The next big stock could be this leading player in quantum computing.IonQ (IONQ +3.63%) has positioned itself as a major pure-play quantum computing company, utilizing trapped-ion qubit technology. Here, charged atoms are confined using electromagnetic fields and then manipulated with precise laser pulses to enable highly accurate and stable quantum computations.IonQ is seeing increased adoption of its quantum computing technology by governments, enterprises, and cloud computing providers. In the second qua ...

Core Insights - Quantum computing is transitioning from laboratory prototypes to commercial applications, with Rigetti Computing (RGTI) and IonQ (IONQ) as notable players in this space [1] Company Strategies - Rigetti is advancing its superconducting qubits technology with a proprietary chiplet-based architecture, recently launching the Cepheus-1-36Q, which is the largest multichip quantum computer in the industry, achieving a median two-qubit gate fidelity of 99.5% and halving error rates compared to its previous system [2][9] - IonQ is focused on its trapped-ion platform, emphasizing long coherence times and high-fidelity operations, with its Forte Enterprise and Tempo systems designed for commercial-grade performance, achieving second-quarter revenue of $20.7 million, exceeding guidance by 15% [3][10] Financial Position - Rigetti has a strong balance sheet with over $570 million in cash and no debt, while IonQ reported $656.8 million in cash as of June 30, along with $1.6 billion in pro forma post-equity raise in July [2][3] - Estimates indicate Rigetti's sales are projected to decline by 19.65% in 2025, while IonQ's sales are expected to grow by 119.02% in the same year [8][20] Commercial Strategies - Rigetti's commercial strategy is heavily reliant on government and research contracts, primarily serving U.S. and U.K. government agencies [11] - IonQ is pursuing a broader global expansion strategy, forming partnerships and collaborations in various countries, including a $22 million deal with utility provider EPB to establish a commercial quantum hub in the U.S. [12][13] Technological Roadmaps - Rigetti aims to launch a 100+ qubit system by year-end 2025, with a long-term goal of achieving 1,000+ qubits within four years [9][14] - IonQ's roadmap includes deploying Tempo developer systems by the end of 2025 and scaling to over 2 million physical qubits by 2030, with a focus on achieving fault tolerance [10][15] Market Performance - Year-to-date, Rigetti's shares have increased by 8.6%, while IonQ's shares have grown by 3.6% [5] - Rigetti holds a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating stronger potential upside compared to IonQ's Zacks Rank 3 (Hold) [24][25]

Core Insights - Rigetti Computing (RGTI) has achieved a significant technical milestone with 99.5% median two-qubit gate fidelity on a modular 36-qubit system, marking a two-fold improvement in error rate compared to its previous 84-qubit Ankaa-3 system [1][7] - The company is set to launch this new system on August 15, bringing it closer to delivering a platform with over 100 qubits by year-end [2] - Rigetti's modular approach enhances not only qubit counts but also system reliability and manufacturing efficiency, indicating progress towards commercial-grade quantum hardware [3] Company Updates - Rigetti's new 36-qubit system, built from four interconnected 9-qubit chips, demonstrates high-fidelity quantum operations across chip boundaries, a crucial step for scalability [3][7] - The company's shares have increased by 12.3% year-to-date, slightly underperforming the industry growth of 14.7% [6] - Rigetti's price-to-book ratio stands at 24.02, which is above the industry average, and it carries a Value Score of F [9] Earnings Estimates - The Zacks Consensus Estimate for Rigetti's 2025 earnings suggests a substantial 86.1% increase compared to the previous year [11] - Current estimates for the upcoming quarters indicate a gradual improvement in earnings, with a year-over-year growth estimate of 14.29% for the current quarter and 25.00% for the next [12]