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The precious metals sector is one which has provided investors with incredible returns thus far in 2026. In fact, for the past two years, the gold and silver markets have outpaced some rapid returns in equity markets overall, making this one sector speculators and traders have stepped into in a big way.
There are plenty of market participants who may be looking at the dizzying rallies in these currency and uncertainty hedges and determine from these moves that we may be due for something rather negative on the horizon. I think the jury remains out on that front. However, it’s worth considering that a number of structural catalysts, from central bank buying to institutional hedging, could continue for some time to come.
Adding some speculative retail trading fervor (and leverage in the form of derivatives) to this massive market, and it’s possible to see the kinds of moves we’ve seen in recent months in precious metals.
That said, there’s another metal that’s been rallying in a massive way thus far in 2026 I think could actually be the safer bet (if that’s possible) heading into year end. Here’s why these three uranium stocks are ones I think investors would do well to hone in on right now.
Cameco (CCJ)
My top uranium producer on my watch list right now is Cameco (NYSE:CCJ). Shares of the Canada-based uranium producer are up more than 125% over the past year, buoyed by strong underlying commodity price growth for uranium as well as increased production output over this time frame.
With one of the best portfolios in the sector in terms of its tier-one assets, Cameco’s fortress balance sheet provides the ability for further expansion over time in the form of acquisitions, or sheer internal investment in current operations/production capacity to provide investors with ever-increasing cash flow growth. If the price of uranium continues to cooperate, this is a stock with some underlying fundamentals (net margins of around 15% and return on equity over 8%) other competitors would kill for.
The comapny’s adjusted EBITDA surged to more than $300 million this past quarter, on revenue of around $615 million. Those numbers alone tell a very prominent story, and one investors are starting to latch onto.
Of course, with a forward price-earnings ratio of more than 100-times, CCJ stock is no longer cheap. However, investors are clearly taking the long-term view not only on uranium as a key fuel source of clean renewable energy, but as a way to defend against increasing geopolitical tensions. This is the blue chip of blue chip stocks in the uranium sector to consider right now for those seeking exposure to uranium stocks.
Energy Fuels (UUUU)
Another top uranium miner, which also has extensive exposure to the rare earths complex, Energy Fuels (NYSE:UUUU) is another company that’s seen very impressive stock price performance over the course of the past year. Now up more than 115% over the past 12 months, Energy Fuels’ gains have been driven by many of the same factors mentioned above for Cameco.
A U.S.-based producer of uranium, Energy Fuels may benefit to a greater degree from U.S. policy as it pertains to nuclear power. With more and more power required domestically to support immense data center buildouts, Energy Fuels could be the best domestic option to choose from given its rapidly-expanding margins. Via low fixed-cost ISR mining, Energy Fuels has been able to push its gross margins toward the 40%-50% range, a level that few other companies are able to attain.
Now, this is a stock that may be more speculative than the other two names on this list, given the fact that Energy Fuels is still in its investment phase. That said, I think Energy Fuels is a company that still trades at a relative discount to NAV at current uranium prices, and its rare earths operations act as a notable kicker for future margin expansion.
Uranium Energy Corp. (UEC)
The final pick for this list of top uranium stocks to consider in 2026 is none other than Uranium Energy Corp. (NYSE:UEC).
Another excellent option for investors looking to play U.S. uranium self-sufficiency, UEC stock has seen very similar returns as the aforementioned names on this list over the past year, albeit with slightly better near-term performance.
At around 10-times forward cash flow, UEC stock is also among the cheapest uranium plays in the market. Thus, from a value perspective, I’d suggest investors take a good hard look at this name as a way to play unhedged spot gains (given the company’s current holdings of uranium still unsold). With solid technicals, a narrowing loss (and continued narrowing of this loss in 2026, with potential profitability in 2027), Uranium Energy Corp. could be the best option for investors looking for speculative or higher-growth upside in an already high-flying sector.