By Dave Barr
Publication Date: 2026-10-21 02:54:00
Quantum computing stocks have shed billions in market value this month even as IBM says the technology could begin proving its worth by the end of 2026. The gap between the stock charts and the lab roadmaps has never looked wider.
IonQ entered October at $43.99 and closed at $31.26 on October 20, a decline of roughly 29%. The slide coincided with an agreement to acquire cybersecurity firm Elisity for up to $1.3 billion in stock and a separate $2 billion offering of shares and warrants priced at $40 per share or pre-funded warrant. TipRanks reported that on Friday, October 16, IonQ fell 8.94%, D-Wave Quantum dropped 8.08%, Quantum Computing Inc. lost 7.02% and Rigetti Computing shed 6.57%, part of a broader rout in speculative tech names after September’s annual inflation reading came in at 3.7% and Treasury yields climbed.
Rigetti has had it worse, for longer. The stock hit an intraday high of $58.15 on October 14, 2025, and has spent the year since grinding lower,…
