The uranium mining sector, which faced a significant downturn following the Fukushima nuclear accident in 2011, is showing signs of revival. This resurgence is driven by the growing global focus on climate change and the need for cleaner energy sources.
As nuclear energy gains renewed interest, especially from key political figures in the United States and rapid infrastructure developments in China, the demand for uranium is on the rise. The spot price of uranium recently surpassed US$65 per pound, marking its highest level since the Fukushima incident.
Estimates suggest that by 2030, the world's nuclear reactors will require 79,400 tonnes of uranium, a substantial increase from the 62,500 tonnes needed in 2021.
The uranium market, however, also exhibits a similar of level complexity to the oil industry, where major producers such as Kazakhstan and Canada adjust production levels to influence prices. Therefore, the sector is likely to experience steady, incremental growth rather than a sudden boom.
In this investment analysis, we will delve deeper into the five biggest uranium stocks in the world, as well as five lesser-known but promising companies, to provide investors with a comprehensive view of this revitalised sector.
Cameco Corporation (TSX:CCO)
Cameco is the world's largest publicly traded uranium producer, with operations in Canada, Australia, and the United States. The company produces about 13% of the world's uranium. Cameco also has a uranium portfolio of over 400 million pounds of uranium resources, which is the largest in the world.
Market capitalization: $10.8 billion
Year-to-date share performance: +110%
P/NAV ratio: 0.75
Cameco is a pure-play uranium company, meaning that it is solely focused on the uranium industry. This makes it a good play on the uranium price, which is expected to rise in the coming years as nuclear power demand increases. However, Cameco is also a cyclical stock, meaning that its share price is sensitive to changes in the uranium market.
Kazatomprom
Kazatomprom is a state-owned company* that is the world's largest uranium producer. The company produces about one-quarter of the world's uranium. Kazatomprom has a low-cost production base and a long reserve life.
Market capitalization: $10.2 billion
Year-to-date share performance: +40%
P/NAV ratio: 0.60
Kazatomprom is another good play on the uranium price. The company has a strong balance sheet and is well-positioned to benefit from increased demand for uranium in the future. However, Kazatomprom is also a cyclical stock, and its share price is sensitive to changes in the uranium market.
Energy Fuels Inc. (TSX:EFR, NYSE-A:UUUU)
Energy Fuels is a US-based company that produces uranium and other nuclear fuels. The company also provides uranium processing and enrichment services. Energy Fuels is the largest uranium producer in the United States.
Market capitalization: $2.7 billion
Year-to-date share performance: +300%
P/NAV ratio: 1.10
Energy Fuels is a more diversified uranium company than Cameco or Kazatomprom. The company also produces other nuclear fuels, such as vanadium and molybdenum. This diversification makes Energy Fuels less cyclical than other uranium companies. However, Energy Fuels also has a higher cost of production than Cameco or Kazatomprom.
NexGen Energy Ltd
NexGen Energy is a Canadian company that is developing the Rook 1 uranium project in Saskatchewan, Canada. Rook 1 is one of the largest and highest-grade uranium deposits in the world. NexGen Energy is expected to begin production at Rook 1 in 2026.
Market capitalization: $3.8 billion
Year-to-date share performance: +150%
P/NAV ratio: 1.50
NexGen Energy is a development-stage uranium company, meaning that it is not yet in production. This makes NexGen Energy a more speculative investment than Cameco, Kazatomprom, or Energy Fuels. However, NexGen Energy has the potential to be a major uranium producer in the future.
Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE:UEC)
Uranium Energy is a Canadian company that is developing uranium projects in the United States and Canada. The company has a portfolio of uranium projects with over 100 million pounds of uranium resources. Uranium Energy is expected to begin production at its first uranium project in 2024.
Market capitalization: $1.6 billion
Year-to-date share performance: +200%
P/NAV ratio: 1.20
Uranium Energy is another development-stage uranium company. The company has the potential to be a major uranium producer in the future, but it is still in the early stages of development.
Valuation
The average P/NAV ratio for uranium stocks is currently around 1.00. NexGen Energy and Uranium Energy have the highest P/NAV ratios in the sector, at 1.50 and 1.20, respectively. This suggests that these two stocks are more expensive than the average uranium stock on a P/NAV basis.
Cameco, Kazatomprom, and Energy Fuels have P/NAV ratios below 1.00. This suggests that these three stocks are less expensive than the average uranium stock on a P/NAV basis.
It is important to note that the P/NAV ratio is just one metric that can be used to value uranium stocks. Other factors, such as the company's production costs, reserves, and management team, should also be considered.
Other factors
Production costs: Uranium companies with lower production costs are generally more profitable than companies with higher production costs.
Reserves: Uranium companies with larger reserves have more potential for future production and growth.
Management team: Uranium companies with experienced and competent management teams are more likely to be successful than companies with inexperienced or incompetent management teams.
Production costs
Cameco has the lowest production costs of the five uranium stocks listed above. Kazatomprom also has relatively low production costs. Energy Fuels has higher production costs than Cameco or Kazatomprom, but its costs are still competitive. NexGen Energy and Uranium Energy are development-stage companies, so their production costs are not yet known.
Reserves
Cameco has the largest uranium reserves of the five uranium stocks listed above. Kazatomprom also has significant uranium reserves. Energy Fuels has smaller uranium reserves than Cameco or Kazatomprom, but its reserves are still growing. NexGen Energy and Uranium Energy are development-stage companies, so their uranium reserves are not yet fully defined.
Management team
Cameco and Kazatomprom have experienced and competent management teams. Energy Fuels also has a good management team, but it is less experienced than the management teams at Cameco and Kazatomprom. NexGen Energy and Uranium Energy are development-stage companies, so their management teams are still relatively new.
Enhanced overview
Based on all of the factors considered above, Cameco and Kazatomprom appear to be the most attractive uranium stocks from a valuation perspective. Both companies have low production costs, large reserves, and experienced management teams. Energy Fuels is also a good uranium stock but it is slightly less attractive than Cameco and Kazatomprom due to its higher production costs and smaller reserves. NexGen Energy and Uranium Energy are more speculative investments but they have the potential to be major uranium producers in the future.
Now, we've taken a deeper delve into the sector to come up with some smaller stocks you might want to add to the watch list as the uranium boom gathers pace. Today's acorns....Here is a list of five small-cap Canadian uranium stocks that you might consider as alternatives, with 50-word biographies:
Denison Mines Corp (TSX:DML).
Denison Mines is a uranium development company with a diversified portfolio of uranium assets in Canada and the United States. The company's flagship asset is the Wheeler River Project in Saskatchewan, Canada, which is one of the largest and highest-grade uranium development projects in the world.
Global Atomic Corporation (TSX:GLO)
Global Atomic is a uranium development company with a focus on the Dasa Uranium Project in Niger. The Dasa Project is one of the largest undeveloped uranium deposits in the world.
Fission Uranium Corp. (TSX:FCU, OTCQX:FCUUF)
Fission Uranium is a uranium development company with a focus on the Patterson Lake South Uranium Project in Saskatchewan, Canada. The Patterson Lake South Project is a high-grade uranium deposit with the potential to be a significant producer.
enCore Energy Corp
enCore Energy is a uranium development company with a focus on the U.S. Gulf Coast region. The company has a portfolio of uranium assets with the potential to produce over 100 million pounds of uranium.
Uranium Royalty Corporation
Uranium Royalty Corp. is a uranium royalty company with a portfolio of royalties on uranium projects around the world. The company's royalties include a 2% royalty on the Wheeler River Project in Canada and a 0.75% royalty on the Dasa Project in Niger.
Thor Energy
Thor Energy is an exploration company, focused on uranium and energy metals, owning projects located in Australia and the US.
The company announced recently that it is gearing up for the next round of drilling at its 100%-owned Wedding Bell and Radium Mountain projects following positive results from the heliborne magnetic and radiometric surveys at both projects with strong uranium anomalies delineated and ground truthing underway.
Baselode Energy
Baselode Energy controls 100% of about 264,172 hectares of exploration land in the Athabasca region.
The company recently released assay results from the deepest drilling of the 7,500-metre (m) diamond drilling program at the ACKIO high-grade uranium zone on its Hook project in Saskatchewan’s Athabasca Basin, which included 0.32% uranium oxide over 16.5m. Resource estimate calculations for the project are expected to begin in 4Q.
GTI Energy
GTI Energy is focused on exploring, defining and developing economic ISR (in-situ recovery) uranium resources.
The company's ISR uranium projects in Wyoming position it to define uranium resources that can potentially be developed quickly and cost-effectively with a low environmental impact.
Blue Sky Uranium
Blue Sky Uranium's objective is to deliver exceptional returns to shareholders by rapidly advancing a portfolio of surficial uranium deposits into low-cost producers, while respecting the environment, the communities, and the cultures in all the areas being developed.
The company, which has the exclusive right to properties in two provinces in Argentina that include its flagship Amarillo Grande Project, is also a member of the Grosso Group, a resource management group that has pioneered exploration in Argentina since 1993.
Platinex
Platinex creates shareholder value through the opportunistic acquisition and advancement of high-quality projects in prolific Ontario mining camps.
The company, though, told investors it has acquired a portfolio of uranium assets that it will package into a new unlisted entity, Green Canada Corporation (GCC).
The acquired portfolio comprises the Beartooth Island uranium project (spanning 145 kilometers in Saskatchewan), the Matoush-Otish Mountain project (219 square kilometers, Quebec), Mistassini (8 square kilometers, Quebec), the Cyprus uranium and copper project (34 square kilometers, Saskatchewan), and three large claim blocks (126 square kilometers) in Ontario.
* State-owned enterprises (SOEs) can be listed on the stock market in a number of ways. One common way is to sell a minority stake in the company to the public. This is what Kazatomprom has done. The Kazakh government currently owns 70% of the company, while the remaining 30% is publicly traded on the London Stock Exchange.