Quantum computing investing is gaining popularity and could become a major trend in the stock market in 2026. Because of this, it makes sense to get in early before the rest of the market does.<\/p>\n
Quantum computing has the potential to generate significant returns for investors if the technology proves successful. However, numerous companies are competing in this field, and not all may be suitable investments.<\/p>\n
I’ve identified five stocks that I believe are solid picks in the quantum computing space, and they appear to be great buys right now.<\/p>\n
Image source: Getty Images. <\/p>\n
Companies of all sizes are vying for supremacy in the field of quantum computing. The ones with the most upside are those that have no other business besides quantum computing. It’s an all-or-nothing bet for these companies, and they’re fighting for their lives to produce a successful business. These companies are high-risk investments,<\/a> but that’s precisely why they have such high potential.<\/p>\n Two of my favorite pure-play stocks are IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) and D-Wave Quantum (NYSE: QBTS). I like these two over others for their two distinct approaches to quantum computing.<\/p>\n IonQ uses trapped ion technology, which can be cost effective and very precise. D-Wave Quantum uses a different process called quantum annealing. Neither company uses superconducting, which involves cooling a particle to near absolute zero. This is an expensive process, but it’s also the one that most companies are taking.<\/p>\n By taking their own approaches, IonQ and D-Wave Quantum give themselves better chances at success, as they’re not directly competing against the big quantum computing companies with nearly unlimited resources.<\/p>\n Alphabet (NASDAQ: GOOG) (NASDAQ: GOOGL), the parent company of Google, and Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) are developing their own in-house quantum computing solutions.<\/p>\n Both companies need to develop their own internal quantum computing hardware, as they don’t want to be dependent on purchasing computing equipment from a supplier indefinitely. On the AI front, they’ve already spent billions of dollars on computing equipment from Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), and if they can eliminate similar expenses in their quantum computing efforts, they will be far more profitable when quantum computing becomes commercially viable.<\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n Since Alphabet and Microsoft aren’t actively marketing their quantum computing products directly to customers, any growth these two companies generate from quantum computing will likely come from offering access through their existing cloud computing businesses. If they’re successful, anyone wanting access to quantum computing would need to rent it through these cloud providers.<\/p>\n Even without the quantum computing catalyst that could be coming down the pipeline, cloud computing still has a ton of tailwinds, making it reason enough to invest in both stocks. But if either can develop a viable quantum computing product, it will produce significant additional growth that will reward shareholders.<\/p>\n Nvidia produces top-tier traditional computing hardware but has not been heavily involved in the quantum computing arms race. Instead, it focuses on what it does best and provides a hybrid solution for quantum computing.<\/p>\n By developing the equipment needed to connect existing traditional computing infrastructure with upcoming quantum computers, Nvidia appears once again to be positioning itself\u00a0nicely to take advantage of a massive computing spending spree.<\/p>\n Nvidia remains a smart buy due to its substantial investment in traditional computing, driven by the AI arms race, but it will also benefit as quantum computing becomes more widely deployed. <\/a><\/p>\n Before you buy stock in IonQ, consider this:<\/p>\n The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the\u00a010 best stocks<\/a> for investors to buy now\u2026 and IonQ wasn\u2019t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.<\/p>\n Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation,\u00a0you\u2019d have $661,268!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005… if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have $1,045,818!*<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s worth noting\u00a0Stock Advisor\u2019s total average return is 1,047% \u2014 a market-crushing outperformance compared to 184% for the S&P 500. Don\u2019t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.<\/p>\n See the 10 stocks \u00bb<\/a><\/p>\n *Stock Advisor returns as of August 25, 2025<\/p>\n Keithen Drury<\/a> has positions in Alphabet and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Alphabet, Microsoft, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool recommends the following options: long January 2026 $395 calls on Microsoft and short January 2026 $405 calls on Microsoft. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy<\/a>.<\/p>\n