Is Rigetti Computing Stock a Buy or Sell After a Director Dumped Shares Worth $1.3 Million?

On Jan. 2, 2026, Board of Directors member Dr. Alissa Fitzgerald executed an open-market sale of 59,316 shares of Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI), totaling approximately $1.3 million in proceeds according to a recent SEC Form 4 filing.

Transaction summary

Transaction value based on SEC Form 4 weighted average purchase price ($22.41); post-transaction value based on Jan. 2, 2026 market close ($22.41).

Key questions

• How does this sale compare to Dr. Fitzgerald's historical trading activity in terms of scale?
  The 59,316-share sale is more than double her recent median sell size of 25,000 shares and marks the largest trade since June 2025, when she disposed of 77,284 shares in a single transaction.
• What is the proportional impact of this transaction on Dr. Fitzgerald's direct ownership?
  This trade reduced her direct stake by 63.1%, leaving just 34,675 shares, which is approximately 9.3% of her holding as of February 2024, indicating a sustained pattern of depletion over the past two years.
• Was there any indirect, derivative, or plan-driven context to this transaction?
  All shares sold were held directly, with no indirect or derivative involvement.
• How does the sale price relate to market levels at the time?
  The weighted average sale price of $22.41 was 5.0% below the Jan. 2, 2026 market close of $23.60, and 11.3% below the current price of $25.25 as of Jan. 8, 2026.

Company overview

* 1-year price change calculated as of Jan. 2, 2026.

Company snapshot

• Rigetti Computing develops and manufactures quantum computers and superconducting quantum processors, offering access to these systems via its Quantum Cloud Services platform.
• It generates revenue through integrated solutions that enable clients to utilize quantum computing resources on public, private, or hybrid cloud infrastructures.
• The company targets enterprise, research, and government customers seeking advanced computational capabilities for complex problem-solving and innovation.

Rigetti Computing is a technology company specializing in quantum computing hardware and cloud-based quantum services. The company leverages proprietary superconducting technology to deliver scalable quantum solutions, positioning itself at the forefront of next-generation computing.

With a focused strategy on integration and accessibility, Rigetti aims to serve organizations requiring high-performance computational power for advanced applications.

What this transaction means for investors

The sale of Rigetti Computing shares by Board of Directors member Dr. Alissa Fitzgerald is worthy of attention because of its large size, which reduced her direct holdings by over 60%. That said, the transaction was part of her Rule 10b5-1 trading plan, which she adopted in March of 2025. Such plans are commonly implemented by insiders to avoid accusations of making trades based on insider information.

Rigetti Computing operates in the quantum computing sector, which became a hot industry over the past year, enabling Rigetti's stock to climb over 150% in that time. Quantum computers use the unique properties of quantum mechanics to perform calculations in minutes that would take today's supercomputers centuries to complete. That potential is what caught investor attention and led to Rigetti's massive share price appreciation.

However, quantum computing is in its infancy, and not ready for mass adoption due to technical hurdles such as large rates of calculation errors. As a result, Rigetti generated sales of just $1.9 million in the third quarter last year, down from $2.4 million in 2024. In addition, it missed releasing its new Cepheus-1-108Q system by the end of 2025, which was pushed back to the end of Q1 this year.

Given the company's declining revenue and Dr. Fitzgerald's sale of shares, Rigetti is not a good stock to invest in right now. But its sky-high price-to-sales ratio of over 900 makes it a good time to sell if you're a shareholder.

Glossary

Open-market sale: The sale of securities on a public exchange at current market prices, not through private or pre-arranged transactions.
SEC Form 4: A required filing disclosing insider trades by company officers, directors, or significant shareholders.
Direct holdings: Shares owned and controlled directly by an individual, not through intermediaries or related entities.
Indirect holdings: Shares owned through another entity or account, such as a trust or family member.
Derivative transactions: Trades involving financial contracts whose value is based on an underlying asset, such as options or futures.
Weighted average price: The average price at which shares are bought or sold, weighted by the number of shares in each transaction.
Transaction value: The total dollar amount received or paid in a securities trade.
Plan-driven transaction: A trade executed under a pre-established trading plan, often for regulatory or compliance purposes.
Proceeds: The total amount of money received from selling an asset, before deducting fees or taxes.
Quantum processor: A specialized hardware component that uses quantum mechanics to perform computations beyond classical computers.
Quantum Cloud Services: A platform providing remote access to quantum computing resources over the internet.
TTM: The 12-month period ending with the most recent quarterly report.

Robert Izquierdo has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.