Quantum Computing Stocks: 3 Bets for the Brave and the Hopeful

Let me be honest: I once invested in a cryptocurrency called Dogecoin because it had a funny dog. Don’t judge me. But here we are, talking about quantum computing stocks-because if you can’t trust a shiba-inu meme to make you rich, what hope do you have? Quantum computing, though? That’s the real gamble. The kind that might either make you a genius or a cautionary tale about wearing your pajamas to work in 2030.

Quantum computing could revolutionize everything from drug discovery to financial modeling. Or it could collapse into a pile of overhyped qubits and disappointed investors. Either way, here are three stocks to consider if you’re feeling particularly reckless-or particularly hopeful.

1. Alphabet

Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL) is the tech world’s version of a trust fund kid who also happens to be really good at chess. Their Google Quantum AI team has already hit two milestones on the road to a “large-scale error-corrected quantum computer” by the end of the decade. Because nothing says “reliable” like a roadmap that ends in “the end of the decade.”

Hartmut Neven, the man leading the charge, once wrote that quantum computing and AI are “the most transformational technologies of our time.” Translation: He’s trying to sell you both at once. And why not? If you can’t trust a scientist with a blog post to upsell you, who can you trust?

Right now, though, Alphabet’s real money is in AI and cloud computing. Google Cloud is booming, and their Gemini AI model is, by all accounts, impressive. The company’s legal troubles with the FTC are also slowly dissolving like a bad hangover. For now, this feels less like a bet on quantum computing and more like a hedge against your ex’s next TikTok trend.

2. IBM

International Business Machines (IBM) was founded in 1911. That’s when “computers” were people with slide rules and existential dread. IBM has since evolved into a quantum computing pioneer, which is either impressive or a tragic case of corporate amnesia. Either way, they’re selling the world’s most powerful quantum computing stack-because nothing says “relevance” like charging customers to use your experimental hardware.

Their Qiskit software is a developer’s toolkit for quantum apps, and their roadmap includes achieving “quantum advantage” by 2025. Let’s pause to define that: a quantum computer doing something better, faster, or cheaper than a classical one. Which is either a miracle or a marketing term. By 2029, they plan a quantum computer with 200 logical qubits. Which is to say, if you’re not confused yet, you will be.

In the meantime, IBM’s AI business is making money. Fast. Over $7.5 billion, in fact. And at a forward P/E of 20.8, this feels like the stock market’s version of a middle-aged discount: “Still relevant, but not expensive.”

3. IonQ

If you want to play it really risky, IonQ (IONQ) is your pick. It’s the quantum computing equivalent of a startup that promises to disrupt gravity. With a $12 billion market cap and partnerships with Google Cloud and Hyundai, IonQ is the underdog that smells like hope and a little bit of desperation.

Their roadmap includes a 256-qubit machine by 2026 and 200,000 qubits by 2029. Which is either a plan or a fever dream. Either way, they’re unprofitable. And let’s be real: Most quantum computing companies are. It’s the modern-day equivalent of the dot-com bubble, but with more physics and fewer Pets.com shirts.

IonQ has also acquired Oxford Ionics, which gives them over 1,000 patents. Which is impressive, unless you’re the type of person who thinks “patent” is a verb. This stock is a gamble. A big one. But if you’re the kind of person who invested in Dogecoin, maybe you’re already in the right headspace.

So there you have it. Three stocks, three levels of insanity. Quantum computing is either the future or a very expensive distraction. But then again, isn’t everything? 🚀

2025-09-06 12:20

1. Alphabet

2. IBM

3. IonQ

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