The Best Quantum Computing Stock to Buy Hand Over Fist in 2026 - Yahoo Finance

The Best Quantum Computing Stock to Buy Hand Over Fist in 2026 Keith Speights, The Motley Fool January 8, 2026 4 min read GOOG +2.79% MSFT -0.22% Key Points Several quantum computing stocks could be winners in 2026, including Microsoft and IonQ. However, Alphabet looks the most attractive. Alphabet should benefit from a continued AI tailwind this year. 10 stocks we like better than Alphabet › Some technologies reshape the world. We've seen several of them rise to prominence in the last few decades, including the personal computer, the internet, and artificial intelligence (AI). Quantum computing could soon join the list. This technology holds the potential to transform climate modeling, cybersecurity, drug discovery, finance, logistics, and materials science. It could also turbocharge AI advances. It's not surprising, therefore, that many investors are excited about the opportunities to make money in quantum computing over the next few years. But what's the best quantum computing stock to buy hand over fist in 2026? Image source: Getty Images. Two intriguing contenders The good news (and bad news, depending on how you look at it) is that there are several quantum computing stocks that are great candidates to consider buying this year. I'll highlight two that are particularly intriguing contenders. If you asked Wall Street analysts which quantum computing stock they like the most right now, it would probably be Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). Of the 57 analysts surveyed by S&P Global (NYSE: SPGI) in January, 55 rated the stock as a "buy" or "strong buy." The consensus 12-month price target for Microsoft reflects a potential upside of 30%. Microsoft's credentials in quantum computing are impressive. The company developed a new type of material called a topoconductor (short for topological superconductor) that's neither a solid, liquid, nor a gas. The important thing to understand about them is that they can be used to create stable qubits that could pave the way for building scalable, powerful quantum supercomputers. Investors seeking a pure-play quantum computing opportunity might prefer IonQ (NYSE: IONQ). This company has the largest market cap among several rising stars in the quantum computing space. IonQ uses a promising trapped-ion architecture to build quantum computers. It's also developing other quantum technologies, such as quantum networking and sensing. My pick for the best quantum computing stock to buy I appreciate the arguments for both Microsoft and IonQ (as well as several other quantum computing stocks). However, my pick for the best quantum computing stock to buy hand over fist is Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL). The company's Google Quantum AI is, like Microsoft and IonQ, a pioneer in quantum computing. In 2019, Google Quantum AI researchers achieved a major breakthrough by developing a quantum system that performed a calculation in 200 seconds that they estimated would have taken the most powerful supercomputers using "the best-known algorithms" around 10,000 years to handle. Story Continues View Comments Terms and Privacy Policy Privacy Dashboard