Why Nvidia Is the Most Important Quantum Computing Stock of All | The Motley Fool

One company stands at the center of the world of artificial intelligence (AI). It’s Nvidia (NVDA +0.19%). I suspect the GPU maker would probably rank at the top of the list for many investors if they were asked to name the most important AI stock.

But what’s the most important quantum computing stock of all? Several contenders come to mind. However, I’d argue that Nvidia deserves this honor, too. A recent development underscores why.

Igniting a quantum computing rally

Last week, several of the most prominent quantum computing stocks rallied big-time. IonQ‘s (IONQ +4.50%) shares have skyrocketed 60% over the last five days, as of the market close on April 20. D-Wave Quantum‘s (QBTS 0.23%) stock is up 47%. Quantum Computing Inc. (QUBT +2.72%) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI 0.86%) jumped 35% and 29%, respectively.

Today’s Change

(4.50%) $2.08

Current Price

$48.16

Key Data Points

Market Cap

$18B

Day’s Range

$45.24 – $48.57

52wk Range

$23.93 – $84.64

Volume

2.3M

Avg Vol

25M

Gross Margin

-2267.11%

What caused those tremendous gains? Quantum Computing Inc. and Rigetti didn’t announce any news last week. D-Wave’s CEO, Alan Baratz, was on stage at two conferences on April 14 and 15, but his remarks didn’t move the needle much for the stock.

IonQ was the only member of the group to report major news last week. The company announced that it achieved a “foundational technical milestone by photonically interconnecting two independent trapped-ion quantum systems.” This…