Uranium stocks and the Global X Uranium ETF (NYSEArca: URA), which tracks uranium miners, have been a more than four-year slump since the 2011 Fukushima disaster in Japan.
Over that period, investors have heard many a bullish thesis for URA and uranium stocks, none of which have been rewarded. URA has lost more than 86% of its value since coming to market in late 2010. But finally, maybe, hopefully, URA and uranium stocks could be poised to rebound.
“Now, analysts say, the first restart of a Japanese reactor since Sept. 2013 presages a revival for prices of the commodity and related investments,” reports Myra Saefong for MarketWatch.
Earlier this year, URA and its components got a modest lift after the Kogoshima District Court rejected a legal bid to block the reopening of the Sendai nuclear power station due to safety concerns on Wednesday, reports Kentaro Hamada for Reuters.
The Sendai plant will be the first to reopen since Japanese nuclear stations were shutdown in response to the devastating earthquake and subsequent disaster in Fukushima. The reactors could begin operation as early as June.
In response to the fallout, anti-nuclear activists have aggressively petitioned courts to block restarting the plants. Nevertheless, the court’s response may reflect more favorable opinions in some areas. [Good News for the Uranium ETF]