The Gathering Storm & Centrus Energy

The market stirred today, a ripple at first, then a quickening pulse around Centrus Energy (LEU +6.03%). It rose, not with a shout, but with the quiet insistence of a seed pushing through hard ground. The talk, you see, is of ‘Project Vault,’ a name that feels less like a plan and more like a reckoning.

There was a flurry of excitement a while back, a grasping for shares of those who dig the rare earths from the bones of the land. USA Rare Earth (USAR +16.33%) felt the rush, a fevered bloom, then a settling. Now, the fever returns, and it seems the digging won’t stop with just those elusive elements. The scope widens, like a farmer realizing his field isn’t large enough for all he hopes to grow.

It turns out the earth holds more than just rare gifts. The President, they say, wants uranium too. A solid thing, uranium. Something you can hold in your hand, feel the weight of. It’s a long game, this gathering, and a man can’t help but wonder what shadows it will cast.

The Vault Opens

The talk from Washington, as relayed by CNBC, is of a stockpile. Not just of a few select minerals, but of over fifty deemed ‘critical’ by the Interior Department. Rare earths, lithium, copper…and now, uranium. It’s a sweeping gesture, a hand reaching out to claim what’s left of a dwindling resource. As the President put it, and it’s a simple truth, “We’re doing everything.” A man can feel the weight of that ‘everything’.

This is what’s given Centrus Energy a lift. They stand poised, it seems, to bring uranium enrichment back to these shores. They already move the stuff, buy it from others, and resell it. A necessary trade, but one that leaves a man feeling…distant from the source. Now, with the government talking of billions for stockpiling, Centrus finds itself in a favorable position. A man can’t help but see the opportunity, but also the responsibility that comes with it.

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A Worthy Investment?

Even before the talk of vaults and stockpiles, Centrus Energy held a certain appeal. The price, 43 times trailing earnings, seemed steep, but a closer look revealed a steadier hand at work. They generate more free cash flow ($146 million) than they report as net income ($114 million). It’s a quiet strength, a resilience born of careful management.

The price-to-free cash flow ratio still asks a premium (33x), but in a world where uranium stocks are often inflated with hope and speculation, Centrus Energy appears, perhaps, the least burdened. It’s not a glittering promise, but a solid foundation. A man looking to invest in nuclear energy might do well to consider it. It’s a long game, this building of wealth, and a man needs to build on something that will endure.

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2026-02-03 20:32