Artificial intelligence (AI) is still a hot topic that has the power to drive the market, but the upstart at that moment is quantum computing. Experts in this field have seen stock prices rise over the past six months. As of March 13th, niche veteran Ionq shares (NYSE: IONQ) It doubled in six months, but Rigetti computing for smaller players (NASDAQ: RGTI) I posted a gain of 1,093%.
But I don’t buy any of these surged market darlings today. They may be superstars in the long run, but a lot of things have to go right to reach that status. So far, they are extremely unprofitable business operations with minimal revenue streams, operating with funds from stock sales and loans. And what if the next quantum computing research project raises coal chunks instead of gold mines?
If that happens, I don’t want to own Rigetti or Ionq stock. Be careful, I won’t bet on them either. If the target stock overcomes all the hurdles and continues to bring about a strong stock price rise, there is an unlimited negative side risk in short selling.
However, there are better ways to approach the quantum computing market with much lower risk. You may have noticed that over the last few months the massive market movements in the sector are based on news from the alphabet. (NASDAQ: GOOG)(NASDAQ: Google)nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA)and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT). Any of these high-tech titans will hit me as a better play on quantum computing ideas.
The sector surge began when Google Quantum AI (a subsidiary of Alphabet) developed a new quantum computing chip called Willow. I’ve covered the details of this technical achievement in detail, and it certainly was a huge step forward. Pure play experts like IONQ and Rigetti have started price increases at the event. This new way of computing suddenly seemed ready to take the world by storm.
However, the original announcement by the Google team revealed that there is much work to be done. Willow’s sophisticated error correction simply “paving the way” for commercial-grade quantum computers. Headline-stimulating performance was a difficult but less commercially relevant test.
Willow Chip fits the description of the second milestone in Google Quantum AI’s six-stage roadmap. It took five years to move from the first milestone to the second milestone, but quantum computers do not offer game-changing performance until researchers crack the sixth milestone. We’re talking about millions of Kikubit processing units, from around 100 of Willow Solutions.
Therefore, this overnight revolution takes time. As you can see, Alphabet is leading the way to these commercial value goals and has ample resources to make a big difference. Investing in this “magnificent seven” stock today will not only touch the AI boom and Google’s online search and advertising prowess, but also link your portfolio to decades of quantum computing leadership.
It takes me to Nvidia. Nvidia is another epic seven-man member with big fingers in the quantum computing pie.
The company’s research focuses on connecting quantum computing devices to traditional computers and creating ways to control and read quantum machines in the almost digital world. It’s like creating a user interface that connects people to traditional computers. Create an effective connection between two completely different data and knowledge.
So people are hearing that semiconductor designers speak up about the long-term outlook for quantum computing. This is an established expert in this field with a considerable business outlook in quantum computing. So, Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang had a major impact on the quantum boom in January when he suggested that the road to useful machines could be long.
“If you say 15 years with a very useful quantum computer, it’s probably in its early stages,” he said at an industry conference. “If you say 30, it’s probably on the late side. But if you choose 20, I think our bunch believes that.”
This perfectly reasonable statement denounced the brakes on rising quantum inventory. IONQ shares fell 39% that day, while Rigetti shares received a price cut of 45%. As the Google Quantum AI team said in the full statement (it seems like few people are reading), it will take years for Quantum Computers to be commercially useful and significantly better than old school systems in useful tasks.
However, Nvidia’s quantum interface work continues. With few companies currently having deeper pockets than the AI giant, most startups will find it difficult to keep up with Nvidia’s research and development efforts.
And it’s not harmful that Nvidia’s stock price has fallen 22% from its January history high. The inventory is still expensive, but it’s much more affordable than in the New Year. At that price, you get the main names in the key providers of a particular quantum computing field and AI accelerator chip.
Recently, quantum stocks like Rigetti and Ionq have been rejuvenated thanks to Microsoft’s Big News.
Yes, it is another epic seven companies that have successfully made a quantum computing research project beneath its belt. In recent weeks, Microsoft has announced a quantum computing chip called Majorana 1, featuring an entirely new hardware architecture. Without diving deep into technical jargon, Microsoft claims to have invented a new problem state. This “topology state” forms stable and effective Qubits, giving system builders the “path to million kitz.”
Remember the million milestones I mentioned in the Google Quantum AI discussion? Microsoft says that the new state of matter (not gas, liquid, or solids, but “topology”) can produce such chips in years rather than decades.
Time can tell how accurate Microsoft’s revised timeline is. This could be a normal step in a headline neon lights, similar to the results of the alphabet Willow Chip benchmark test. The long and gradually development process can look like a series of dramatic jumps and retreats while it is happening.
Still, it is clear that Microsoft, along with another ultra-rich bank account, has a deep interest in quantum computing development. The stock has also dropped by more than 15% from its recent high. And like Alphabet and Nvidia, Microsoft combines quantum expertise with some established world-class business operations.
And that’s not even close to the complete list of large tech titans exploring quantum computing in 2025. When there are so many alternatives to household terminology in the same market, I think it’s hard to be excited by the big profits of Rigetti and Ionq.
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Suzanne Frey, an executive at Alphabet, is a member of the board of directors of Motley Fool. Anders Bylund has Alphabet and Nvidia positions. Motley Fool has been working and recommending Alphabet, Microsoft and Nvidia. Motley Fool recommends the following options: A $395 phone at Microsoft for January 2026 length and a $405 phone to Microsoft for January 2026 short term. Motley Fools have a disclosure policy.
Want to invest in quantum computing? Three stocks that are currently a great purchase. Originally published by The Motley Fool
