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Does Billionaire Israel Englander Know Something Wall Street Doesn't? He Sold a Quantum Computing Stock Analysts Say to Buy.
The Motley Foolยท 2025-05-17 08:03
Company Overview - Rigetti Computing is involved in building and operating quantum computing systems, having designed the first multichip quantum processor and offering cloud-based quantum computing services [7] - The company reported disappointing financial results for the first quarter, with revenue plunging 51% to $1.5 million and a non-GAAP net income of -$0.08 per diluted share [7] - Rigetti's net cash used in operations was -$13.6 million, and Wall Street expects the company to continue losing money through at least 2028 [7] Analyst Ratings and Market Sentiment - All six analysts following Rigetti have a "buy" rating, with target prices ranging from $14 to $16 per share, indicating an upside of 21% to 39% from the current price of $11.50 [2] - Despite the positive ratings from analysts, the significant sale of shares by hedge fund billionaire Israel Englander, who reduced his stake by 80%, raises questions about the stock's future [1][2] - The stock experienced a dramatic increase, reaching $20 per share early in the first quarter, representing a 90-day gain of 2,500%, which may have prompted Englander to take profits [8] Quantum Computing Market Insights - The quantum computing market is projected to grow at an annual rate of 20% through 2030, with total spending expected to reach $4.2 billion [10] - In comparison, the cloud computing market is also expected to grow at 20% annually but will total $2.4 trillion, making it approximately 570 times larger than the quantum computing market by the end of the decade [10] - Quantum computers are particularly suited for complex problems involving many variables, such as drug discovery and supply chain optimization, but will not replace classical computers for most tasks [3][4] Valuation Concerns - Rigetti currently trades at an extremely high valuation of 290 times sales, compared to cloud computing company Cloudflare, which trades at 30 times sales [11] - The high valuation raises concerns that investors may be overly optimistic about Rigetti's prospects in the quantum computing industry [9][11]