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SMR Stock Slides As Analysts Slash NuScale Power Targets Thumbnail

SMR Stock Slides As Analysts Slash NuScale Power Targets

JACK KELLOGGUPDATED AUG. 26, 2026, 3:03 PM ET
Reviewed by Ellis Hobbsand Fact-checked by Matt Monaco

NuScale Power Corporation stocks have been trading down by -6.57 percent following bearish sentiment over small modular reactor commercialization timelines.

Key Takeaways Traders Need To Know

  • NuScale Power reported Q2 EPS of -$0.13 in line with consensus, but revenue collapsed to just $75,000 from $8M a year ago, even as management highlighted strategic progress, NRC design certification, and a developed supply chain for its small modular reactor technology.
  • RBC Capital cut its NuScale Power price target from $14 to $10 while maintaining a Sector Perform rating after below-consensus Q2 revenue and lingering uncertainty around the timing of key projects, though those projects continue to progress.
  • Citi cut its price target on NuScale Power to $6.50 from $7.50 and reiterated a Sell rating, citing insignificant revenue, higher-than-expected spending, and limited near-term sales drivers.
  • RBC noted NuScale Power continues to carry a speculative risk profile, and the stock holds an overall average analyst rating of Hold with a mean target of $12.63.
  • An insider or large shareholder of SMR has filed a Form 144, indicating an intention to sell restricted or controlled shares under SEC Rule 144.

Candlestick Chart

Live Update At 15:02:33 EDT: On Wednesday, August 26, 2026 NuScale Power Corporation stock [NYSE: SMR] is trending down by -6.57%! Discover the key drivers behind this movement as well as our expert analysis in the detailed breakdown below.

Quick Financial Overview

NuScale Power Corporation, trading under the SMR ticker, is showing traders a classic high-concept, weak-fundamentals setup. On the surface, SMR’s Q2 numbers are rough. The company delivered EPS of -$0.13, matching expectations, but revenue cratered to just $75,000 from $8M a year earlier. For an aspiring nuclear technology leader, that’s effectively no operating business today.

The income statement is packed with red ink. SMR posted about -$50M in pretax income for the quarter and roughly -$58M in operating cash flow. Margins are deeply negative across the board. Yet the balance sheet tells a different story: NuScale Power sits on about $766M in cash and $1.07B in cash and short-term investments, with no debt and a massive current ratio near 38. SMR is not about solvency risk right now; it’s about execution risk and burn.

On the chart, SMR has been chopping between roughly $8.80 and $10.25 over recent sessions, closing at $9.17 on 2026/08/26. Intraday, the stock faded from early highs near $10.25 into a slow grind around $9.10–$9.20. That intraday pattern shows traders selling strength and refusing to chase, which lines up with the cautious tone from Wall Street.

Why Traders Are Watching SMR So Closely

SMR is a battleground name where story and reality are pulling in opposite directions. On one side, NuScale Power is pushing a cutting-edge small modular reactor (SMR) design, backed by NRC design certification and a built-out supply chain. Management keeps stressing this long-term strategic progress. For traders, that narrative is why SMR still gets attention despite ugly near-term numbers.

On the other side, the latest Q2 print laid bare how far the company is from commercial scale. Revenue dropping from $8M to $75,000 shows there is no steady business engine yet. Citi leaned hard into that gap, cutting its NuScale Power target to $6.50 and reiterating a Sell rating, citing “insignificant revenue” and higher-than-expected spending. That message is clear: from Citi’s view, the burn is real and the near-term sales pipeline is not.

RBC’s move on SMR was less harsh but still a warning. Cutting the NuScale Power target from $14 to $10 while calling the stock “speculative” tells traders the bar has been reset lower. The average target around $12.63 sits above today’s price, but the tone is no longer aggressive. This is now a show-me story.

Layer on the Form 144 filing from an insider or large shareholder planning to sell restricted shares. That doesn’t automatically mean disaster, but for short-term traders it’s another overhang. Supply is lining up just as analysts turn more cautious and revenue dries up. When SMR spikes, many will now be asking: is that just a liquidity window for sellers?

Conclusion

For active traders, SMR is a lesson in separating hype from hard numbers. NuScale Power has the cash, the NRC-approved design, and a clear vision around its small modular reactor technology. But Q2 results show that, right now, SMR is a pre-revenue, heavy-spend story with deeply negative margins and limited near-term sales drivers.

The combination of collapsing revenue, a -$0.13 EPS loss, and a roughly -$58M operating cash outflow explains why Citi took its NuScale Power target down to $6.50 with a Sell rating. RBC’s trim to $10 and its “speculative risk profile” language only add to that pressure. The Form 144 filing from a major SMR holder planning to sell shares under SEC Rule 144 reinforces that not everyone close to the story is betting on quick upside.

At the same time, SMR’s strong cash balance and clean balance sheet give NuScale Power time to execute. That’s exactly the type of name momentum traders love to stalk for sharp pops around headlines, contract news, or regulatory milestones. But the rules stay the same. As Tim Sykes likes to say, “Cut losses quickly, it’s the best risk management tool you have.” As millionaire penny stock trader and teacher Tim Sykes says, “It’s better to go home at zero than to go home in the red.”. For anyone trading SMR, that mindset is not optional — it’s survival.

This is stock news, not investment advice. Timothy Sykes News delivers real-time stock market news focused on key catalysts driving short-term price movements. Our content is tailored for active traders and investors seeking to capitalize on rapid price fluctuations, particularly in volatile sectors like penny stocks. Readers come to us for detailed coverage on earnings reports, mergers, FDA approvals, new contracts, and unusual trading volumes that can trigger significant short-term price action. Some users utilize our news to explain sudden stock movements, while others rely on it for diligent research into potential investment opportunities.

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A 2000 study called “Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors” evaluated 66,465 U.S. households that held stocks from 1991 to 1996. The households that traded most averaged an 11.4% annual return during a period where the overall market gained 17.9%. These lower returns were attributed to overconfidence.

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Citations for Disclaimer

Barber, Brad M. and Odean, Terrance, Trading is Hazardous to Your Wealth: The Common Stock Investment Performance of Individual Investors. Available at SSRN: “Day Trading for a Living?”

Barber, Brad M. and Lee, Yi-Tsung and Liu, Yu-Jane and Odean, Terrance and Zhang, Ke, Learning Fast or Slow? (May 28, 2019). Forthcoming: Review of Asset Pricing Studies, Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=2535636”

Chague, Fernando and De-Losso, Rodrigo and Giovannetti, Bruno, Day Trading for a Living? (June 11, 2020). Available at SSRN: “https://ssrn.com/abstract=3423101”