How Trump Moved Stocks in 2025: Nuclear, Space, Quantum Sectors

Nuclear Power - President Trump signed four executive orders on May 23, 2025, aimed at initiating a nuclear renaissance to meet the energy demands of AI data centers and domestic manufacturing [2] - The orders required the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to expedite reactor licensing timelines and mandated the Department of Energy to have at least three advanced pilot reactors operational by July 4, 2026 [3] - Following these announcements, uranium miners like Uranium Energy Corp. and Centrus Energy Corp. experienced over 20% stock price increases, while small modular reactor companies like Oklo, Inc. and NuScale Power Corp. saw triple-digit gains throughout the year [4] Space - A series of executive orders in 2025 led to a significant rally in the space sector, increasing the total market capitalization of leading U.S. space companies from approximately $450 billion to over $1.3 trillion by year-end [6] - The momentum began with an April 15 executive order promoting commercial solutions in federal contracts and peaked with the December 18 order focused on American space superiority [6] - Following the December announcement, stocks like Intuitive Machines, Inc. and Rocket Lab Corp. experienced double-digit single-day gains, while defense contractors like L3Harris Technologies, Inc. also saw upward trends [8] Quantum Computing - On January 23, 2025, an executive order was signed to prioritize quantum research alongside AI to maintain U.S. leadership over global competitors [9] - A subsequent order on May 23 directed the Department of Energy to address 20 specific technology challenges in the quantum sector [9] - The most significant market movement occurred in October 2025 when reports emerged about the administration considering direct equity stakes in domestic quantum firms, leading to a surge in shares of companies like IonQ, Inc. and Rigetti Computing, Inc. [10][11]