NuScale Power Falls 0.21% as Trading Volume Plummets 21% from Top 500 Stocks Amid Institutional Buys and Executive Selloff

NuScale Power (SMR) declined 0.21% on August 12, 2025, with a trading volume of $0.43 billion, a 21.19% drop from the previous day. Despite a recent upgrade from Canaccord Genuity Group—raising its price target to $44 from $36 and maintaining a "Buy" rating—the stock underperformed amid reduced liquidity. Analyst activity remained mixed, with UBS Group setting a $38 target price, BNP Paribas issuing a "Neutral" rating, and BTIG lowering its stance to "Neutral." Institutional ownership saw increased stakes from Vanguard, Mirae Asset, and Geode Capital, while insiders sold shares, including COO Carl Fisher and CEO John Hopkins, signaling potential shifts in investor confidence.

Recent institutional activity highlighted growing interest, with Vanguard and Mirae Asset boosting holdings by 6.1% and 20.3%, respectively, in Q1 2025. Geode Capital further increased its position by 25.2% in Q2. However, insider sales totaled $1.43 million, reducing key executives’ holdings by 16.69% and 11.24%, raising questions about alignment with shareholder interests. The stock’s beta of 2.06 indicates heightened volatility relative to the market, while its negative net margin of 221.07% underscores ongoing operational challenges.

The strategy of buying the top 500 stocks by daily trading volume and holding them for one day yielded a total profit of $2,340 from 2022 to the present. The maximum drawdown reached -15.3% on October 27, 2022, highlighting the strategy’s risks despite its potential for gains.