University of Kwazulu-Natal

Rigetti Stock Hits Record High D Wave And Ionq Shares Also Rise

Bonisiwe Shabane
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rigetti stock hits record high d wave and ionq shares also rise

Rigetti Computing stock extended its rally on Thursday, climbing to a record intraday high. Shares have gained for the past three days, starting on Sept. 30, when the company said it had secured purchase orders for two Novera quantum computing systems. There’s more on the line than just the $5.7 million price tag: For a company whose identity is rooted in research and development, it’s a promising sign that the technology is gradually making its... The final trading weeks of 2025 are witnessing a classic “Santa Rally” with a futuristic twist. Institutional desks have thinned out for the holiday season—the proverbial “smart money” taking a breather— and retail investors are driving a surge in quantum stocks.

The “diamond hands” crowd has rotated into high-beta quantum stocks names. fueled by a series of strategic year-end milestones and bullish analyst coverage from Jefferies and Wedbush. Read Next: Trump Sends Space Stocks To The Moon (Literally) Historically, the period between Dec. 20 and New Year's often sees lower volume, allowing retail-driven momentum to move small-cap stocks more easily. The quantum “Santa Rally” is a seasonal gift and a reflection of retail belief that the quantum age could come as soon as 2026.

Not long ago, quantum computing felt like science fiction. Today, it’s driving some of the stock market’s most explosive rallies. Over the past year, shares of the leading pure-play quantum computing companies have skyrocketed, far outpacing even other hot tech sectors. D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) surged +2,158%, Rigetti Computing (Nasdaq: RGTI) jumped +2,448%, and IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) climbed +705% in just 12 months [14]. By comparison, even the electric vehicle and AI stock frenzies didn’t produce such across-the-board gains. This “quantum boom” has pushed the trio – sometimes dubbed the “Quantum Four” along with smaller peer QUBT – firmly into the spotlight [15] [16].

Several factors have catalyzed this breakout. Major technological breakthroughs and partnerships suggest quantum computing is moving closer to commercial reality [17]. Government support is expanding, with new U.S. initiatives and funding programs specifically backing quantum tech [18] [19]. And crucially, investor sentiment has shifted – institutional investors are now taking notice, and retail traders have piled in, drawn by the sector’s long-term potential and recent momentum [20] [21]. The result is a flurry of buying that sent quantum stocks parabolic in 2025.

Yet for all the hype, the quantum computing industry remains minuscule relative to other tech industries. The combined market capitalization of all publicly traded quantum computing names is only ~$35–40 billion [22] – a drop in the bucket next to sectors like electric vehicles or cloud computing. (At the height of the EV bubble, a single startup like Rivian briefly sported a $150 billion valuation [23].) This contrast underlines that quantum is still in its infancy, with plenty of room to... The upside could be enormous – but so are the uncertainties. Below, we dive into the key players IonQ, Rigetti, and D-Wave, their recent performance and developments, expert insights on the sector’s future, comparisons with other tech trends, and the risks and opportunities for investors... Overview: IonQ is often regarded as the front-runner among pure-play quantum computing companies.

Founded in 2015 and based on University of Maryland research, IonQ specializes in trapped-ion quantum computers, a technology known for high qubit fidelity. Instead of using superconducting circuits like some competitors, IonQ traps individual ions (charged atoms) and manipulates them with lasers. This approach has achieved impressive technical benchmarks – IonQ reports 99.9% gate fidelity (accuracy of operations) and an “all-to-all” qubit connectivity that can help reduce errors [25]. IonQ’s systems, such as its latest IonQ Forte (with 35+ “algorithmic qubits”), operate at room temperature and are accessible via cloud platforms including AWS Braket, Microsoft Azure Quantum, and Google Cloud [26]. The company is pursuing not just computing but also quantum networking and sensing technologies, aiming to build a broad quantum portfolio [27]. Recent Stock Performance & Financials: After going public via SPAC in late 2021, IonQ’s stock traded choppily for a while, but 2023–2025 saw a dramatic uptrend.

The share price more than doubled in 2023 and then went into overdrive in mid-2025 – by September 2025 IonQ hit an all-time high around $65.44 per share [28]. Over the past year, IonQ is up roughly 700% [29], reflecting growing optimism about its prospects. In terms of financials, IonQ remains in early-growth mode. Revenue is still modest (the company has typically recorded only a few million dollars per quarter from cloud access and research contracts) and it continues to operate at a net loss. However, IonQ’s revenue has been doubling annually, making it the “sector’s revenue growth leader” according to B. Riley analysts [30].

NEW YORK, Dec. 28, 2025, 12:45 p.m. ET — Market closed (Weekend). Quantum computing stocks are heading into the final trading week of the year with a familiar mix of promise and turbulence—exactly the kind of setup that can amplify both opportunity and risk when liquidity... In the most recent regular session (Friday), several of the best-known “pure-play” quantum names posted sharp declines even as the broader U.S. market largely drifted in quiet, post-holiday trade.

IonQ (IONQ) finished at $46.00, down about 7.6%. Rigetti Computing (RGTI) closed at $22.38, down roughly 8.6%. D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) ended at $25.29, down about 8.1%. Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT) closed at $10.66, down around 6.5%. That kind of synchronized pullback is not unusual for the sector: quantum “pure plays” often trade like a single high-beta theme—moving together on sentiment, valuation, and market microstructure—especially when volumes are lighter than normal.

Friday’s session came in the heart of the year-end “Santa Claus rally” window, when trading volumes often thin out and day-to-day moves can become exaggerated, particularly in smaller, story-driven stocks. [1] Risk Warning: this article represents only the author’s views and is for reference only. It does not constitute investment advice or financial guidance, nor does it represent the stance of the Markets.com platform.When considering shares, indices, forex (foreign exchange) and commodities for trading and price predictions, remember that... This information is provided for informative purposes only and should not be construed to be investment advice. Trading cryptocurrency CFDs and spread bets is restricted for all UK retail clients.

Proposed expansion of ESMA's powers raises concerns about the potential impact on the EU's crypto and fintech sectors. Centralized licensing and slower regulatory processes are key worries. Bitcoin's 'Santa' rally may be ignited by the Federal Reserve's upcoming interest rate decision. This article analyzes the macroeconomic factors potentially influencing Bitcoin's performance into 2026. Western Union expands into digital assets with a new stable card and plans to issue its own stablecoin, focusing on emerging markets. For privacy and data protection related complaints please contact us at privacy@markets.com.

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