Why Rigetti Computing Is Extremely Volatile Today

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 10:13 AM

why rigetti computing is extremely volatile today

Rigetti Computing Inc (NASDAQ:RGTI) is trading lower Friday afternoon, marking a reversal after a surge earlier in the week driven by retail momentum and sector-wide optimism. The recent volatility comes amid a classic Santa Rally, where retail investors earlier this week rotated into high-beta quantum stocks while institutional trading desks thin out for the holidays. What To Know: Earlier gains this week were fueled by a wave of social media sentiment focused on Rigetti’s 2026 roadmap, which promises higher-qubit systems and significantly lower error rates. This retail interest was compounded by a halo effect from peers like IonQ and D-Wave, which also saw spikes following strategic milestones and bullish analyst coverage. Notably, Wedbush recently initiated coverage on Rigetti with an Outperform rating and a $35 price target, citing the company’s advanced chiplets and vertically integrated production capabilities as key differentiators. Market observers note that this week’s price action fits the pattern of a “Holiday Gap,” where lower trading volumes between Dec.

20 and New Year’s allow retail sentiment to move small-cap stocks more aggressively. While retail investors likely drove the stock higher earlier in the week on the belief that the “quantum age” could arrive by 2026, Friday’s downturn suggests a pause in the momentum as the holiday... New York — Dec. 26, 2025, 11:13 p.m. ET — Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ: RGTI) closed the post‑Christmas session sharply lower in a market that was otherwise drifting near record levels in thin, year‑end trading.

Reuters+1 RGTI ended Friday around $22.38, down roughly 8.6% on the day after trading between about $24.51 and $22.34, with volume above 28 million shares—a big number for a stock that has become one of... MarketBeat This article breaks down the latest Rigetti‑specific developments, the current analyst landscape and forecasts, and—because U.S. exchanges are closed right now—what investors should keep in mind heading into the next regular session on Monday, Dec. 29 (9:30 a.m.

to 4:00 p.m. ET). New York Stock Exchange+1 Friday’s drop came during a low‑volume, post‑holiday session where major indexes barely moved. The S&P 500 slipped to 6,929.94, the Dow dipped to 48,710.97, and the Nasdaq eased to 23,593.10, according to AP—typical “between Christmas and New Year’s” tape action. AP News+1

In that kind of market, high‑beta, story‑driven stocks can swing harder than the averages, especially when the shareholder base is dominated by shorter‑horizon traders and options activity. That dynamic has been a defining feature of “Quantum 4” names—including Rigetti—throughout 2025. Reuters+1 Rigetti Computing, Inc. (RGTI Quick QuoteRGTI - Free Report) has recently been on Zacks.com's list of the most searched stocks. Therefore, you might want to consider some of the key factors that could influence the stock's performance in the near future.

Over the past month, shares of this company have returned +0.7%, compared to the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +3% change. During this period, the Zacks Internet - Software industry, which Rigetti Computing falls in, has gained 7.9%. The key question now is: What could be the stock's future direction? While media releases or rumors about a substantial change in a company's business prospects usually make its stock 'trending' and lead to an immediate price change, there are always some fundamental facts that eventually... Rather than focusing on anything else, we at Zacks prioritize evaluating the change in a company's earnings projection. This is because we believe the fair value for its stock is determined by the present value of its future stream of earnings.

We essentially look at how sell-side analysts covering the stock are revising their earnings estimates to reflect the impact of the latest business trends. And if earnings estimates go up for a company, the fair value for its stock goes up. A higher fair value than the current market price drives investors' interest in buying the stock, leading to its price moving higher. This is why empirical research shows a strong correlation between trends in earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock price movements. The artificial intelligence boom of 2025 has produced no shortage of headline-grabbing winners, but few corners of the technology market have captured investor imagination quite like quantum computing. Long discussed in academic journals and theoretical physics circles, quantum technology has suddenly emerged as a speculative frontier for public markets.

At the center of this enthusiasm sits Rigetti Computing, a pure-play quantum hardware company whose stock performance has become emblematic of both the promise and peril of next-generation computing investments. Rigetti’s rapid ascent has turned it into a poster child for quantum optimism. Its shares surged dramatically during the year, far outpacing broader indices and even many mainstream AI leaders. For some investors, Rigetti represents an early entry into what could become a multi-trillion-dollar technological transformation. For others, it is a cautionary tale of valuation excess driven more by narrative than fundamentals. Understanding Rigetti’s future requires separating quantum reality from quantum hype.

Quantum computing occupies a unique and often misunderstood position within the artificial intelligence ecosystem. Unlike traditional AI systems, which rely on classical computing architectures such as CPUs and GPUs, quantum computing is based on quantum bits—or qubits—that leverage the principles of superposition and entanglement. In theory, this allows quantum systems to process certain classes of problems exponentially faster than classical machines. From an industry perspective, quantum computing is not a replacement for today’s AI infrastructure. Instead, it is a potential accelerator for extremely complex tasks that overwhelm even the most advanced GPUs. These include molecular simulations, cryptography, financial risk modeling, logistics optimization, and advanced materials science.

Rigetti Computing is a leader in the quantum computing space. Rising long-term U.S. Treasury yields seemed to knock many stocks down earlier today. However, Rigetti also received a significant price target hike from a Wall Street analyst. Shares of Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) traded close to 11% down earlier today before recouping much of those losses. As of 11:42 a.m.

ET today, the stock traded close to 2% higher. Rising U.S. Treasury bond yields seemed to hurt stocks earlier today, but a Wall Street analyst also significantly increased their price target on Rigetti this morning. Despite the Federal Reserve lowering interest rates last week, longer-term Treasury yields edged higher over the past several days, as this group of investors may be concerned that the Fed isn't properly accounting for... Rising bond yields can have a negative impact on stocks, especially high-growth and speculative stocks like Rigetti.

Why Rigetti Computing Is Extremely Volatile Today

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Rigetti Computing Inc (NASDAQ:RGTI) Is Trading Lower Friday Afternoon, Marking

20 And New Year’s Allow Retail Sentiment To Move Small-cap

Reuters+1 RGTI Ended Friday Around $22.38, Down Roughly 8.6% On

To 4:00 P.m. ET). New York Stock Exchange+1 Friday’s Drop

In That Kind Of Market, High‑beta, Story‑driven Stocks Can Swing