The shift in nuclear power from developed nations to third-world countries is an important trend for investors to understand because it is largely redefining the entire nuclear industry.
Even as nuclear firms in France find themselves in deep financial distress¸ new opportunities are emerging. One of China's two national nuclear reactor builders (China National Nuclear Power Co. Ltd.) went public recently with an explosive IPO, while long-time nuclear powerhouse Babcock & Wilcox announced earlier this year that it would split in two. Babcock and Wilcox's split creates a company that is ideal for investors looking at the future of nuclear power.
In particular, Babcock & Wilcox (trading under ticker BWC currently and under tickers BWXT and BW after the split), a nuclear supplier for reactors, is ideally positioned to build on a breakthrough deal announced by the U.S. and India earlier this year. In that announcement, U.S. President Obama and Indian Prime Minister Modi put forward a new deal that will enable India to buy reactor technology from the U.S. Related: New Silk Road Could Open Up Massive Investment Opportunities
BWX Technologies is the primary company that will benefit from that deal, and India is a critical market for the technology. BWXT is the only pure play nuclear reactor building stock in the U.S., and it stands to benefit from a new focus on nuclear power and the perception of high US quality products throughout much of the world. India is a reliable customer - the country needs a lot more power, it's geographically stable compared to many other regions, and it is eager to cut carbon emissions going forward which could make nuclear energy a top contender for electricity generation in a nation with such limited available space.
The rationale behind Babcock & Wilcox's split makes a lot of sense. The old BWC focused on two distinct nuclear businesses - building reactors for U.S. naval warships, and building reactors for power plants. The company always had to consider the U.S. government's reaction in any decisions it made given the importance of the Navy as a customer. Related: Key Points For Investing In Global Mining Sector
As a result, part of the business was always run sub-optimally. For example, many corporations take advantage of various tax loopholes to lower their tax burden. B&W never did that, because even though the loopholes are legal, it could open the firm up to public criticism (justified or not) and possibly jeopardize the firm's naval business in some small way.
With the two sides of B&W's business now separating, those tax loopholes are back on the table for BW. This should help the company lower its effective tax rate from the 30-35% percent territory it has been at historically. Jim Ferland, the CEO of the new B&W (and CEO of the combined current company) emphasized the value of this tax benefit in a recent interview. Similarly, with B&W no longer primarily a government contractor, foreign firms may be more willing to do business with the company in ways they were not before.
China, India, Pakistan, and many other third-world countries are moving towards greater use of nuclear power as a key fuel source. India is paramount among these potential customers for both BWX Technologies and the new Babcock & Wilcox. Related: So What Exactly Have Fossil Fuels Done For Us?
Options here could include nuclear power (BWXT products), coal power (BW products), and possibly waste-to-energy plants (BW products).
India harbors ambitions about becoming a major force in the nuclear power industry. The country has a severely inadequate electrical infrastructure, and the new Prime Minister Modi is a big supporter of nuclear power. Modi visited France, Canada, and the U.S. earlier this year shopping for reactors and parts from firms like France's Areva.
India plans to ramp up its nuclear power supply by a whopping 14 times over the next two decades. This is exactly the type of customer that the US industrial firms are courting and with the impending split and both sides of B&W have some interesting options ahead. Investors considering what to do with the spin-off after it is completed should keep this macro environment in mind.
By Michael McDonald of Oilprice.com
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Michael is an assistant professor of finance and a frequent consultant to companies regarding capital structure decisions and investments. He holds a PhD in finance… More
Comments
(1) Nuclear energy is NOT carbon-emission-free. Nuclear power plants release 90 – 140 g of CO2 per kwh. AND, each nuclear power plant releases massive amounts of Carbon-14 which is CONVERTED TO CO2 in the atmosphere!
Nuclear Energy = Carbon-14 = CO2 = Climate Change
(2) Nuclear power plants also release dangerous radiation into the air and water during their daily operations.
This radiation is linked to all kinds of cancers, heart disease, diabetes, birth defects, miscarriages, thyroid problems, leukemia, the list goes on and on
(3) Each nuclear power plant uses up to 30 MILLION gallons of water per HOUR.
(4) During refueling, nuclear power plants can release up to 1,000X the amount of radiation, and Dr. Ian Fairlie believes this is what causes the increases in childhood leukemias around nuclear power plants.
(5) Let's discuss the childhood leukemias and cancer deaths that researchers say are caused by nuclear energy:
Quote from Dr. Ernest Sternglass --->
“…The official measurements carried out by the Office of Radiological Health, and by the government, and the Public Health Service, they measured the radiation doses around the first big reactors in Dresden near Chicago, and they found that indeed there were doses almost as high as half of the normal background, and according to Dr. Stewart’s finding, that would mean an increase of 40-50% in childhood cancers and leukemias around the fence of every nuclear plant.”
SOURCE: youtube /watch?v=hN7rcjSnxZs
(6) Dr. John Gofman's research states that EACH nuclear power plants causes up to 1,600 cancer DEATHS per YEAR.
(7) There is NO solution for the nuclear waste, and the cost to maintain nuclear waste, guard it, and store it is INFINITE.
The caring for nuclear waste is the largest form of LONG-TERM DEBT that any country with nuclear energy will have.
(8) To learn what happens when nuclear energy goes WRONG, go to the highly recommended website ENENEWS dot com