Cameco Company
Cameco is one of the leading uranium producers in the world as it commands 14% of the uranium production. The company has its headquarters at Saskatoon, Saskatchewan and is a significant player in providing the processing services for uranium fuel for power plants. Cameco also has stakes in the nuclear power plant operations. The operations of Cameco are in Canada, the United States, and Kazakhstan. In Canada, the primary operations are in northern Saskatchewan where the uranium reserves are abundant.
Cameco founded in 1988, was a merger of Saskatchewan Mining Development Corporation and Eldorado Nuclear Limited. In 1991, it got listed in the Toronto and the Montreal Stock exchanges under the ticker CCO. Later, in 1996, it got cross-listed on the NYSE and traded under the ticker symbol CCJ. In the same year, Cameco Gold started as a subsidiary that majored in gold production for the company. Cameco has exploited vertical integration in the nuclear industry by buying stakes in the uranium enrichment business. The company partners with GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy and also owns 24% of the stakes in Global Laser Enrichment. Also, Cameco has also acquired 100% interest in Zircatec Precision Industry, an industry that manufactures fuel bundles for Candu reactors. Furthermore, Cameco holds a 31.6% stake in Bruce Power; Bruce Power operates the largest nuclear power reactor in Ontario.
Cameco Europe Limited, a subsidiary company, was created in 1999 and registered in Zug, Switzerland. This company boasts of low corporate tax rates, and due to its proximity to European customers, it is used as the marketing unit for Cameco in Europe. Products for European customers are shipped directly from Canada and due to the low tax environment leads to high profits.