Shares of Oklo (OKLO -8.73%) are tumbling on Tuesday. The nuclear energy start-up’s stock lost 7.4% as of 1:45 p.m. ET and was down as much as 10.7% earlier in the day. The drop comes as the S&P 500 (^GSPC -0.01%) and the Nasdaq Composite (^IXIC 0.21%) were mostly flat.
The company is working to create small nuclear reactors, and released its year-end financial results that revealed widening losses.
Oklo’s losses doubled in 2024
Oklo reported a loss of $73.62 million in 2024, more than double the $32.17 million it lost in 2023. These results come as the company continues its quest to develop its first “powerhouse” reactor at Idaho National Laboratory. The growing losses concerned investors about the company’s ability to eventually turn a profit.
A long road to commercialization
The company’s first reactor is not expected to begin producing energy until late 2027 at the earliest. Even if all goes according to plan, including regulatory approval, this means the company is many years from commercialization.
Still, CEO Jacob DeWitte struck an optimistic tone in a letter to shareholders, saying, “Nuclear energy has gained unprecedented government support, and AI has triggered a Sputnik moment, accelerating the demand for dependable, domestic power.” Investors seemed to believe the nearer-term losses outweighed the positive macro picture.
Oklo is a purely speculative play at this point. I would avoid the stock unless you have a particularly high risk tolerance and are comfortable with the possibility Oklo fails in delivering on its core mission.
Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.