11 Best Performing Energy Stocks in 2025

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1. Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO)

YTD Gains as of December 26: 252.04%

Topping our list of the Best Performing Energy Stocks in 2025 is Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO). Backed by OpenAI’s Sam Altman, the nuclear startup develops advanced fission power plants to provide clean, reliable, and affordable energy at scale to customers in the United States.

With gains of over 252% since the beginning of 2025, Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) has become the poster child for ‘data center nuclear’. While the company’s Aurora small modular reactor (SMR) is considered on the bleeding edge of nuclear technology, it still needs to get regulatory approval for deploying and operating its reactors, and the formal review process could take two to three years. This means that the powerhouse isn’t expected to come online before late 2027 or early 2028. As a result, Oklo isn’t expected to generate revenue until at least 2027, report its first GAAP profit until 2030, and generate positive free cash flow until 2033.

Nonetheless, Oklo Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) continues to attract significant investor attention, driven especially by the multiple contracts that the company has won from the Department of Energy. The bullish sentiment was further reinforced when Oklo received a notable stamp of approval from Cathie Wood on December 22, when ARK Investment acquired 107,321 shares of Oklo, valued at over $8.9 million. The stock also received positive analyst attention on December 8, when Seaport Research analyst Jeff Campbell upgraded OKLO from ‘Neutral’ to ‘Buy’, assigning a $150 price target to the shares.

While we acknowledge the potential of OKLO to grow, our conviction lies in the belief that some AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and have limited downside risk. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than OKLO and that has 100x upside potential, check out our report about this cheapest AI stock.

READ NEXT: 12 Best Crude Oil Stocks to Buy for Dividends and 11 Best Utility Stocks to Invest in According to Hedge Funds.

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