Should You Buy Rigetti Computing Stock While It's Below $20?
Key Points
The quantum computing industry is still in its very early stages.
Rigetti's stock has generated strong returns over the past few years, largely driven by hype and speculation.
The company remains deep in the red, and it'll likely be a cash-burning machine for the foreseeable future.
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Investing in quantum computing companies has the potential to set investors up for massive returns in the long run. The quantum computing market is still in its infancy, with analysts at Grand View Research estimating it was worth just $1.4 billion in 2024. But with it growing at a compounded annual growth rate of nearly 21%, it's estimated to triple in value, to more than $4.2 billion by the end of the decade.
Buying shares of quantum computing stocks can thus be a huge opportunity, but also a risky one. Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) has been one of the more enticing stocks in this area to invest in. In just three years, the stock has soared by nearly 2,700%.
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This year, however, it's been off to a poor start and is down 28% as of Monday, when it closed at $15.88. Is it a steal of a deal while it's below the $20 mark?
Image source: Getty Images.
The company is making progress, but it'll still be a long journey for investors
Rigetti doesn't make much revenue today, and it could be a long time before that changes, and even longer before it has any real path to profitability. The company is excited about the progress it has made in the past year on multiple key metrics, including fidelity and scale. But it's still the early innings of the company's growth, and that's reflective of the limited results it has generated thus far.
Last year, its revenue totaled $7.1 million while its operating expenses came in at $86.7 million. Raising cash to fund its operations is going to inevitably be an ongoing struggle for Rigetti as it burned through $58.5 million in 2025, just from its day-to-day operating activities. The risk of dilution is high, and that could weigh down the stock.
Why it may be too early to invest in Rigetti Computing
There are many tech companies that are involved in the development of quantum computers. Trying to find a winner at these early stages is incredibly difficult because it's far too soon to know which companies will fizzle out and which one might end up being the real deal.
Rigetti's stock may seem cheap given its significant fall this year. However, its market cap is still at $5.3 billion -- that's higher than what analysts at Grand View Research projected the entire global quantum computing market to be worth by the end of the decade.
The company's valuation remains extremely high when you consider the risk, uncertainty, and just how small (and yet competitive) the industry is right now. Rigetti is a highly risky stock that's still fairly expensive, and it's one I'd avoid, as it could still go far lower this year.
Should you buy stock in Rigetti Computing right now?
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David Jagielski, CPA 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.
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