ETF Movers for Thursday: URA and REMX
ETF Performance: The VanEck Rare Earth/Strategic Metals ETF is down approximately 3.3% in Thursday afternoon trading, underperforming other ETFs.
Weakest Components: Key components contributing to the ETF's decline include Tronox Holdings, which fell by about 3.2%, and Albemarle, which decreased by around 2.5%.
Market Context: The article provides insights into the performance of specific ETFs and their components on a particular trading day.
Author's Perspective: The views expressed in the article are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the opinions of Nasdaq, Inc.
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- Net Income Growth: Centrus Energy reported a net income of $77.8 million for 2025, translating to a basic earnings per share of $4.33, reflecting strong performance in the nuclear market and likely boosting investor confidence.
- Stable Revenue: Total revenue for 2025 was $448.7 million, with a slight 1% decrease in LEU segment revenue offset by an 11% increase in the Technical Solutions segment, indicating success in diversifying revenue streams.
- Expansion Plans: Centrus secured a $900 million HALEU production contract, planning to expand its uranium enrichment facility in Piketon, Ohio, which is expected to meet future nuclear market demands and further solidify its market position.
- Strong Backlog: As of December 31, 2025, the company reported a total backlog of $3.8 billion, with $2.9 billion in the LEU segment, demonstrating robust market demand and significant growth potential ahead.
- Company Overview: Centrus Energy Corp reported a revenue of $146.2 million for the fourth quarter.
- Financial Performance: The reported revenue reflects the company's performance and activities during the specified quarter.
Fourth Quarter Results: The Central Reports for the fourth quarter and full year 2025 have been released, detailing financial performance and key metrics.
2026 Guidance: The reports also provide guidance for 2026, outlining expectations and strategic directions for the upcoming year.
- Significant Stock Decline: Centrus Energy's shares fell over 11% on Thursday, marking a 20% loss in 2025 so far, reflecting investor concerns about its future performance after a staggering 500% increase earlier in the year, indicating a sharp shift in market sentiment.
- Earnings Miss Expectations: The company's February 11 earnings report revealed a 3.5% drop in fourth-quarter revenue and a 6.3% decline in net income for the year, coupled with flat revenue guidance for 2026, which raised doubts about its growth prospects and pressured the stock further.
- Backlog and Production Plans: Despite signing $2.1 billion in low-enriched uranium (LEU) sales contracts and plans to expand its Ohio facility for large-scale HALEU production, the failure to meet analyst expectations has led to skepticism about Centrus's execution capabilities, impacting investor confidence.
- Analysts Remain Optimistic: Even amidst short-term volatility, Roth Capital raised Centrus's price target from $125 to $137 post-earnings, reflecting analysts' confidence in its long-term growth potential, particularly given its dominant position in the HALEU market, which is expected to support future development.
- Growing Nuclear Demand: With the surge in electricity needs from artificial intelligence and data centers, the U.S. Department of Energy has set an ambitious target to quadruple nuclear capacity by 2050, which is expected to drive rapid growth in the nuclear energy market.
- Centrus Energy Opportunity: Centrus Energy aims to transition from a procurer to a producer of nuclear fuel, particularly as the U.S. seeks to reduce its reliance on Russian uranium imports, which will significantly increase market demand for domestic suppliers.
- Funding Support: In January 2026, the U.S. Department of Energy awarded Centrus a $900 million task order to expand its Ohio facility, which will help strengthen domestic enrichment capabilities and kickstart high-assay low-enriched uranium (HALEU) supply chains.
- Production Timeline: Centrus projects that the first new production cascade at Piketon will be operational within 42 months after securing funds and commercial commitments, with subsequent cascades taking progressively shorter build times, highlighting its strategic potential in the nuclear fuel supply chain.




