Quantum Computing Stocks May Emerge as the Next AI Stars by 2026
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Jan 12 2026
0mins
Should l Buy IONQ?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Investor Focus on AI: Investors view artificial intelligence as the next major revolution in technology, with AI stocks driving market gains over the past few years, and future revenue growth is expected to further elevate share prices.
- Rise of Quantum Computing: Companies like Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, and IonQ have seen their stock prices soar in the past three years from low starting points, indicating that future revenue gains could drive prices even higher.
- Technological Differentiation: Quantum computing utilizes qubits instead of classical bits, offering greater processing efficiency; while the path to developing a general-purpose quantum computer is long, both small firms and tech giants are making significant progress.
- Market Outlook: Although quantum computing has not yet reached the revenue levels of AI, any advancements could boost the revenues and stock prices of related companies, potentially rewarding early investors significantly in the future.
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Analyst Views on IONQ
Wall Street analysts forecast IONQ stock price to rise
12 Analyst Rating
9 Buy
3 Hold
0 Sell
Strong Buy
Current: 27.790
Low
47.00
Averages
75.91
High
100.00
Current: 27.790
Low
47.00
Averages
75.91
High
100.00
About IONQ
IonQ, Inc. is engaged in the quantum computing and networking industry, delivering high-performance systems capable of solving complex commercial and research use cases. Its generation quantum computers, IonQ Forte and IonQ Forte Enterprise, are cutting-edge systems, boasting 36 algorithmic qubits. It sells specialized quantum computing and networking hardware together with related maintenance and support. It also sells access to several quantum computers of various qubit capacities and is in the process of researching and developing technologies for quantum computers with increasing computational capabilities. It makes access to its quantum computers available via three cloud platforms, Amazon Web Services' (AWS) Amazon Braket, Microsoft's Azure Quantum and Google's Cloud Marketplace, and also to select customers via its own cloud service. Its product portfolio also includes quantum key distribution (QKD) systems, quantum random number generators (QRNGs), and single-photon detectors.
About the author
Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
Quantum Computing Stocks Fall Out of Favor with Investors
- Diminishing Investor Risk Appetite: As risk appetite declines, quantum computing stocks are losing their appeal, leading to a general drop in share prices and affecting market confidence in future technologies.
- AI and Billionaire Potential: While the potential of AI technology is widely discussed, no company is currently seen as capable of creating the world's first trillionaire, reflecting a cautious market attitude towards tech stocks.
- IonQ Excluded from Recommendations: The Motley Fool's analyst team has noted that IonQ did not make the current list of the top 10 recommended stocks, indicating concerns about its future performance that may influence investor buying decisions.
- Investment Return Comparison: With Stock Advisor's average return at 914%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 184%, it highlights the importance of selecting quality stocks for long-term gains, urging investors to be cautious in their choices.
See More
Quantum Computing Stocks Lose Investor Favor
- Diminished Investor Risk Appetite: As risk appetite declines, quantum computing stocks are losing their appeal, prompting investors to withdraw funds and reflecting concerns about the future development of the sector.
- Stock Price Fluctuations: As of the afternoon of March 30, 2026, prices of quantum computing-related stocks have generally fallen, indicating a lack of confidence in these high-risk investments, which may affect the companies' ability to raise capital.
- Market Trend Analysis: The investment frenzy in the quantum computing sector is waning, and investors' cautious stance towards high-tech sectors may lead to capital outflows, potentially hindering innovation and growth in the industry.
- Uncertain Future Outlook: With the decline in risk appetite, the future growth prospects for quantum computing companies have become uncertain, which may force these firms to reassess their business models and investment strategies to adapt to the new market environment.
See More
Business Services Sector Faces Challenges Amid AI Disruption
- Sector Performance Decline: The business services sector has collectively dropped 7.6% over the past six months, significantly underperforming the S&P 500's 2.8% decline, indicating investor concerns over AI disruptors and tightening budgets.
- Getty Images Underperformance: Despite boasting over 562 million visual assets, Getty Images has only achieved a 3.5% annual growth rate over the past two years, which is below industry standards, while its free cash flow margin has shrunk by 14.8 percentage points over five years, suggesting declining competitiveness.
- CoreCivic's Growth Challenges: CoreCivic has reported a mere 3% annual revenue growth over the last five years, with a 7.3 percentage point drop in free cash flow margin, indicating increased capital intensity amid rising competition, and a return on invested capital (ROIC) of only 5.9% reflects management's struggles in finding attractive investment opportunities.
- IonQ's Strong Performance: IonQ has demonstrated an impressive 143% annual revenue growth over the past two years, with expected revenue growth of 81.7% over the next 12 months, indicating significant market share gains, although its stock trades at $27.98 per share with a price-to-sales ratio of 45 times.
See More
QSE Launches QPA v2 for Post-Quantum Cryptography Migration
- Massive Market Opportunity: The post-quantum cryptography market is projected to exceed $15 billion by 2030, as enterprises and governments face mandated migration timelines, highlighting the urgent need for secure infrastructure amid rising data breach risks.
- Launch of QPA v2: QSE launched QPA v2 on March 31, 2026, providing a comprehensive framework for organizations to evaluate, plan, and manage their cryptographic readiness, thereby enhancing their ability to respond to quantum threats.
- Integrated Solution: QPA v2 integrates governance design, budgeting, timelines, and strategic development, utilizing AI-enhanced assessment modules and real-time visibility dashboards to ensure effective risk and compliance management during migration.
- Significant Industry Impact: With migration standards and deadlines set by NIST and NSA, enterprises must quickly adapt to new standards, positioning QSE's QPA v2 platform as a central tool driving the next cybersecurity spending cycle to ensure security in the quantum computing era.
See More
Post-Quantum Encryption Standards Released, Reshaping Cybersecurity Landscape
- Post-Quantum Standards Released: NIST finalized three post-quantum cryptography standards in August 2024, concluding an eight-year global evaluation process, which will trigger the largest mandated cryptographic migration in history, reshaping the global cybersecurity landscape.
- National Security Requirements: The NSA's CNSA 2.0 framework mandates quantum-safe algorithms for all new national security systems by 2027, full application migration by 2030, and complete infrastructure migration by 2035, ensuring compliance will cascade through defense contractors and regulated industries.
- Launch of QSE Platform: QSE launched its QPA v2 enterprise post-quantum cryptographic migration platform on March 31, 2026, featuring AI-enhanced assessment and cryptographic inventory analysis, enabling organizations to comprehensively evaluate and manage their post-quantum cryptographic readiness, transitioning from understanding quantum risks to active planning.
- Significant Market Opportunity: The post-quantum cryptography market is projected to exceed $15 billion by 2030, with organizations expected to allocate 2-5% of their annual IT security budgets over a four-year migration window, making QSE's QPA v2 platform a critical tool to meet this demand.
See More
Nvidia Positions Itself in Quantum Computing Market
- Quantum Computing Potential: Nvidia is extending its CUDA software platform into quantum toolkits, enabling researchers to run quantum circuit simulations directly on its GPUs, compressing computation times from years to hours, significantly enhancing the feasibility and affordability of quantum experimentation.
- Market Dominance: Currently, Nvidia powers over 90% of the world's AI data centers with its hardware and software, and by controlling both classical computing acceleration and quantum simulation software, it is building an ecosystem that rivals find hard to match, driving industry applications for quantum AI.
- Robust Profit Model: Unlike speculative quantum startups that are burning cash, Nvidia generates billions in annual profits from its data center business, providing strong financial backing for its long-term quantum computing ambitions.
- Optimistic Investment Outlook: While the market still views Nvidia as a hardware vendor, savvy investors recognize that the company is becoming the operating system for the quantum age, allowing investors to leverage a $1,000 investment to benefit from steady data center growth while capturing asymmetric upside as quantum computing matures.
See More
Quantum Computing Stocks Fall Out of Favor with Investors
- Diminishing Investor Risk Appetite: As risk appetite declines, quantum computing stocks are losing their appeal, leading to a general drop in share prices and affecting market confidence in future technologies.
- AI and Billionaire Potential: While the potential of AI technology is widely discussed, no company is currently seen as capable of creating the world's first trillionaire, reflecting a cautious market attitude towards tech stocks.
- IonQ Excluded from Recommendations: The Motley Fool's analyst team has noted that IonQ did not make the current list of the top 10 recommended stocks, indicating concerns about its future performance that may influence investor buying decisions.
- Investment Return Comparison: With Stock Advisor's average return at 914%, significantly outperforming the S&P 500's 184%, it highlights the importance of selecting quality stocks for long-term gains, urging investors to be cautious in their choices.
See More
Quantum Computing Stocks Lose Investor Favor
- Diminished Investor Risk Appetite: As risk appetite declines, quantum computing stocks are losing their appeal, prompting investors to withdraw funds and reflecting concerns about the future development of the sector.
- Stock Price Fluctuations: As of the afternoon of March 30, 2026, prices of quantum computing-related stocks have generally fallen, indicating a lack of confidence in these high-risk investments, which may affect the companies' ability to raise capital.
- Market Trend Analysis: The investment frenzy in the quantum computing sector is waning, and investors' cautious stance towards high-tech sectors may lead to capital outflows, potentially hindering innovation and growth in the industry.
- Uncertain Future Outlook: With the decline in risk appetite, the future growth prospects for quantum computing companies have become uncertain, which may force these firms to reassess their business models and investment strategies to adapt to the new market environment.
See More
Business Services Sector Faces Challenges Amid AI Disruption
- Sector Performance Decline: The business services sector has collectively dropped 7.6% over the past six months, significantly underperforming the S&P 500's 2.8% decline, indicating investor concerns over AI disruptors and tightening budgets.
- Getty Images Underperformance: Despite boasting over 562 million visual assets, Getty Images has only achieved a 3.5% annual growth rate over the past two years, which is below industry standards, while its free cash flow margin has shrunk by 14.8 percentage points over five years, suggesting declining competitiveness.
- CoreCivic's Growth Challenges: CoreCivic has reported a mere 3% annual revenue growth over the last five years, with a 7.3 percentage point drop in free cash flow margin, indicating increased capital intensity amid rising competition, and a return on invested capital (ROIC) of only 5.9% reflects management's struggles in finding attractive investment opportunities.
- IonQ's Strong Performance: IonQ has demonstrated an impressive 143% annual revenue growth over the past two years, with expected revenue growth of 81.7% over the next 12 months, indicating significant market share gains, although its stock trades at $27.98 per share with a price-to-sales ratio of 45 times.
See More
QSE Launches QPA v2 for Post-Quantum Cryptography Migration
- Massive Market Opportunity: The post-quantum cryptography market is projected to exceed $15 billion by 2030, as enterprises and governments face mandated migration timelines, highlighting the urgent need for secure infrastructure amid rising data breach risks.
- Launch of QPA v2: QSE launched QPA v2 on March 31, 2026, providing a comprehensive framework for organizations to evaluate, plan, and manage their cryptographic readiness, thereby enhancing their ability to respond to quantum threats.
- Integrated Solution: QPA v2 integrates governance design, budgeting, timelines, and strategic development, utilizing AI-enhanced assessment modules and real-time visibility dashboards to ensure effective risk and compliance management during migration.
- Significant Industry Impact: With migration standards and deadlines set by NIST and NSA, enterprises must quickly adapt to new standards, positioning QSE's QPA v2 platform as a central tool driving the next cybersecurity spending cycle to ensure security in the quantum computing era.
See More
Post-Quantum Encryption Standards Released, Reshaping Cybersecurity Landscape
- Post-Quantum Standards Released: NIST finalized three post-quantum cryptography standards in August 2024, concluding an eight-year global evaluation process, which will trigger the largest mandated cryptographic migration in history, reshaping the global cybersecurity landscape.
- National Security Requirements: The NSA's CNSA 2.0 framework mandates quantum-safe algorithms for all new national security systems by 2027, full application migration by 2030, and complete infrastructure migration by 2035, ensuring compliance will cascade through defense contractors and regulated industries.
- Launch of QSE Platform: QSE launched its QPA v2 enterprise post-quantum cryptographic migration platform on March 31, 2026, featuring AI-enhanced assessment and cryptographic inventory analysis, enabling organizations to comprehensively evaluate and manage their post-quantum cryptographic readiness, transitioning from understanding quantum risks to active planning.
- Significant Market Opportunity: The post-quantum cryptography market is projected to exceed $15 billion by 2030, with organizations expected to allocate 2-5% of their annual IT security budgets over a four-year migration window, making QSE's QPA v2 platform a critical tool to meet this demand.
See More
Nvidia Positions Itself in Quantum Computing Market
- Quantum Computing Potential: Nvidia is extending its CUDA software platform into quantum toolkits, enabling researchers to run quantum circuit simulations directly on its GPUs, compressing computation times from years to hours, significantly enhancing the feasibility and affordability of quantum experimentation.
- Market Dominance: Currently, Nvidia powers over 90% of the world's AI data centers with its hardware and software, and by controlling both classical computing acceleration and quantum simulation software, it is building an ecosystem that rivals find hard to match, driving industry applications for quantum AI.
- Robust Profit Model: Unlike speculative quantum startups that are burning cash, Nvidia generates billions in annual profits from its data center business, providing strong financial backing for its long-term quantum computing ambitions.
- Optimistic Investment Outlook: While the market still views Nvidia as a hardware vendor, savvy investors recognize that the company is becoming the operating system for the quantum age, allowing investors to leverage a $1,000 investment to benefit from steady data center growth while capturing asymmetric upside as quantum computing matures.
See More
