Oklo Stock First Dropped -- Then Popped Today
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By Rich Smith – Dec 11, 2025 at 2:41PMKey PointsOklo is developing nuclear power plants to power data centers on Earth.Elon Musk has a plan to put data centers in space, where nuclear power won't be needed.These 10 Stocks Could Mint the Next Wave of Millionaires ›NYSE: OKLOOkloMarket Cap$16BToday's Changeangle-down(1.68%) $1.69Current Price$102.29Price as of December 11, 2025 at 3:10 PM ETElon Musk may have just made the SMR nuclear power industry irrelevant.SpaceX is planning to IPO, and this could be bad news for Oklo (OKLO +1.68%). Shares of the start-up atomic technology stock fell more than 6% in early trading Thursday before finding their footing. As of 2:25 p.m. ET, Oklo stock is back in the green and up 1.5%. But these gains may not last. Image source: Getty Images. SpaceX's AI ambitions Why not? The answer goes straight back to why Oklo stock (presumably) tanked this morning. Yesterday evening, Ars Technica confirmed rumors that SpaceX plans to IPO its stock in 2026, in a deal that could value the rocket stock at $1.5 trillion. Now, this wasn't exactly news. Bloomberg had already reported on the IPO plans Tuesday, and The Wall Street Journal highlighted IPO rumors as early as last week. But Ars added some crucial facts to the story: Elon Musk intends to take the proceeds from a SpaceX IPO and use them "to develop a modified version of the Starlink satellite to serve as a foundation for building data centers in space." Ultimately, SpaceX aims to deploy 100 terawatts-worth of AI data centers in orbit.Advertisement ExpandNYSE: OKLOOkloToday's Change(1.68%) $1.69Current Price$102.29Key Data PointsMarket Cap$16BDay's Range$94.50 - $102.4652wk Range$17.14 - $193.84Volume177KAvg Vol20MGross Margin0.00%Dividend YieldN/A Is Oklo stock a sell? Why is this bad news for Oklo? Precisely because of where Musk wants to put his data centers: in space, where it is cold, where solar power is abundant, and where there is no need to build nuclear reactors to cool and power the data centers! When you recall that the primary reason Oklo has become popular is that investors assume small modular nuclear reactors will be essential to power data centers on Earth, the prospect of putting data centers in space could undermine the primary investment thesis supporting Oklo stock. Already unprofitable, Oklo may never become profitable if Musk and SpaceX succeed in moving data centers to space.About the AuthorRich Smith is a contributing Motley Fool defense and stock market analyst covering publicly traded and emerging companies in defense, space, aerospace, and other sectors. Prior to The Motley Fool, Rich practiced international corporate law for Clifford Chance in Russia, and for the Russian-Ukrainian Legal Group in Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington, D.C. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the College of William & Mary, a law degree from the University of Baltimore, and a language certification from the International Institute of Russian Language & Culture in Tver, Russian Federation. The Globe and Mail once featured him as “one of the best stock pickers since 2009.”TMFDittyX@RichSmithFoolRead NextDec 9, 2025 •By John BromelsShould You Buy Oklo Stock Even Though It's Over $100?Dec 8, 2025 •By Adam SpataccoPrediction: This Stock Market Bubble Will Burst in 2026 and 1 Popular Stock Will Crash (Hint: Not Quantum Computing)Dec 7, 2025 •By Steven Porrello1 Prediction for Oklo in 2026Dec 6, 2025 •By Courtney CarlsenBetter Energy Stock: Oklo vs. Centrus EnergyDec 5, 2025 •By James HiresOklo Stock Is Up More Than 400% This Year. Here's Why I Wouldn't Buy It -- YetDec 5, 2025 •By Steven PorrelloIs Oklo Stock Your Ticket to Nuclear Energy Riches?