11 Best Performing Energy Stocks in 2025

2. Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU)

YTD Gains as of December 26: 243.42%

Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU) is a trusted supplier of nuclear fuel and services to the nuclear energy industry.

On December 22, B. Riley analyst Ryan Pfingst significantly raised the firm’s price target on Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU) from $221 to $315, while maintaining its ‘Buy’ rating. The revised target indicates an upside potential of almost 24% from the current share price.

Riley acknowledged that while Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU) has declined by over 40% since hitting its 13-year high in October, it has still performed better than its peers in the nuclear energy industry. Moreover, Centrus received a significant boost on December 19 when the company announced that it had begun domestic centrifuge manufacturing to support its commercial LEU (Low-Enriched Uranium) enrichment activities at its facility in Piketon, Ohio.

The strategic move is in line with the federal government’s efforts to accelerate the domestic production and enrichment of uranium and reduce reliance on Russian imports, given the current geopolitical landscape. As a result, the analyst believes that the company is well-positioned to receive ‘meaningful funding’ from the Department of Energy, given its ‘proven’ American-made technology.

Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU) believes that the DOE funding is ‘imminent’ and puts the value of these contracts at approximately $900 million per task order, with separate task orders expected for the production of both LEU and HALEU.