Key Points
Oklo announced it has completed a “pre-application readiness assessment” for its first NRC reactor license.
The company plans to file its application for a license for Phase 1 of its construction plan later this year.
Oklo anticipates getting the reactor on line and generating revenue in 2027.
10 stocks we like better than Oklo ›
Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) stock jumped 4% through 1:20 p.m. ET Thursday after the small nuclear reactor-builder announced it has completed its Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) “pre-application readiness assessment” for the first part of a combined license application (COLA) to build its “Aurora powerhouse” at Idaho National Laboratory (INL).
Image source: Getty Images.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now. Continue »
What does this mean?
Translated into English, this means Oklo is one step closer to building a small modular reactor at INL. More precisely, it’s one step closer to being able to apply for permission to build said reactor. (Whether NRC deems the application worthy of approval remains to be seen.)
Put this way, it’s less of a needle-mover for the stock, but as Oklo CEO Jacob DeWitte explained, it does indicate that NRC thinks Oklo is on track to file an application with a decent chance of getting it approved.
The next step for Oklo along this journey to approval (now underway for nearly a decade) will be to submit its COLA application, and that should happen later this year.
Is Oklo stock a buy?
Oklo’s still a long way away from becoming a viable business, although it’s 10 years closer than when it started. Long term, the company intends to build reactors in-house, place them on sites near its customers, then operate the reactors and supply power, charging for electricity much in the same way an ordinary electric utility does.
If all goes as planned, the company’s first reactor will go online in 2027, and the company will begin generating revenue that year. Oklo won’t turn profitable until 2030, however, according to analysts. Whether the stock is a “buy” at its current $10 billion market cap depends very much on how much profit it will generate that year, and in all the years to come.
Should you invest $1,000 in Oklo right now?
Before you buy stock in Oklo, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Oklo wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $674,281!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,050,415!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,058% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 179% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of July 15, 2025
Rich Smith 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.
