Top 9 quantum computing stocks to watch in 2026

Quantum computers process information using quantum-mechanical effects rather than the binary on/off logic of conventional chips. This list includes dedicated quantum hardware and cloud services companies – IonQ ($IONQ) and D-Wave Quantum ($QBTS) among them – alongside established technology groups like Alphabet ($GOOGL) that are developing quantum capabilities within much broader platforms.

How we built this list: We selected these companies based on their industry and ordered them by market capitalisation. Prices are updated daily, and the list and supporting content are reviewed roughly every quarter. All data is sourced from Stake. This list isn't a recommendation and isn't ordered by suitability.

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Source: Stake market data. Figures in US$. Data updated as of 6 October 2026.

1. NVIDIA ($NVDA)

NVIDIA (NVDA) share price over the last year: started at US$185.54, ended at US$239.24, a change of +28.9%. Range over the period: high US$239.24, low US$165.17. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$239.24 · Daily: 0.1% · Market cap: US$5.76T · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

The GPU – the graphics processing unit – is what most people associate with NVIDIA Corporation ($NVDA), but its business now centres on AI infrastructure and accelerated computing. Its Compute & Networking segment covers data centre platforms, AI solutions and automotive systems including software for autonomous and electric vehicles. The Graphics segment covers GeForce GPUs for gaming PCs and Quadro/NVIDIA RTX GPUs for enterprise workstations.

Underpinning both segments is the CUDA development platform, which runs on every $NVDA GPU and supports hundreds of domain-specific libraries, frameworks and software development kits. CEO Jensen Huang leads a workforce of 42,000 people across four end markets: Data Center, Gaming, Professional Visualization and Automotive.

2. Alphabet ($GOOGL)

Alphabet (GOOGL) share price over the last year: started at US$250.43, ended at US$347.68, a change of +38.8%. Range over the period: high US$402.62, low US$236.57. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$347.68 · Daily: 0.3% · Market cap: US$4.22T · Sector: Technology · Industry: Software & IT

Alphabet ($GOOGL) is a holding company built around Google, with operations across search, advertising, cloud infrastructure, and a collection of longer-horizon technology ventures. Sundar Pichai leads the company, which employs around 190,820 people across its segments.

Google Cloud is the segment most relevant to this list. It gives enterprise customers access to AI infrastructure, the Vertex AI platform, and Gemini for Google Cloud, alongside cybersecurity and data analytics services. Google has been developing quantum computing capabilities within this broader cloud and AI infrastructure effort, positioning it as one layer of a much larger technology platform.

The Google Services segment – which covers Search, YouTube, Android, Maps and the Play store – generates the bulk of the group's revenue through advertising. The Other Bets segment sits separately, housing earlier-stage work in healthcare and internet services. That structure means quantum computing is one strand of a very large organisation, rather than the core of what Alphabet does day to day.

3. Microsoft ($MSFT)

Microsoft (MSFT) share price over the last year: started at US$528.57, ended at US$529.30, a change of +0.1%. Range over the period: high US$542.07, low US$352.83. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$529.30 · Daily: 0.8% · Market cap: US$3.90T · Sector: Technology · Industry: Software & IT

Microsoft Corporation ($MSFT) develops software, cloud services and consumer devices across three business segments. CEO Satya Nadella leads 223,000 employees, with the company's commercial strategy built around Azure – its cloud and AI platform.

The Intelligent Cloud segment covers Azure's AI consumption services, GitHub, Health and Life Sciences cloud services, and server products including SQL Server and Windows Server. The Productivity and Business Processes segment adds Microsoft 365, LinkedIn and Dynamics to the portfolio, while the More Personal Computing segment encompasses Windows, Xbox and Search advertising.

4. Intel ($INTC)

Intel (INTC) share price over the last year: started at US$36.59, ended at US$112.50, a change of +207.5%. Range over the period: high US$140.94, low US$33.62. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$112.50 · Daily: -3.2% · Market cap: US$614.07B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Intel Corporation ($INTC) makes chips for consumer PCs and edge devices through its Client Computing Group. A separate segment – Data Center and AI – produces CPUs, AI accelerators and networking silicon built on x86 architecture for cloud, enterprise and high-performance computing. $INTC also runs Intel Foundry, which develops new semiconductor manufacturing processes and offers production services to outside customers.

CEO Lip-Bu Tan leads a global workforce of 85,100, with Mobileye's automotive technology business sitting in its own segment alongside other operations.

5. IBM ($IBM)

IBM (IBM) share price over the last year: started at US$289.42, ended at US$221.29, a change of −23.5%. Range over the period: high US$329.23, low US$205.77. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$221.29 · Daily: -0.1% · Market cap: US$208.76B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Software & IT

Hybrid cloud and AI platforms are the backbone of what International Business Machines ($IBM) offers, through a Software segment built to help organisations manage digital workloads across different technology environments. Its Consulting arm brings together strategy, technology and operations expertise across industries. The Infrastructure segment covers on-premises and cloud-based server and storage solutions, and also runs lifecycle services for hybrid cloud deployments. Arvind Krishna leads the company, which employs 286,800 people across more than 175 countries.

6. IonQ ($IONQ)

IonQ (IONQ) share price over the last year: started at US$78.99, ended at US$43.29, a change of −45.2%. Range over the period: high US$82.09, low US$26.59. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$43.29 · Daily: 0.7% · Market cap: US$17.07B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Consumer Electronics

IonQ, Inc. ($IONQ) builds quantum computers and networking hardware, selling both the physical systems and cloud-based access to them. Its flagship machines – IonQ Forte and IonQ Forte Enterprise – run at 36 algorithmic qubits, which is the unit the company uses to measure practical computational power. You can reach those systems through Amazon Web Services' Amazon Braket, Microsoft's Azure Quantum, or Google's Cloud Marketplace, as well as through IonQ's own cloud service for select customers.

Beyond the core computing hardware, $IONQ's product range includes quantum key distribution systems, quantum random number generators, and single-photon detectors – products aimed at quantum networking and secure communications. The company employs 1,132 people and is led by chief executive Niccolo de Masi.

7. D-Wave Quantum ($QBTS)

D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) share price over the last year: started at US$35.02, ended at US$15.79, a change of −54.9%. Range over the period: high US$44.78, low US$12.98. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$15.79 · Daily: 1.0% · Market cap: US$5.94B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Software & IT

D-Wave Quantum ($QBTS) builds quantum computing systems and the software layer that sits around them, selling access to both through its Leap cloud platform and physical Advantage quantum computers. The business targets enterprises working through genuinely complex optimisation problems – think factory scheduling, vehicle routing, cargo loading and drug discovery – rather than general-purpose computation.

With 382 employees, $QBTS is a focused operation. Under CEO Alan Baratz, the company also offers professional services to help organisations develop and deploy quantum applications, covering the full journey from early prototyping through to production use.

8. Rigetti Computing ($RGTI)

Rigetti Computing (RGTI) share price over the last year: started at US$41.71, ended at US$15.17, a change of −63.6%. Range over the period: high US$56.34, low US$12.90. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$15.17 · Daily: 0.1% · Market cap: US$5.06B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Semiconductors

Rigetti Computing ($RGTI) builds quantum computers and makes them available over the cloud through its Rigetti Quantum Cloud Services platform. Enterprise, government and research clients can connect to its machines through any public, private or hybrid cloud environment.

What sets $RGTI apart from many quantum computing efforts is that it designs and manufactures its own chips in-house. Its facility, called Fab-1, produces silicon-based chips featuring superconducting qubits – the fundamental units that give quantum processors their computing power. The company has also developed a multi-chip quantum processor aimed at making those systems more scalable.

Revenue comes from a few directions: cloud access to its machines through its Quantum Computing as a Service model, direct sales of quantum processing units, custom computing components, and development contracts. With 162 employees and CEO Subodh Kulkarni at the helm, $RGTI is a relatively small operation taking on a technically demanding manufacturing challenge that most of its peers leave to third-party fabricators.

9. Quantum Computing ($QUBT)

Quantum Computing (QUBT) share price over the last year: started at US$22.16, ended at US$7.86, a change of −64.5%. Range over the period: high US$22.16, low US$6.31. Source: Stake market data. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance.

Price: US$7.86 · Daily: -1.0% · Market cap: US$1.80B · Sector: Technology · Industry: Software & IT

Quantum Computing Inc. ($QUBT) focuses on quantum optics and photonic hardware, with foundry services for thin-film lithium niobate (TFLN) photonic chips at the core of its offering. CEO Yuping Huang leads a team of 72 people building a vertically integrated portfolio that stretches from individual photonics components through to full-stack quantum systems. The company also covers semiconductor and nanophotonics manufacturing, lasers, detectors, testing and packaging.

Its commercial lineup includes Dirac-3, EmuCore, NeuraWave and a quantum random number generator called uQRNG. EmuCore is a first-generation reservoir computing product aimed at high-performance computing workloads. $QUBT's technology is also intended for use in cybersecurity, artificial intelligence and remote sensing applications.

Common questions

How do I invest in quantum computing stocks in New Zealand?

Every company on this list trades on U.S. exchanges, so you'd need a share trading platform that provides access to U.S. markets. From there, you can buy shares in individual companies – either a pure-play quantum name or one of the larger technology companies that runs a quantum program alongside a much broader business.

What are the key risks of quantum computing stocks?

Some of the key risks include the early-stage nature of the technology: commercial applications are still being developed and the timeline for quantum computing reaching meaningful scale is uncertain. Smaller, pure-play companies face more company-specific risk – their revenues depend heavily on a market that hasn't yet matured. The larger technology names carry that uncertainty too, alongside the usual risks of sizeable technology businesses: competitive pressure, regulatory scrutiny and shifts in enterprise spending. Because all nine stocks are U.S.-listed, movements in the NZD/USD rate affect what you pay in New Zealand dollars and what any proceeds are worth when converted back.

What's the difference between the pure-play quantum companies and the larger technology names on this list?

The pure-play companies – $IONQ and $RGTI are examples – build and operate quantum computers, with their revenues and long-term prospects tied almost entirely to quantum computing finding commercial scale. The larger names, like $GOOGL and $MSFT, run quantum research programs as one part of businesses that also cover cloud services, AI infrastructure, software and semiconductors. Their stock prices reflect that full breadth of operations, not just the quantum work.

Disclaimer

Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future performance. When you invest, your capital is at risk. You should consider your own investment objectives, financial situation, and particular needs before making an investment decision. The value of your investments can go down as well as up and you may receive back less than your original investment. As always, do your own research and consider seeking appropriate financial advice before investing.

This is not personal financial advice nor a recommendation to invest in the securities listed. Any advice provided by Stake is of general nature only and does not take into account your specific circumstances. Trading and volume data from the Stake investing platform is for reference purposes only, the investment choices of others may not be appropriate for your needs and is not a reliable indicator of performance.

Please refer to hellostake.com/pricing for the fees that apply. When you trade securities priced in another currency, currency conversion fees may apply and movements in the exchange rate may affect your returns.

Stake Desk

The freshest market insights

This article combines AI and human review from our analysts to bring you accurate, informative investing content at speed. For questions or suggestions, contact stakedesk@stake.com.au.