2 Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in Early 2026 - The Motley Fool

By Manali Pradhan, CFA – Jan 24, 2026 at 2:20PM EST KEY POINTS Nvidia is building the systems that will allow quantum computers to link smoothly with classical supercomputer clusters. Microsoft is monetizing quantum computing through the cloud. Both companies combine reliable cash flows with long-term quantum computing-driven upside potential. Quantum computing is gradually evolving from a largely experimental technology toward commercialization. According to a forecast from the consultancy MarketsandMarkets, the global quantum computing market will expand from $3.5 billion in 2025 to $20.2 billion in 2030. Image source: Getty Images. However, betting on pure-play quantum companies with minimal revenues and heavy ongoing research and development (R&D) costs can be risky. A more balanced approach is to invest in diversified technology leaders that offer quantum computing exposure, but that can support their efforts in this new field with their profitable established businesses. These two stocks fit those criteria. 1. Nvidia Nvidia ( NVDA +1.65% ) is already a dominant force in the global artificial intelligence (AI) infrastructure market. The company is increasingly focused on selling rack-scale AI server systems that combine chips, networking hardware, and supporting software, for training and inferencing (real-time deployment) large AI models in data centers worldwide. The company also boasts exceptional demand visibility, with management indicating more than $500 billion in orders for its Blackwell processors and next-generation Rubin processors from the start of 2025 through the end of 2026. Hence, the company is well-positioned to continue generating massive cash flows, which should boost its share price.   Expand NASDAQ: NVDA Nvidia Today's Change (1.65%) $2.97 Current Price $183.22 KEY DATA POINTS Market Cap $4.4T Day's Range $181.41 - $188.88 52wk Range $86.62 - $212.19 Volume 217M Avg Vol 175M Gross Margin 71.07% Dividend Yield 0.02% Nvidia also provides a bridge between classical supercomputers and quantum computers through its NVQLink technology. This enables the systems to offload key tasks such as calibration, control, and error mitigation to GPU-powered supercomputers with low latency and improved throughput. The resulting hybrid systems will provide the platforms that could take quantum computing mainstream.  Building on this architecture, Nvidia, in collaboration with Quantum Machines, launched the DGX Quantum system, with an early access program introduced in March 2025. This program allows research laboratories and quantum hardware companies to deploy the system in real-world environments. At the software layer, Nvidia's CUDA-Q open-source platform enables developers to write programs that can run optimally across CPUs, GPUs, and quantum processors using a single programming framework. Hence, Nvidia looks like a safer way to participate in quantum computing's upside, while avoiding the extreme volatility of pure-play bets. 2. Microsoft Microsoft ( MSFT +1.08% ) is a prominent player in the enterprise software and cloud computing space. Its Azure cloud platform serves a large, sticky base of enterprise customers, while its AI assistant, Copilot, is also adding to its recurring software revenues across its productivity and developer tools. Expand NASDAQ: MSFT Microsoft Today's Change (1.08%) $4.29 Current Price $399.84 KEY DATA POINTS Market Cap $2.9T Day's Range $394.80 - $400.63 52wk Range $344.79 - $555.45 Volume 1.4M Avg Vol 34M Gross Margin 68.59% Dividend Yield 0.88% However, it's not resting on its laurels. The company aims to leverage its cloud capabilities to advance its quantum computing technology. Through Azure Quantum, the company provides customers with cloud-based access to an integrated stack of high-performance computing systems, AI models, and quantum processors. This gives its clients the ability to run hybrid quantum-classical workloads without owning quantum computing hardware. Like other players in the space, Microsoft is developing logical qubits, which are composed of multiple physical qubits that are grouped together in a single state. This helps make quantum computers more error-resistant and reliable. Microsoft and privately held start-up Quantinuum built a 12-logical-qubit system, and processed an end-to-end chemistry simulation using logical qubits, high-performance computing, and AI technologies. These milestones highlight the steady technical progress of Microsoft's quantum computing capabilities. Microsoft has launched the Majorana 1 quantum chip, based on a new topological qubit architecture designed to reduce error-correction costs. While it's still experimental, if it's validated at scale, this approach could strengthen Azure's competitive moat in the long run. All these factors make Microsoft a lower-risk way to gain quantum exposure. Read Next Mar 16, 2026 By Neil Patel What Is 1 of the Best AI Stocks to Own for the Next 10 Years? Mar 16, 2026 By Johnny Rice Why Nvidia Stock Just Dropped After Jumping Nearly 5% Mar 16, 2026 By Danny Vena, CPA Nvidia Investors Just Got Incredible News from CEO Jensen Huang: 2 Highlights from GTC Mar 16, 2026 By Geoffrey Seiler What Are 3 Great Tech Stocks to Buy Right Now? Mar 16, 2026 By Keithen Drury The Smartest Artificial Intelligence (AI) Stock to Buy Before March Ends Mar 16, 2026 By Trevor Jennewine Nvidia Stock Investors Just Got Great News From CEO Jensen Huang. It's Time to Buy. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Manali Pradhan, CFA, is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering technology, pharmaceuticals, medical devices, and industrial sectors. Manali brings prior experience as a healthcare analyst and team lead at Market Realist, a data equity analyst at Morgan Stanley, and a data analyst at Deloitte Financial Advisory Services. She holds a bachelor’s degree in computer engineering and a master’s in finance from Mumbai University. TMFManaB STOCKS MENTIONED Nvidia NASDAQ: NVDA $183.19 (+1.63%) +$2.94 Microsoft NASDAQ: MSFT $399.84 (+1.08%) +$4.29 *Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.