Why Rigetti Computing Stock Skyrocketed Today

Bonisiwe Shabane

-Jan 2, 2026, 7:32 AM

why rigetti computing stock skyrocketed 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... Written by Johnny Rice for The Motley Fool-> Shares of Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) are skyrocketing on Thursday. The quantum computing start-up's stock surged 10.5% as of 2:50 p.m. ET and was up as much as 12.3% earlier in the day.

The rise comes as the S&P 500 gained 1.3% and the Nasdaq Composite rose 1.8%. The quantum computing company is rallying after its industry peer reported positive earnings Thursday. The stock is also seeing a boost from President Donald Trump's U.K. trade deal. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now.

Learn More » D-Wave Quantum reported strong quarterly results, beating expectations. The company announced revenue of $15 million for its first quarter of 2025, a 509% increase from the $2.5 million reported in the same period last year. John Martinis, one of this year's Nobel Prize winners, is "worried" that the U.S. quantum industry may now be just "nanoseconds" ahead of China. The quantum researcher said that the White House is "now moving on to quantum" as its next area of strategic focus.

Shares of Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) flew higher today, finishing up 15.4%. The jump came as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite both gained slightly. John Martinis, one of this year's Nobel Prize winners, told Bloomberg News that China has "caught up quickly" in the race to build a working quantum computer. He said he's now "worried that maybe we're nanoseconds ahead of them." Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now.

Continue » 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. One of the world's leading banks revealed it will commit billions to 27 key areas of investment, including quantum computing. Rigetti and other pure-play quantum stocks flew higher on the news. Shares of Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) soared on Monday, finishing up 25%. The spike came as the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) gained 1.5% and 2.2%, respectively.

The quantum computing stock surged after JPMorgan Chase revealed plans to invest $10 billion in various industries and technologies under its broad "Security and Resiliency Initiative" aimed at boosting U.S. economic and technological leadership. Quantum computing was among the 27 areas targeted. Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »

Quantum computing exploded onto the investment scene in late 2024, igniting a frenzy that propelled pure-play stocks to astronomical heights. Rigetti Computing (RGTI) emerged as one of the biggest beneficiaries, with shares rocketing over 800% in a single month amid breakthrough announcements and surging optimism. Over the past three years, RGTI has delivered staggering gains of more than 3,200%, and at its peak, the stock was up over 8,200% from historic lows. Early investors have undeniably struck a rich motherlode, turning modest bets into life-changing wealth. Yet for those new to the quantum sector, the ride has been brutal. On Friday, RGTI tumbled almost 9% to close 61% below its October high of $58, erasing much of the year's explosive gains.

This pullback mirrors broader pain across quantum stocks like IonQ (IONQ) and D-Wave (QBTS), which have also plunged sharply after similar booms and busts. With the entire sector reeling, investors need to ask: Is the hype surrounding quantum computing finally over – and is RGTI still a buy? Quantum computing harnesses principles of quantum mechanics, using qubits that can exist in multiple states simultaneously (superposition) and become entangled. Unlike classical bits limited to 0 or 1, this enables quantum systems to explore vast solutions exponentially faster for certain problems. The potential is transformative: faster drug discovery by simulating molecules, optimized financial models, unbreakable encryption breakthroughs, and efficient logistics routing. Quantum could reshape industries from pharmaceuticals to materials science, unlocking solutions classical computers can't touch in reasonable time.

Why Rigetti Computing Stock Skyrocketed Today

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