Dear Investor,
Central bankers often say gold is no longer important to the financial system.
But their actions suggest otherwise.
Over the past year, central banks purchased more gold than at any time since 1967.
China. Poland. Turkey. Singapore.
Not buying stocks.
Not buying bonds.
Buying metal.
Historically, large institutional accumulation tends to happen before major monetary shifts — not after them.
And this wave of buying is occurring just weeks before March 31st, 2026, the next key delivery date for gold contracts.
When institutions move first, the broader market usually notices later.
I’ve put together a concise report explaining why this date matters — and why one company I call the “Shadow Miner” could become a primary beneficiary if demand accelerates.
See why March 31st could change everything <<
The Buck Stops Here,
Dylan Jovine
Up 135% in the Past Year, Can Cameco Continue Its Run?
Authored by Jordan Chussler. Date Posted: 2/17/2026.
Key Points
- As investors continue to rotate out of tech, energy continues to dominate in early 2026 with a 21% YTD gain.
- While fossil fuels have recovered, nuclear energy is also fueling the rally as demand is forecast to double by 2040.
- After gaining 135% over the past year, analysts remain bullish on Cameco, with the stock receiving a consensus Buy rating.
- Special Report: [Sponsorship-Ad-6-Format3]
Since leading the market in 2021 and 2022, the energy sector has become one of the S&P 500's most overlooked areas. After stocks recovered from 2022's bear market, technology and communication services—home to five of the Magnificent Seven—have led the market each year.
Over the three years following 2022, the energy sector logged a 1.3% loss and modest gains of 5.7% and 8.7%, respectively—trailing the broader market and finishing near the bottom among the 11 S&P sectors. Much of this performance was driven by weakening global oil demand amid a prolonged supply surplus.
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But since the Nasdaq hit its all-time high on Oct. 29, 2025, investors have rotated out of higher-risk, higher-volatility tech stocks and into lower-risk, defensive sectors. That ongoing flight safety—fueled by fears of a broader correction in AI and software names—has coincided with surging natural gas prices, benefiting the energy complex.
As a result, the sector is up about 21% year-to-date (YTD) in 2026. While much of the rebound is attributed to fossil fuels, one often-overlooked part of the energy patch has helped it outpace the market and the other S&P sectors: nuclear energy stocks.
The Nuclear Revival Propelling Cameco
Much of the buzz around the nuclear revival has centered on pre-revenue companies working on small modular reactors (SMRs) or nuclear fuel technologies.
Names like NuScale (NYSE: SMR) and Oklo (NYSE: OKLO), SMR manufacturers, and Lightbridge (NASDAQ: LTBR), a nuclear fuel tech firm, grabbed headlines as the push to power AI data centers took center stage. During that period some stocks ran parabolic; Oklo, for example, surged more than 521% between May and October 2025.
When those high-flyers began to sell off as investors locked in gains, it was the nuclear sector's established players that continued a steadier ascent. Cameco (NYSE: CCJ), the world's largest publicly traded uranium producer, is one such name. The stock is up nearly 15% YTD and rallied roughly 136% over the past year as global uranium demand rewarded companies with established operations, resilient supply chains and reliable customers.
Cameco was formed in 1988 through a merger of the Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation and Eldorado Nuclear Limited. Since then, the company's market capitalization has grown to about $49.25 billion. With global uranium demand forecast to rise roughly 28% by 2030 and to more than double by 2040, Cameco remains well positioned at the forefront of the nuclear industry.
This positioning was on full display when Cameco reported full-year and Q4 2025 results on Feb. 13.
Cameco's Q4 Double Beat Is Indicative of the Path Forward
Last week, Cameco announced earnings and revenue that beat analyst expectations on both the top and bottom lines. Quarterly EPS of $0.36 easily surpassed estimates of $0.29, while revenue of nearly $875 million—up 1.5% year-over-year—beat forecasts of roughly $782 million.
It was the company's second EPS beat in three quarters after missing expectations in seven of the prior eight quarters. The results suggest Cameco may have turned a corner, which could presage larger gains if global uranium demand continues to accelerate.
Key takeaways from Cameco's most recent earnings call showed the company is executing a disciplined contracting strategy: by year-end 2025 it had about 230 million pounds of long-term commitments, including roughly 28 million pounds per year over the next five years.
The strategy also includes deliberately preserving some uncommitted supply to capture higher prices as demand grows.
Additionally, Cameco's partnership with Westinghouse and involvement in a U.S. government initiative—backed by at least $80 billion—are advancing deployments. Cameco expects its share of Westinghouse's adjusted EBITDA to be approximately $370 million to $430 million in 2026.
That combination of disciplined contracting, strategic partnerships and favorable policy support helps explain why many investors are bullish on the stock.
What Wall Street Thinks of Cameco
Among 16 analysts covering Cameco, the consensus rating is Buy, and the average 12‑month price target is just over $131, implying roughly 16% upside.
Institutional ownership exceeds 70%, with 733 buyers outnumbering 464 sellers over the past year. Buying activity in Q2, Q3 and Q4 2025 was the highest in three years.
At the same time, Wall Street's bears have largely steered clear of CCJ.
Current short interest is 1.62% of the float—down about 17.3% from the prior month—equating to fewer than 7 million shares of roughly 435.5 million outstanding.
According to TradeSmith, Cameco's financial health has been in the Green Zone for more than two months.
AST SpaceMobile Jumps 9% After Government Contract Announcement
Authored by Jordan Chussler. Date Posted: 2/25/2026.
Key Points
- AST SpaceMobile has secured a $30 million prime contract from the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) for the HALO Europa Program, marking the first-ever prime contract for its defense subsidiary and solidifying its role as a key government contractor.
- While the company has seen a one-year stock gain of over 200% and massive year-over-year revenue growth, experts question its ability to meet ambitious goals, including the launch of 45 to 60 BlueBird satellites by the end of 2026.
- Despite heavy institutional investment, Wall Street remains cautious with a consensus Reduce rating and high short interest (over 16%), as analysts weigh recent earnings misses against the company's expanding portfolio of strategic and military partnerships.
- Special Report: [Sponsorship-Ad-6-Format3]
Shares of SpaceX rival and communication services upstart AST SpaceMobile (NASDAQ: ASTS) have gained more than 9% since the company announced it was awarded a $30 million prime contract from the U.S. Space Development Agency (SDA) for the HALO Europa Program.
The news is the latest in a string of contracts that have helped drive a volatile rally, producing a one‑year gain of more than 200%.
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The Midland, Texas–based aerospace firm is pursuing a space‑based cellular broadband network designed to connect standard mobile phones and other devices directly to its low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites.
The latest federal agreement, announced Monday, Feb. 23, is the first prime contract awarded to AST SpaceMobile USA, the company's wholly owned defense subsidiary.
AST SpaceMobile Is Emerging as a Massive Government Contractor
Despite existing strategic partnerships with the likes of Verizon Communications (NYSE: VZ), AT&T (NYSE: T), Vodafone Group (NASDAQ: VOD), Japanese tech conglomerate Rakuten (OTCMKTS: RKUNY), real estate investment trust American Tower (NYSE: AMT), and BCE (NYSE: BCE), AST SpaceMobile's expanding role as a federal contractor is positioning the firm as a major government supplier.
Details of the SDA award highlight AST SpaceMobile's ability to provide rapid, direct‑to‑device tactical communications using its dual‑use commercial BlueBird satellite constellation.
The deal supports the Europa Track 2 Commercial Solutions program, which aims to bolster the Tranche 2 Demonstration and Experimentation System (T2DES) project intended to strengthen the military's transport layer of communications and data‑relay satellites.
According to Chris Ivory, CEO of AST SpaceMobile USA, the "selection for SDA's Europa Track 2 program validates AST SpaceMobile's ability to rapidly operationalize commercial space capabilities for national security." Ivory added that "by leveraging our existing low Earth orbit dual‑use satellite technology, we support the government's defense efforts, delivering immediate connectivity with our BlueBird satellites and scaling quickly to advanced tactical use cases."
Previous federal contracts have acted as near‑term catalysts: AST SpaceMobile shares jumped 15% after a Pentagon contract announcement on Jan. 16.
Lofty Launch Expectations Keep All Eyes on ASTS
Despite the bullish contract news, questions remain about the company's ability to meet its ambitious 2026 launch targets, which call for putting 45 to 60 BlueBird satellites into orbit by the end of 2026.
On Jan. 22, the company said its next‑generation Block 2 BlueBird satellite will be flown on Jeff Bezos‑founded Blue Origin's New Glenn‑3 (NG‑3) heavy‑lift rocket, expected to deliver the array into LEO "no earlier than late February."
New Glenn‑3 can carry up to eight BlueBird satellites at once. But in late January, industry publication Light Reading reported that at its current pace AST SpaceMobile risks missing its 2026 launch target.
Longer term, institutional investors appear optimistic. Institutional investors have put about $3 billion of inflows into ASTS over the past 12 months versus roughly $502 million in outflows. In the short term, however, analysts remain cautious.
How Wall Street Feels About ASTS Going Forward
Of the 12 analysts covering the stock, ASTS carries a consensus Reduce rating, with just three analysts assigning a Buy. The average 12‑month price target of $52.94 implies more than 38% potential downside from today's share price.
Meanwhile, current short interest remains elevated at more than 16%, or nearly 41 million shares of the roughly 367 million shares outstanding.
That figure is a 3.4% increase month‑over‑month and, at $4.54 billion, represents the highest dollar value of shares shorted since the company went public on April 7, 2021.
AST SpaceMobile's next earnings report, slated for Monday, March 2, could act as a short‑term catalyst that counters short sellers' bearish bets.
When the company last reported, it posted a Q3 2025 earnings miss—its third consecutive miss—alongside revenue of $14.74 million versus analyst expectations of $22.04 million.
Still, year‑over‑year revenue growth in Q3 was an astonishing 1,239.91%, suggesting the company's government contracts and strategic corporate partnerships are beginning to contribute meaningfully to top‑line growth.
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