Ticker Reports for August 20th
5 High Short-Interest Stocks to Buy Before November
This is a look at five stocks to consider buying before November. No, there isn’t a major election cycle, but these high short-interest names have bullish market fundamentals and are expected to report their Q3 results in November. As it stands, these businesses are vibrant, supported by strengthening demand tied to their technologies.
Their technologies are all next-generation, supported, aided, or central to the AI revolution. They are expected to result in market-leading growth, widening margins, and improving shareholder value over the next five to ten years.
SoundHound AI in Rebound and Reversal Mode
SoundHound (NASDAQ: SOUN) is among the most-shorted stocks on the market. Its short interest was down 7% sequentially at the end of July, but still wickedly high at 33% of the float and trending near long-term highs.
The cause is growth concerns, which the latest results did not completely alleviate; the critical takeaway for investors is that the hyper-growth pace accelerated to over 200% due to expanding verticals, client counts, and penetration.
The factors that favor a higher share price include the results and the analysts' trends and chart patterns. The analyst trends reveal a lagging consensus price target as of mid-August. Still, the number of analysts, the sentiment, and price target revisions are all positive, leading this market higher.
The consensus of nine is a Moderate Buy with the revision trend leading this market to the $18 range. Another slam dunk report is expected for Q3.
AST Space Mobile: Price Action Converges With Momentum Indicators
AST Space Mobile’s (NASDAQ: ASTS) short interest held steady in July, trending at approximately 30% of the float and near record highs. However, as with SoundHound, the analyst trends are bullish and support a rising price action.
They include increased coverage, an uptrend in the price targets, and a steady Moderate Buy rating.
The price target lags in mid-Q3 but is up approximately 100% in the preceding 12 months, with the revisions leading to the high-end at $63, a fresh all-time high when reached.
ASTS chart action is also bullish, with a MACD convergence highlighting the underlying market strength. The convergence indicates that this market will likely continue to rise or, if a pullback happens, retest the highs is probable, and there is a chance new highs will still be achieved.
The takeaway for investors is that ASTS is poised to become a global leader in mobile services, driving hyper-growth and ample profitability.
Symbotic Automating Warehouse and Supply Chains, Globally
Symbotic (NASDAQ: SYM) was 30% short as of July. Interest was down significantly by 10% compared to the prior report, but still trending near record levels. Conversely, analyst trends reveal increasing coverage and a bullish price target despite the Hold rating.
The bad news is that Symbotic is only rated as a Hold; the good news is that increased coverage and an outlook for the share price to retest the all-time high offset it.
Looking at the chart, Symbotic is currently trading within a broad, long-term range and on course to revisit its all-time highs. A move to the highs is worth 20% to 25% upside, and the outlook is backed up by a convergence in the MACD. An uptrend in the trading volume also backs up price action.
NuScale Powers Up for a Rebound
NuScale Power’s (NYSE: SMR) price action pulled back significantly following its Q2 release, setting the market up to rebound as sharply later in the year. The pullback is due in part to the 22% short interest, and partly to the Q2 results, which affirmed but did not improve the company’s outlook.
The critical detail is that the pipeline is expected to grow by the year’s end with firm commitments for U.S.-based reactors, demand for nuclear power is strong, and the balance sheet is healthy.
Analyst trends are also bullish for this stock. The post-release activity aligns with the trends, which include increasing coverage, firming sentiment, and a rising price target. The consensus lags in August despite the price decline; it is also up more than 300% in the preceding 12 months, with trends leading to the $46 level, and should provide support for the market.
SMR's chart also shows a conspicuous MACD convergence.
Tempus AI: Smart Health for Hard-to-Treat Illness
Tempus AI (NASDAQ: TEM) short interest was running near 25% at the end of July, down 36% from the prior month but still elevated and trending near record levels.
The downturn in interest follows a strong Q1 report and preceded the also strong Q2 report, and may continue to fall as the year progresses.
Analysts rate the stock as a Moderate Buy, with positive trends, but even the high-end lags in Q3. With this scenario in place, there is a risk that Tempus will pull back like NuScale Power before rebounding later this year.
The company is forecasted to sustain an 80% revenue growth pace in Q3 and will likely outperform the consensus because of its core strength and deal volume.
$100 Trillion "AI Metal" Found in American Ghost Town
$100 Trillion "AI Metal" Found in American Ghost Town
Who Won and Who Lost in Nuclear Energy's Q2 Earnings
In 2025, stocks involved in nuclear energy have been some of the best performers in the market. Established leader Constellation Energy (NASDAQ: CEG) is up 44%, and small modular reactor developer NuScale Power (NYSE: SMR) is up 95% as of the Aug. 18 close. The favorable stance on nuclear energy from artificial intelligence (AI) hyperscalers and the Trump administration has been a big component of these rallies.
However, when it came to Q2 earnings, the market reaction for nuclear stocks wasn’t always a positive one. Below, we'll look at some of the most talked-about names in this space and detail who won and who lost on Q2 earnings. All data is as of the Aug. 18 close unless otherwise indicated.
Nuclear’s Top Dog: Analysts Upgrade Constellation Energy After Q2
As the largest operator of nuclear energy plants in the United States, Constellation Energy (NASDAQ: CEG) is one name that cannot go undiscussed. In Q2, this industry leader posted results that beat Wall Street expectations. Revenue came in $1.2 billion higher than expected, and adjusted earnings per share beat by 9 cents.
Still, these results didn’t elicit much of a reaction from markets. Shares were down slightly in the trading session after the Aug. 7 report, and are down around 5% overall since reporting. This is likely because the company did not change its guidance despite these significant beats.
However, what puts Constellation in the winners category in Q2 is the highly positive reactions from Wall Street analysts. KeyCorp, Raymond James Financial, and BMO Capital Markets have all increased their price targets for Constellation. Argus has also established a target price.
The MarketBeat consensus price target on Constellation is approximately $321, implying shares are fairly valued.
However, the updated price targets from the four analysts above paint a much more bullish picture. The average target among those analysts is approximately $375, implying that shares could rise by almost 17%. For a stock up 44% in 2025, this is a welcome indication that Constellation's big-time rally could continue.
SMR Hopefuls: NuScale’s Mixed Q2, NNE Loses Key Bull, OKLO Gains DOE Traction
Small modular reactor (SMR) developer NuScale Power’s Q2 earnings didn’t inspire markets. The firm’s revenue was just over $8 million, around $2.4 million lower than anticipated. NuScale also posted a larger-than-expected loss.
Shares fell 12% the day after the Aug. 7 report and have been down more than 20% overall since the reporting. Still, being overly critical of the firm’s misses is hard. NuScale doesn’t provide revenue guidance, making it difficult for analysts to predict the company’s quarterly financials.
On the positive side, NuScale announced that it received U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) Standard Design Approval for its uprated 77 MWe design ahead of schedule.
This may be why UBS Group and Canaccord Genuity Group analysts raised their price target on NuScale despite the missed earnings.
Given these positive and negative indicators, putting the company’s Q2 in the neutral category is fair.
Nano Nuclear Energy (NASDAQ: NNE) hasn’t reported revenue yet.
However, the company’s Q2 loss per share was significantly better than expected, helping shares rise 2% on Aug. 15.
However, on Aug. 18, shares dropped by nearly 11% due to a scathing update from Ladenburg Thalmann.
The firm lowered its price target from $51 to $9.
Still, HC Wainwright left its price target unchanged at $50. Overall, Nano saw one of the few analysts covering the stock move from being bullish to being bearish.
While it is only one opinion, and HC Wainwright remains bullish, this makes Q2 feel like a negative quarter for Nano.
Lastly, Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) was a clear winner in Q2.
Shares surged 9% after the firm’s August 11 release as the company announced that the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) selected it for three reactor pilot programs.
This helped the stock gain multiple analyst price target upgrades.
Wedbush analyst Dan Ives’s $80 price target implies around 16% share upside.
Constellation and Oklo Come Out on Top in Q2
Overall, Q2 was a generally positive quarter for these nuclear names. None posted an extremely bad report, and most of these names saw their price targets increase.
Upgrades going to Constellation stand out, indicating upside for one of the safest stocks in the industry. Oklo’s positive momentum in winning government projects is also an encouraging sign for this pre-revenue player.
Altucher: Trump's Great Gain is starting
Altucher: Trump's Great Gain is starting
Target: Missing the Mark in 2025—Downtrend May Continue
While Target’s (NYSE: TGT) FQ2 2026 results show some improvements, the company continues to lag its peers, lose market share, and contract its business. Moreover, the choice of the new CEO did not boost market optimism. Yes, Cornell is out, and COO Michael Fiddelke is in, and the market did not like it.
The takeaway from the chatter is that Fiddelke has had ample opportunity as COO to positively impact the turnaround, and an outsider would have been a better choice. The stock fell more than 10% on the news, confirming resistance at a critical level within an existing bear market.
With this in play, if the buyers do not step in quickly, this market could hit new lows before the end of August and extend its downtrend to even lower levels.
The hit to sentiment is significant. It is possible that Fiddelke can turn the business around, but it won’t be known for at least another quarter, and there are significant headwinds.
In the meantime, analysts, who have recently begun to improve sentiment trends, are unlikely to continue with stock price increases until there is proof that he was the right choice.
As it stands, the analysts rate this stock as a Hold. The bias is bearish, with the number of Hold and Sell ratings increasing in 2025, and the price target trend revision is downward.
The consensus forecasted a 10% upside ahead of the release, but it was down 35% in the preceding 12 months, exerting downward pressure on the market. The low-end led to $82, a new low when reached.
Target’s Better-Than-Expected Quarter Is No Catalyst for Higher Prices
Target’s results reflected a sequential improvement in the business and outperformed the consensus reported by MarketBeat, but they did not provide a catalyst for higher prices. The $25.21 billion in net revenue outperformed by 120 basis points but is down nearly 1% compared to last year.
The decline is underpinned by a 1.9% decline in systemwide comps driven by a 1.2% decrease in merchandise sales.
The weakness in merchandise is offset by a 14% increase in non-merchandise sales, i.e., revenue from Starbucks (NASDAQ: SBUX) occupancy and ads, but this is insufficient to produce core growth or be reliable.
Weak store traffic will likely weaken partners' revenue as they exit stores. Likewise, the 4.3% increase in digital sales is a positive. Still, it is weak compared to Target’s competitors and not a reliable driver for systemwide growth.
Target Earnings Contract at an Accelerated Pace in FQ2
Margin is another mixed bag unlikely to support the price action in the second half of calendar 2025. The company’s gross and operating margins contracted despite internal efforts.
Markdowns and merchandising efforts cut into the bottom line and can be expected to impact results moving forward. The $2.05 outperformed due to the top-line strength, but the margin is slim at under 50 basis points, and EPS is down 20% compared to the prior year.
Guidance is another factor likely to impact the stock price action in the second half. The company reaffirmed its guidance despite the Q2 strengths, which equate to a weaker-than-previously-expected second-half forecast, and there is potential for it to be overly optimistic.
Investors should watch institutions. Their trends in 2025 are bullish, with them buying on balance every quarter of the year through the fiscal Q2 release date and activity ramping sequentially.
If this trend continues in 2025, the stock price decline may end as soon as it begins, keeping TGT shares trapped within the existing trading range.
Man Who Called Nvidia at $1.10 Says Buy This Now...
Man Who Called Nvidia at $1.10 Says Buy This Now...
MarketBeat Media, LLC dba TickerReport
345 N Reid Place, Suite 620, Sioux Falls, SD 57103.
0 Response to "π Who Won and Who Lost in Nuclear Energy’s Q2 Earnings"
Post a Comment