Prediction: This Stock Will Be the Biggest Quantum Computing Winner of 2026 - Yahoo Finance

Prediction: This Stock Will Be the Biggest Quantum Computing Winner of 2026 Keithen Drury, The Motley Fool December 26, 2025 4 min read GOOG +0.98% IONQ +0.94% RGTI -0.19% Key Points Upstarts like IonQ and Rigetti Computing have boom-or-bust potential in 2026. Legacy tech players like Alphabet have a greater chance of success. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Quantum computing hype has gone through two separate boom-and-bust cycles in 2025. At the end of 2024, quantum computing investing was all the rage, thanks to a breakthrough announcement by Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL) that brought quantum computing into the mainstream. After these stocks rose rapidly in December 2024, they crashed immediately after entering 2025. Throughout the year, these stocks slowly gained momentum before crashing again around October. Clearly, quantum computing stocks are quite volatile. Their performance is more closely tied to the market's appetite for risk rather than actual business performance, which can make finding the right time to purchase these stocks tricky. However, I think there's a better way to invest in quantum computing that may increase the chance of reaping profits during the next few years. Image source: Getty Images. Finding the ultimate quantum computing winner will be difficult There are two buckets of quantum computing stocks: Upstarts and legacy tech companies. Upstarts include companies like IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI), and D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS), which are completely devoted to producing viable quantum computing technology. They get their funding from various research contracts or by going to the public market to raise capital. These stocks are incredibly risky, but would have a huge payoff if their technology pans out. The reality is that most of the publicly traded and private quantum computing start-ups will go bankrupt before viable quantum computing technology becomes available in roughly 2030. While some investors may have the risk tolerance for this type of investing, few do. As a result, I think most investors would be better off owning some legacy tech companies. Companies in this cohort are pursuing quantum computing on the side as a complementary part of their business. This group includes companies like Alphabet, Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), and IBM (NYSE: IBM), among others. While these companies will benefit greatly from having in-house quantum computing available, it isn't critical to their success. As a result, these companies are far safer, as they have viable cash flows funding their quantum computing research. If they lost the race to develop useful quantum computing technology, their existing businesses would still be OK. I think most investors are better off picking a stock in this category, and I can think of few better than Alphabet. Story Continues View Comments Terms and Privacy Policy Privacy Dashboard