Uranium Spot Jumps 18% as Kazatomprom Warns 20% Output Shortfall; Utilities Scramble
2026-10-24, FP360 — Uranium spot prices surged 18% to $118/lb as Kazatomprom cut its 2026 production guidance by 20%, citing sulfuric acid shortages at its Inkai and Budenovskoye operations, forcing Western utilities into a frantic inventory grab. European and US buyers chasing term supply drove U3O8 conversion and enrichment spreads to record wides, with 42 million pounds of uncovered reactor demand now hunting replacement barrels. The shock lifts term contract prices to $135/lb and reprices the entire nuclear fuel complex just as utilities enter winter 2027 refueling cycles.