VanEck Uranium + Nuclear Energy ETF

NLR

Market cap $3.82B

Nuclear energy's resurgence supports a bullish outlook for Global X Uranium ETF and VanEck Uranium & Nuclear ETF. Both URA and NLR receive buy ratings, with URA offering greater diversification and NLR providing lower expenses and tracking error. Political shifts and AI-driven energy demand are driving renewed interest in nuclear power, making uranium ETFs attractive despite inherent risks.

This broad-based play on a resurgent energy source is trouncing the Dow. It's not a tech ETF, but it has noteworthy artificial intelligence inroads.

The renewable energy industry faced numerous challenges in 2025, including a rollback of clean energy tax credits, the imposition of new restrictions, and other hurdles. Investments in wind and solar fell 18% year-over-year (YOY) for the first half of 2025.

Explore how AI fuels nuclear investments, drives energy demand, and attracts tech giants to nuclear power. Key Takeaways: AI is fueling a surge in energy demand, pushing tech giants to seek stable, low-carbon power sources.

Nuclear energy is gaining momentum as a clean, reliable solution powered by innovation across mining, technology, and utilities. Key Takeaways: Nuclear energy offers stable, carbon-free power critical for global electrification and AI-driven demand.

VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF (NLR) offers a lower-risk alternative to URA for nuclear energy exposure, with strong year-to-date performance. NLR's diversified holdings and focus on companies like Constellation Energy (CEG) and BWX Technologies (BWXT) position it to benefit from new military nuclear initiatives. The Janus Program and rising U.S. energy demand are key catalysts for NLR, especially with BWXT's advanced microreactor projects and government contracts.

VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF is surging, driven by AI energy demand and supportive U.S. policies, but valuations are extended. NLR's international exposure and speculative top holdings like OKLO and SMR introduce risks. While a sharp correction is possible, consolidations and dips are viewed as buying opportunities rather than signals of a top for NLR.

The Department of Energy, under President Donald Trump, has moved aggressively to invigorate the domestic nuclear sector.

An exchange-traded fund's ability to add easy, accessible diversification to a portfolio may be its strongest source of appeal to investors, but these products must typically still meet two key requirements in order to achieve significant inflows. First, an ETF must offer compelling performance—typically via strong returns, but occasionally also through dividend payments or other benefits.

Nuclear and uranium stocks have surged as power demand grows, boosted by government policies, global electrification, and AI spending. The IAEA projects global nuclear capacity to grow by more than 160% by 2050 as it becomes indispensable to achieving clean energy ambitions. $3 trillion of investment would be needed to solve global power shortages in the next 25 years, according to Bank of America.