Sharkey, Howes & Javer (SHJ) Wealth Advisors has opened a new $10.19 million position in iShares Defense Industrials Active ETF (IDEF), acquiring 311,318 shares. The position represents 1.37% of the firm's assets under management. IDEF has delivered 35% total returns since its May 2025 debut, outperforming the S&P 500, and provides exposure to defense and industrial companies including next-generation defense stocks.

With the U.S. government backing nuclear energy expansion to meet AI and data center power demands, three nuclear stocks are highlighted as investment opportunities: Constellation Energy, the largest U.S. nuclear operator with major deals from Microsoft and Meta; Cameco, a leading uranium miner with strategic national security importance; and the VanEck Uranium and Nuclear ETF, which provides diversified exposure to 30 global nuclear industry stocks.

NuScale Power's stock has declined 80% from its October peak of $53.43 to $10, presenting a potential buying opportunity for long-term investors. While the company won't deploy its first small modular reactors (SMRs) until the early 2030s, analysts project revenue could surge from $31 million in 2025 to $331 million by 2028. The global SMR market could reach $5.2 billion by 2035, positioning NuScale to generate billions in annual revenue if it maintains its first-mover advantage.

Despite a recent 10% pullback in nuclear energy stocks, the sector faces powerful long-term tailwinds from energy security demands, decarbonization mandates, and AI-driven power surges. The article recommends a diversified four-stage investment strategy across uranium miners, established operators, equipment suppliers, and next-generation reactor developers, viewing current weakness as a buying opportunity.

NuScale Power is the closest small modular reactor (SMR) company to deploying technology in the field, with NRC approval and a $400 million TVA grant. However, the company remains heavily reliant on investor dollars and government projects, with declining quarterly revenue from its Romania project. While positioned as a potential long-term opportunity, it carries significant risk and should be considered a speculative play until it generates steady revenue.

NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman unveiled an ambitious five-year space exploration plan including dozens of moon landings through the revamped Project Artemis, private commercial space stations in low Earth orbit, and a nuclear-powered spacecraft to Mars by 2028. The initiative involves multiple aerospace contractors and presents investment opportunities across the space sector.

Microsoft and Nvidia have announced a collaboration to integrate AI and advanced computing into nuclear energy development. By combining Microsoft's cloud infrastructure with Nvidia's computing technologies, the partnership aims to streamline reactor design, permitting, construction and operations through digital simulations and real-time monitoring. This could accelerate development cycles for advanced reactor companies and increase demand for uranium suppliers.

As nuclear energy experiences a renaissance globally, three companies offer comprehensive exposure to the industry: Cameco, a major uranium miner with 15% of global production and 49% ownership of Westinghouse; BWX Technologies, a leader in small modular reactor technology with over 70 years of nuclear experience; and Constellation Energy, which operates one-fifth of America's nuclear reactors and generates 20% of U.S. electricity.

The article identifies three stocks with potential for significant growth by 2036: Ferrari, a highly profitable luxury automaker with a 29.5% operating margin; Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing, a dominant chipmaker with 72% market share benefiting from AI demand; and BWX Technologies, a nuclear engineering company positioned to capitalize on the small modular reactor trend.

Aerospace and defense stocks surged to record levels as Trump indicated a sustained military campaign against Iran is ahead, with the most intense phase still to come. Defense leadership confirmed the operation will extend beyond initial strikes, driving market expectations for increased demand for advanced weapons systems, air defense, and surveillance technologies.

While Oklo's liquid-metal-cooled small modular reactor (SMR) technology is innovative and addresses AI's growing power demands, the company generates no revenue and is losing money rapidly. BWX Technologies is presented as a better SMR investment alternative, as it has established revenue, profitability, and diversified business operations beyond SMR development.

BWX Technologies (NYSE: BWXT) shares surged in premarket trading after reporting strong Q4 2025 results with adjusted EPS of $1.08 (beating consensus of $0.88) and revenue of $885.8 million (above estimate of $847.5 million). The company's backlog grew 50% year-over-year to $7.3 billion, driven by major contract wins in naval propulsion and commercial nuclear power. For 2026, BWXT guided adjusted EPS of $4.55-$4.70 (above analyst estimates of $4.28) and revenue of $3.75 billion (exceeding consensus of $3.673 billion).