What Is URA? Global X Uranium ETF
Short answer
URA is the Global X Uranium ETF, the largest US-listed fund tracking uranium miners and the broader nuclear fuel cycle, from explorers and producers to nuclear-component makers. It is heavily weighted toward names like Cameco, Kazatomprom, and NexGen Energy, with newer additions such as Oklo and Centrus reflecting the nuclear-revival theme. The fund rode the renewed interest in nuclear power but remains volatile and commodity-linked, moving closely with uranium prices and mining-equity sentiment. Compared with Sprott's URNM (pure-play miners) and URNJ (junior miners), URA is broader and includes nuclear-component and fuel-services firms, while VanEck's NLR leans more toward nuclear utilities than miners.
URA is issued by Global X and tracks Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index. It charges a 0.69% expense ratio, holds approximately approximately $6.3 billion in assets under management, yields about approximately 4.5% (trailing twelve months, variable), and launched in November 5, 2010.
What is URA?
URA is the Global X Uranium ETF, the largest US-listed fund tracking uranium miners and the broader nuclear fuel cycle, from explorers and producers to nuclear-component makers. It is heavily weighted toward names like Cameco, Kazatomprom, and NexGen Energy, with newer additions such as Oklo and Centrus reflecting the nuclear-revival theme. The fund rode the renewed interest in nuclear power but remains volatile and commodity-linked, moving closely with uranium prices and mining-equity sentiment. Compared with Sprott's URNM (pure-play miners) and URNJ (junior miners), URA is broader and includes nuclear-component and fuel-services firms, while VanEck's NLR leans more toward nuclear utilities than miners.
URA is issued by Global X and tracks Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index, so a single ticker gives you the whole basket of underlying holdings weighted by the index's methodology rather than by any active stock-picking.
URA holdings: what's actually inside
URA is weighted toward its largest constituents. As of early 2026, the top holdings are:
| Rank | Ticker | Company | % of URA | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CCJ | Cameco Corp | approximately 23% | |
| 2 | OKLO | Oklo Inc. | approximately 7% | |
| 3 | NXE | NexGen Energy Ltd | approximately 6% | |
| 4 | UEC | Uranium Energy Corp | approximately 5% | |
| 5 | KAP | National Atomic Company Kazatomprom JSC | approximately 4.5% | |
| 6 | PDN | Paladin Energy Ltd | approximately 3% | |
| 7 | LEU | Centrus Energy Corp | approximately 3% | |
| 8 | DNN | Denison Mines Corp | approximately 2.5% | |
| 9 | UUUU | Energy Fuels Inc. | approximately 2% | |
| 10 | SRUUF | Sprott Physical Uranium Trust | approximately 2% |
The remaining holdings make up the balance of the fund, with weights tapering off below the top names. Because the index reconstitutes on a rolling basis, the roster stays current without active management. Each ticker above links to its individual stock guide in Walnut.
Themes URA is commonly used to express
ETFs are passive bundles; thematic baskets in Walnut let you concentrate within them. If you hold URA as a core position, these are the themes you might layer on as satellites.
The bottom line on URA
URA offers the most established and liquid way to get diversified exposure to uranium mining and the nuclear fuel cycle in a single fund, anchored by a large Cameco position. It is highly volatile and concentrated, with returns tightly linked to uranium prices and nuclear-sector sentiment, so it behaves like a thematic commodity bet rather than a core holding.
More on URA
Whether URA is worth buying today depends more on your time horizon and what you already hold than on any single call. We walk through valuation, concentration, and what would have to be true for it to outperform from here in is URA a buy?
URA yields approximately 4.5% (trailing twelve months, variable) as of early 2026, paid by passing through the dividends of its underlying holdings. For the payout schedule, history, and how the distributions are taxed, see URA dividend: yield and schedule.
Build a portfolio around URA with Walnut
Use URA as your core holding, then let Walnut's AI propose thematic satellites: AI infrastructure, dividend growth, clean energy, whatever you believe in. Connect your broker, build the basket in conversation, track it as one unit.
FAQ
What is URA?
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URA is the Global X Uranium ETF, the largest and oldest US-listed fund focused on uranium and nuclear energy. It tracks the Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index, holding uranium miners, explorers, and companies that supply the nuclear fuel cycle and nuclear components. Launched in 2010, it gives broad single-ticker exposure to the uranium and nuclear theme.
What is URA's expense ratio?
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URA has an expense ratio of 0.69%, meaning about $6.90 in annual fees per $1,000 invested. That is slightly lower than Sprott's URNM at 0.75%. It is a typical fee level for a thematic, specialized commodity-linked ETF rather than a broad index fund.
URA vs URNM vs URNJ
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URA is the broadest fund, holding uranium miners plus nuclear-component and fuel-services firms across about 50 to 56 names. Sprott's URNM is a more concentrated pure-play of roughly 34 uranium miners, while URNJ focuses on junior, smaller-cap miners with higher risk and reward. URA tends to be the most diversified and liquid of the three, with URNM and URNJ offering more direct miner exposure.
What does URA hold?
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URA's portfolio is led by Cameco at over 20% of assets, followed by names such as Oklo, NexGen Energy, Uranium Energy Corp, and Kazatomprom. It also holds Paladin Energy, Centrus Energy, Denison Mines, and Energy Fuels, among others. Holdings span large producers, junior explorers, nuclear-component makers, and newer nuclear-technology companies.
Does URA pay a dividend?
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Yes, URA pays a dividend, typically distributed semiannually, with a trailing yield that has recently been in the range of roughly 4% to 5%. The yield is variable and driven mainly by distributions from underlying mining companies rather than a steady income stream. Investors generally hold URA for the uranium theme rather than for income.
Is URA a good investment?
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URA offers diversified, liquid exposure to the uranium and nuclear theme in one ticker, but it is highly volatile and concentrated, with returns tied closely to uranium prices and nuclear-sector sentiment. Whether it fits depends on your risk tolerance, time horizon, and how much commodity-linked exposure you want. Walnut is informational, not investment advice.
Why is URA so volatile?
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URA holds mining and nuclear companies whose share prices move sharply with the spot price of uranium, project news, and shifts in nuclear-power policy and demand. Because it is concentrated in a single commodity theme and includes smaller, speculative explorers and newer technology firms, it can swing far more than a broad market index. This makes it behave like a thematic commodity bet rather than a steady core holding.
What index does URA track?
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URA tracks the Solactive Global Uranium & Nuclear Components Total Return Index. The index is designed to measure companies involved in uranium mining and the production of nuclear components, including extraction, refining, exploration, and manufacturing of equipment for the nuclear industry. This gives URA a wider scope than pure uranium-miner funds, since it also captures parts of the nuclear supply chain.
How do I compare URA to similar ETFs?
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Put a few fields side by side: the expense ratio (fees compound over decades), the index or strategy it tracks, the top holdings and how much they overlap with what you already own, the dividend yield, and the AUM, liquidity, and bid-ask spread that affect trading costs. For index funds, tracking error (how closely it follows its index) and tax efficiency matter too. URA's figures are above; the full method is in Walnut's guide on how to compare ETFs.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Holdings weights and fund statistics on this page are approximations stamped to early 2026; verify current figures against Global X's fund page or your broker before investing.