Quantum computing stocks are rallying sharply Monday at midday, driven by two concrete deal catalysts and a favorable broader market environment.
D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS) leads the group, climbing 11% to $20.08 following the announcement of a new collaboration with Nasdaq Verafin, the exchange operator’s financial-crime-technology unit.
The partnership will focus on developing quantum-hybrid applications targeting fraud, scams, and money laundering using D-Wave’s annealing quantum technology, beginning as a proof-of-concept.
The engagement carries the potential to expand into pilot applications, though it remains early-stage collaboration rather than a signed revenue contract at this point.
D-Wave Quantum CEO Alan Baratz described it as an opportunity to explore quantum computing’s potential for the financial sector, lending executive weight to the announcement.
The pop is particularly notable given that QBTS shares had been under pressure, down 31% year to date through Friday’s close before Monday’s 11% intraday rebound.
IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) jumped 9% to $39.62 after closing its approximately $1.8 billion acquisition of SkyWater Technology following U.S. Federal Trade Commission clearance.
Under the deal terms, SkyWater shareholders receive $15 in cash plus 0.4883 IonQ shares per share, with SkyWater becoming a subsidiary and CEO Thomas Sonderman reporting to IonQ CEO Niccolo de Masi.
IonQ is framing the acquisition as a move toward building a vertically integrated U.S. quantum supply chain while accelerating fault-tolerant quantum development over the longer term.
IONQ carries a trailing 12-month P/E ratio of 101.45x, a multiple that leaves limited room for execution slippage even as retail enthusiasm remains elevated heading into the close.
Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) gained 9% to $16.23 and Quantum Computing (NASDAQ: QUBT) rose 8% to $8.74, with neither stock showing an obvious company-specific catalyst driving the moves.
Both names are riding the sector’s broader risk-on bid, having arrived at Monday’s session already beaten down, with Rigetti off 33% year to date and Quantum Computing down 21% year to date.
The broader tape is providing meaningful tailwind, with the NASDAQ 100 up 1.52% as investors respond to easing Middle East tension after President Trump called off strikes on Iran.
That risk-on backdrop is amplifying the deal-driven momentum across the quantum sector, turning what might have been isolated stock moves into a coordinated sector rally.
Rigetti and Quantum Computing both remain unprofitable on a trailing 12-month basis with no TTM P/E ratio, making position sizing an important consideration for traders entering at elevated intraday levels.
The Defiance Quantum ETF (NASDAQ: QTUM) is rising a more restrained 3% to $145.45, reflecting the fund’s diversified basket construction spread across quantum-adjacent computing names rather than pure plays.
QTUM carries a holdings-weighted P/E ratio of 28.34x and an expense ratio of 0.4%, offering a considerably more moderate valuation profile compared to individual names like IonQ.
The ETF is up 31% year to date, which is why thematic investors frequently use QTUM as a lower-volatility vehicle to maintain exposure to the quantum computing trend without pure-play concentration risk.
IonQ’s next Q2 FY2026 earnings report represents the next hard catalyst for the sector, with investors watching closely to see whether today’s gains hold into Monday’s close.
For traders holding pure plays like QBTS, IONQ, RGTI, and QUBT, considering trimming into strength rather than chasing remains a prudent approach given stretched multiples and the speculative nature of long-duration technology theses.
