Should You Invest $500 in Oklo Stock Right Now?

The company recently reported some revenue, but it's operating in the red.

So... maybe you've been reading up on the proliferation of data centers due to the rise of artificial intelligence (AI), and you're looking to invest in companies poised to profit from it. It's a fine idea, and one company to consider is Oklo (NYSE: OKLO) , which is building small-scale nuclear reactors near data centers to power them.

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After peaking at around $193 per share, the stock was recently trading for a more attractive $48. Looking at the company's financials , it has been posting a string of zeroes for its revenue for several years -- until its last quarter, which featured revenue of $1.2 million. Because it's spending heavily on building, it's in the red. In other words, the company doesn't have a track record of profit. It's something of a speculative investment at this point.

There is reason to be optimistic about its prospects, though, beyond its newly positive revenue. It recently reported achieving "criticality" at its Groves Isotope Test Reactor site, meaning that it has a stable chain reaction of atoms splitting via fission. Oklo noted that it's "the first reactor under the program to achieve criticality on private land, built from the ground up..." and that it "establishes the operational foundation for future commercial isotope production," proving that "American nuclear deployment timelines can be measured in months rather than years."

Another plus is that while the company is posting losses -- $81.6 million year to date for its second quarter -- it also has around $3 billion in cash and marketable securities. It's financially strong.

So -- should you invest $500 in Oklo right now? I think that it depends on what that $500 is to you. If you have a portfolio worth many thousands, or better yet, tens or hundreds of thousands, then you can certainly plunk $500 into Oklo and see what happens. But if that $500 is your first foray into the stock market, or it represents 10% or 20% or more of your portfolio, perhaps hold off.

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