Nuclear Energy Stocks Soar as Prices Jump Ninefold on Largest US Power Grid

Group 1 - Nuclear energy stocks experienced a significant surge after the largest electrical grid operator in the U.S. reported a ninefold increase in power market auction prices year-over-year [1][2] - PJM Interconnection announced that the 2025-2026 prices for power plants reached $262.92 per megawatt-day, compared to $28.92 a year ago, with over 20% of the energy mix expected to come from nuclear energy [2][3] - Constellation Energy's shares rose more than 12%, while Vistra's shares increased nearly 15% following the announcement, with Constellation's shares up over 62% year-to-date and Vistra's shares having doubled [3] Group 2 - The increase in electricity prices is attributed to the retirement of power plants and a surge in electricity demand, particularly driven by data centers supporting artificial intelligence [4] - Advanced Micro Devices reported that its data center revenue more than doubled to a quarterly record high, reflecting the rising demand for chips to power AI-supporting data centers [4] - The International Energy Agency projected that electricity consumption from data centers, AI, and the cryptocurrency sector could double by 2026 [5]