3 Quantum Computing Stocks Poised to Outperform IonQ and Rigetti This Month

IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) and Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ: RGTI) get most of the attention whenever quantum computing comes up, largely because they were among the first to go public and have spent years building retail investor followings.

But the businesses I'd actually want exposure to this month aren't the loudest names in the room. These three are either newer to the public markets, backed by a much larger parent, or positioned to win no matter which quantum approach eventually comes out on top. Some of these tickers are typically correlated with something completely different from quantum computing, but they are making moves that are hard to ignore.

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1. Quantinuum: The newly public heavyweight with Honeywell's backing

Quantinuum (NASDAQ: QNT) made its Nasdaq debut in June, spun out of Honeywell International (NASDAQ: HON), combining decades of industrial engineering expertise with Cambridge Quantum's software expertise.

That lineage matters more than one might think. Quantinuum builds its quantum computers around trapped-ion technology, an approach that's generally regarded as producing cleaner, lower-error qubits than some rival methods, which matters enormously in a field where error correction is the single biggest obstacle to doing anything commercially useful. In other words, fewer mistakes per calculation mean Quantinuum incurs less computational overhead just to clean up after its own errors, which is the main thing standing between quantum computers and doing real, useful work today.

Honeywell retained roughly 48% of the voting power after the IPO, per CNBC, which tells me the industrial giant isn't walking away from this bet; it's still deeply invested in seeing it through.

What makes Quantinuum compelling to me right now is the timing. Freshly public stocks in a hyped sector often see real price discovery happen over their first several months of trading, as analysts initiate coverage and institutional investors build positions they couldn't touch during the IPO quiet period. That process is still playing out for Quantinuum, and I'd rather be positioned for it than watch from the sidelines.

2. IBM: The deep-pocketed incumbent betting on a 2029 breakthrough

IBM (NYSE: IBM) isn't a pure-play quantum stock, and that's exactly the point. IBM committed more than $10 billion to its quantum roadmap, funding a path from today's systems through to what it's calling the world's first large-scale, fault-tolerant quantum computer, targeted for 2029.

In August, IBM hit an engineering milestone, successfully connecting its first modular cryogenic systems, the refrigeration architecture needed to eventually link hundreds of quantum chips together into one far more powerful machine. IBM has also outlined specific hardware checkpoints along the way, including a multichip processor designed to combine thousands of qubits into a single working system within the next couple of years, per Quantum Insider.

The appeal here for me is straightforward: IBM doesn't need quantum computing to work tomorrow to keep funding this effort, because the rest of its business, such as software, consulting, and mainframes, keeps generating the cash to bankroll a decade-long science project. That's a very different risk profile than betting on a smaller company that needs quantum revenue to materialize just to keep the lights on.

3. Nvidia: The pick-and-shovel play that wins regardless of who's right

Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) doesn't build quantum processors, and that's precisely why I think it deserves a spot here.

Nvidia built NVQLink, a technology that connects quantum processors directly to its GPU-powered supercomputers, enabling classical and quantum computing to work together in real time. At Nvidia's GTC conference this year, that technology went live for developers, and the list of companies building on top of it reads like a who's who of the quantum industry: IonQ is installing hardware at Nvidia's own research center, while other companies and government labs, including Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, have all announced integrations or are using the tech.

The bigger picture

In my opinion, quantum computing stocks tend to move in waves tied to conference season and fresh funding news, and fall brings both: Nvidia's GTC's momentum is still fresh, Quantinuum's post-IPO positioning is still shaking out, and IBM's cryogenic milestone just hit headlines in the last couple of months. I'd rather be positioned now across a newly public pure-play, a deep-pocketed incumbent, and an infrastructure layer that profits either way, than concentrated in the two names everyone already knows.

Micah Zimmerman has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Honeywell Technologies, International Business Machines, IonQ, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends Nasdaq. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.