Is Rigetti Computing a Buy in 2026?
Rigetti's third-quarter earnings highlight the gravity of the challenge. Revenue fell 18% year over year to $1.95 billion, while operating losses increased to $20.5 billion. Rigetti's early sales (to organizations experimenting with quantum computing) are not enough to cover the company's substantial research and development budget.
This situation looks unlikely to change in 2026 because industry leaders like Alphabet and International Business Machines believe commercially viable quantum computers are four to five years away. A smaller company like Rigetti probably doesn't have a more advanced quantum computing program than these megacap technology giants, so there is no reason to believe it will be faster.
With a price-to-sales (P/S) multiple of 843, Rigetti stock is still quite expensive compared to the S&P 500 average of 3.4. And that means there is plenty of room for continued downside in the new year.
Rigetti Computing stock is a hold
Some stocks don't fit neatly into categories like buy and sell. Sometimes, it makes the most sense to hold a company on your investment watchlist until something changes that makes the risk-to-reward potential look more attractive. Rigetti Computing faces too many uncertainties to make it a compelling buy in 2026. But the future may be brighter as quantum computing technology improves over the coming years or decades.
Should you buy stock in Rigetti Computing right now?
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Will Ebiefung has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Is Rigetti Computing a Buy in 2026? was originally published by The Motley Fool
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