimated to grow only to $8.2 billion by 2035, according to Spherical Insights. That's likely a reflection of how slow the nuclear industry moves, though that may accelerate over the years as SMR deployments roll out and technology improves. Sure, the Tennessee Valley Authority deal has a ton of eventual upside, but it still has a very long way to go before becoming something investors can count on. The Romania deployment is also years away now. NuScale Power stock is currently a lottery ticket at best, so it's difficult to muster the conviction to buy shares.Read NextFeb 15, 2026 •By Courtney CarlsenWhere Will NuScale Power Stock Be in 5 Years?Feb 15, 2026 •By Steven PorrelloShould You Invest $500 in NuScale Power Right Now?Feb 11, 2026 •By Courtney CarlsenWashington Is Pouring Billions Into Nuclear Energy.

Does That Make NuScale Power a Buy?Feb 11, 2026 •By Rich SmithWhy NuScale Power Stock Just CrashedFeb 6, 2026 •By Johnny RiceWhy NuScale Power Stock Jumped Nearly 24% to Start 2026Feb 2, 2026 •By Reuben Gregg BrewerIs NuScale Power the Next Nuclear Millionaire Maker -- and a Future Dividend Giant?About the AuthorJustin Pope is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering information technology, consumer discretionary, consumer staples, and industrials. Prior to The Motley Fool, Justin was a business manager for an industrial company.TMFbeardedFiStocks MentionedNuScale PowerNYSE: SMR$14.37 (+0.70%) $+0.10*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.