President Donald Trump helped to transform the nuclear, space and quantum sectors from speculative niches into cornerstones of a national industrial strategy through a series of executive orders in 2025. 

By streamlining regulatory hurdles and signaling unprecedented state support, Trump’s directives effectively “de-risked” the sectors and triggered rallies that reshuffled billions in market capitalization. 

Nuclear Power

On May 23, 2025, President Trump signed four executive orders aimed at triggering a nuclear renaissance to power the massive energy demands of AI data centers and domestic manufacturing. 

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The orders mandated the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to shorten reactor licensing timelines and directed the Department of Energy to have at least three advanced pilot reactors operational by July 4, 2026. 

The market response was explosive: uranium miners like Uranium Energy Corp. (AMEX:UEC) and Centrus Energy Corp. (NYSE:LEU) surged over 20% on the news, while small modular reactor names like Oklo, Inc. (NYSE:OKLO) and NuScale Power Corp. (NYSE:SMR) saw triple-digit gains throughout the year. 

Large-scale power producers such as Constellation Energy Corp. (NASDAQ:CEG) and Vistra Corp. (NYSE:VST) also hit record highs as investors bet on their ability to quickly upgrade existing fleets and restart shuttered plants under the streamlined federal framework.

Space 

In 2025, a series of executive orders from the Trump administration triggered a massive rally in the space sector, driving the total market capitalization of leading U.S. space companies from roughly $450 billion to over $1.3 trillion by year-end. 

The momentum began in earnest with the April 15 EO on Commercial, Cost-Effective Solutions, which mandated a preference for commercial solutions in federal contracts, and peaked with the Dec. 18 signing of the Ensuring American Space Superiority order. 

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The directive set aggressive milestones—including a return to the Moon by 2028 and the deployment of lunar nuclear reactors—while simultaneously streamlining NEPA environmental reviews to accelerate launch cadences. 

Following the December announcement, pure-play stocks like Intuitive Machines, Inc. (NASDAQ:LUNR) and Rocket Lab Corp. (NASDAQ:RKLB) saw double-digit single-day gains, while defense contractors like L3Harris Technologies, Inc. (NYSE:LHX) also trended higher. 

Quantum Computing 

On Jan. 23, 2025, President Trump signed an executive order prioritizing quantum research alongside AI to ensure the U.S. remained ahead of global rivals. 

A subsequent May 23 order directed the Department of Energy to tackle 20 specific “technology challenges” in the quantum sector. 

However, the most explosive market movement occurred in October 2025 following reports that the administration was considering taking direct equity stakes in domestic quantum firms to shield them from foreign acquisition. 

The news sent shares of IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) surging to nearly $84, while Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) and D-Wave Quantum, Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) saw massive spikes before the Commerce Department issued a formal denial. 

Despite quantum’s end-of-year pullback, these policy signals—combined with the COINS Act in December 2025 which restricted outbound investment to Chinese quantum firms—cemented a bullish long-term narrative for the domestic quantum ecosystem.

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