NuScale Power (SMR) Stock Looks Reasonable After An 83% Fall But Rich On Book Value

NuScale Power stock has had a steep reset over the past year, yet valuation checks still suggest the shares are not a clear bargain, with the broader market pricing pointing toward an expensive profile despite the weak performance.

• Over the past 12 months, NuScale Power has declined 82.9%, which shows that investors have already repriced the stock heavily.
• The company’s approved small modular reactor design and potential long term power purchase agreements can support future revenue expectations, while ongoing legal challenges may weigh on how much investors are willing to pay for that potential.
• NuScale Power passes only 1 out of 6 valuation checks, so on the broader measures it currently leans expensive rather than clearly cheap.

The issue now is whether NuScale Power’s sharp share price fall has already accounted for these risks, or if the stock still carries too much valuation risk for the level of uncertainty.

Find out why NuScale Power's -82.9% return over the last year is lagging behind its peers.

Has NuScale Power Run Too Far on Book Value?

P/B is a useful cross check for NuScale Power because it anchors the valuation to the company’s equity base rather than near term earnings. NuScale Power currently trades at a P/B of 2.6x, compared with an Electrical industry average of about 2.3x. That puts the stock at a premium to the sector on this balance sheet metric.

For a company facing legal challenges and still working toward large scale commercial deployment, this premium indicates that investors are paying more than the sector norm for each dollar of book value. Despite the sharp share price fall highlighted in recent news, the P/B multiple still prices NuScale Power above the typical peer in its industry.

On the P/B multiple, NuScale Power stock appears overvalued relative to the wider Electrical sector.

See what the numbers say about this price — find out in our valuation breakdown.

The NuScale Power Narrative: What Would Justify Today's Price?

Simply Wall St Narratives for NuScale Power pick up where the valuation puzzle leaves off and spell out which expectations on growth, margins and earnings would need to hold for the stock to be worth materially more or less than today’s price. Each narrative ties its number to a clear view on how NuScale Power's growth, profitability and key risks could evolve. You can revisit these narratives on the Community page as new information arrives.

Community views on NuScale Power sit at opposite ends of the spectrum, with some investors seeing a long runway and others focused on execution and legal risks.

Bull case: 44% undervalued

"With an NRC-approved SMR technology and the commitment of over $2 billion towards its development and licensing, NuScale is uniquely positioned for immediate commercial deployment compared to competitors focused solely on demonstration plans..."

Read the full Bull Case to see why NuScale Power could be undervalued

Bear case: 962% overvalued

"ENTRA1 Controversy: Class action exists against NuScale for securities fraud following allegations that it misrepresented the experience of ENTRA1 as it's partner when it was a three-year-old entity with no prior history of building, financing, or operating nuclear power projects..."

Read the full Bear Case to see why NuScale Power could be overvalued

Do you think there's more to the story for NuScale Power? Head over to our Community to see what others are saying!

The Bottom Line

For NuScale Power, traditional valuation checks suggest the stock still leans overvalued, even after a steep 1 year share price decline. The current premium to the Electrical sector on P/B means you are paying up for a business that still has key legal and execution questions to answer. The crux for investors is whether NuScale Power can convert its approved small modular reactor design and potential contracts into a scale of commercial deployment that eventually justifies paying above sector multiples.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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