3 Top Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy in 2026 - The Motley Fool

By Keithen Drury – Jan 18, 2026 at 5:28PM EST KEY POINTS Alphabet is a leader in both quantum and artificial intelligence. Microsoft created a new state of matter for its quantum technology. Nvidia is bridging the gap between traditional and quantum computing. Quantum computing investing is something that's on the horizon for many investors. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the big theme right now, and investors are focused on this area, with quantum computing potentially becoming relevant a few years down the road. With that in mind, I believe the smartest move for investors is to focus on the AI aspect of some companies that are also competing in the quantum computing realm. There are a handful of companies that are doing this, and I think they make for the best quantum computing buys in 2026. On my shopping list are Alphabet ( GOOG +0.98% ) ( GOOGL +1.11% ), Microsoft ( MSFT +1.08% ), and Nvidia ( NVDA +1.63% ), as all of these companies are excelling in AI, but also have significant quantum computing exposure. Image source: Getty Images. Alphabet Alphabet, the parent company of Google, has been heavily investing in creating an in-house quantum computing solution. This has several benefits, but it will all be for nothing if it can't produce viable results. The biggest hurdle quantum computing is facing in going mainstream is its accuracy, as it's incredibly difficult to control a particle's mechanics to utilize it for quantum computing. However, Alphabet is starting to see some positive results. Back in October, Alphabet announced that it had delivered the first verifiable quantum advantage. It ran an algorithm 13,000 times faster than a traditional supercomputer. This algorithm has applications in multiple areas, but its biggest use case would be for MRI technology. Expand NASDAQ: GOOGL Alphabet Today's Change (1.11%) $3.37 Current Price $305.65 KEY DATA POINTS Market Cap $3.7T Day's Range $303.03 - $306.48 52wk Range $140.53 - $349.00 Volume 1.1M Avg Vol 33M Gross Margin 59.68% Dividend Yield 0.28% By taking a step toward commercial viability, it shows that Google's efforts are not in vain, and with the massive resources Alphabet has as a company, it can continue to fund Google's quantum computing research. Even if Google's quantum computing pursuits fall flat on their face, Alphabet is still a strong company in the generative AI realm, making it a great stock to own in general. Microsoft Microsoft has a similar backdrop to Alphabet, as it has nearly unlimited resources to sink into quantum computing. The reason both companies want to develop in-house solutions is so they don't need to pay an outside computing vendor for their computing hardware. This has become very expensive for AI, as Nvidia is making a huge profit from cloud computing providers like Microsoft and Alphabet. If each can develop its own solution in-house, it can cut out the middleman and make its cloud computing segment more profitable. 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% Microsoft's quantum computing pursuits have taken science to new levels, as it claims to have created a new state of matter as a byproduct of its quantum computing pursuits. There is a lot of new technology that's being developed by this industry, and Microsoft is a huge part of it. Similar to Alphabet, if its quantum computing pursuits don't pan out, the stock will still be a great option to invest in, as its platforms have become a top option to build AI models on. Nvidia Last is Nvidia. The semiconductor giant may seem like an odd inclusion in this list because it isn't pursuing building a quantum processing unit (QPU) like the others. Instead, it's focusing on the most powerful traditional computing units available, its graphics processing units (GPUs). However, it is aware of the effect quantum computing could have on the industry. It believes quantum computing will be most useful in a hybrid approach, where quantum and traditional computing methods are used in tandem to accelerate the computing process. Expand NASDAQ: NVDA Nvidia Today's Change (1.63%) $2.94 Current Price $183.19 KEY DATA POINTS Market Cap $4.4T Day's Range $181.42 - $188.88 52wk Range $86.62 - $212.19 Volume 8.8M Avg Vol 175M Gross Margin 71.07% Dividend Yield 0.02% Quantum computing systems don't readily interface with the massive computing infrastructure that's been built out for AI and other computing methods. So, Nvidia launched its NVQLink, which allows quantum computers to plug into this interface to network into traditional computing stacks. If Nvidia is right about the hybrid approach, it will be in great shape by selling the best traditional computing unit alongside the access port technology. However, it could be missing a huge market if QPUs start to replace more workloads than expected. We'll see if Nvidia's bet pays off, but as of right now, it appears to be going just fine for the world's largest company. 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In addition to The Motley Fool, Keithen is a mechanical engineer and has held roles at Honeywell and smaller industrial companies like Brand Hydraulics and Lincoln Industries. He holds a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering from Dordt University. TMFTripleOption STOCKS MENTIONED Alphabet NASDAQ: GOOGL $305.65 (+1.11%) +$3.37 Microsoft NASDAQ: MSFT $399.84 (+1.08%) +$4.29 Nvidia NASDAQ: NVDA $183.19 (+1.63%) +$2.94 Alphabet NASDAQ: GOOG $304.42 (+0.98%) +$2.96 *Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.