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QBTS fell 44.9% in Q1 2026, lagging industry decline amid sector-wide risk-off sentiment.
D-Wave posted 179% revenue growth in 2025 but faces rising losses and higher 2026 expenses.
QBTS Q1 outlook shows 66.6% revenue drop and wider losses, with bearish technical signals persisting.
Shares of D-Wave Quantum (QBTS - Free Report) have come under notable pressure, declining 44.9% between January and March 2026 and significantly underperforming the broader Internet-Software industry’s 19% drop. This weakness reflects a combination of macro-driven pressure around the quantum computing sector and near-term financial headwinds of QBTS, despite a fundamentally strong fiscal 2025.
Let's delve deeper.
The quantum computing stocks sold off sharply in early 2026 amid geopolitical tensions, which reduced investor appetite for high-risk, long-duration technology bets. This broad risk-off sentiment impacted D-Wave Quantum along with its peers like IonQ (IONQ - Free Report) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI - Free Report) .
Performances of Pureplay Quantum Stocks From January-March 2026
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
On the company side, D-Wave exited 2025 with clear commercial momentum. The company reported revenues of $24.6 million (up 179% year over year), driven largely by $16.2 million in system sales, alongside expanding enterprise adoption and a 1,500% surge in its sales pipeline. It also entered 2026 with over $32.8 million in fresh bookings, including a $20 million system sale and a $10 million QCaaS deal, signaling accelerating demand and early commercialization traction.
However, near-term financial optics remain challenging. Losses remain elevated, with 2025 adjusted EBITDA loss widening to $71.8 million and operating expenses expected to rise 15% sequentially in 2026 due to heavy R&D and commercialization investments (including the Quantum Circuits integration and expansion of U.S. operations).
For the first quarter of 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate projects a loss per share of 8 cents, implying a 300% year-over-year decline. Revenues are expected to be $5.01 million, down 66.6%. Management has also indicated revenue timing headwinds due to the multi-quarter recognition cycle of system sales.
Technical indicators suggest weak near-term performance for D-Wave. Notably, the 50-day SMA continues to read lower than the 200-day SMA, signaling a persistent bearish trend.
This technical trend implies that recent price momentum remains weaker than the longer-term average, indicating sustained selling pressure and a lack of strong bullish conviction. It also suggests that, unless a clear catalyst emerges, the stock may continue to face downside risk in the near term.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Our Take
Given the disconnect between strong long-term potential and weak near-term fundamentals, D-Wave appears vulnerable in the current environment. Elevated losses, rising operating expenses and lumpy revenue recognition are likely to weigh on earnings visibility. The broader weakness across pure-play quantum names like IonQ and Rigetti further signals fragile sector sentiment. With bearish technical signals and negative estimate revisions, QBTS has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), suggesting investors may consider booking profits or reducing exposure for now.
View the Zacks #1 Rank List
Image: Bigstock
QBTS Stock Alert: Why D-Wave Faces Rising Risks Ahead of Q1 Earnings
Key Takeaways
Shares of D-Wave Quantum (QBTS - Free Report) have come under notable pressure, declining 44.9% between January and March 2026 and significantly underperforming the broader Internet-Software industry’s 19% drop. This weakness reflects a combination of macro-driven pressure around the quantum computing sector and near-term financial headwinds of QBTS, despite a fundamentally strong fiscal 2025.
Let's delve deeper.
The quantum computing stocks sold off sharply in early 2026 amid geopolitical tensions, which reduced investor appetite for high-risk, long-duration technology bets. This broad risk-off sentiment impacted D-Wave Quantum along with its peers like IonQ (IONQ - Free Report) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI - Free Report) .
Performances of Pureplay Quantum Stocks From January-March 2026
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
On the company side, D-Wave exited 2025 with clear commercial momentum. The company reported revenues of $24.6 million (up 179% year over year), driven largely by $16.2 million in system sales, alongside expanding enterprise adoption and a 1,500% surge in its sales pipeline. It also entered 2026 with over $32.8 million in fresh bookings, including a $20 million system sale and a $10 million QCaaS deal, signaling accelerating demand and early commercialization traction.
However, near-term financial optics remain challenging. Losses remain elevated, with 2025 adjusted EBITDA loss widening to $71.8 million and operating expenses expected to rise 15% sequentially in 2026 due to heavy R&D and commercialization investments (including the Quantum Circuits integration and expansion of U.S. operations).
For the first quarter of 2026, the Zacks Consensus Estimate projects a loss per share of 8 cents, implying a 300% year-over-year decline. Revenues are expected to be $5.01 million, down 66.6%. Management has also indicated revenue timing headwinds due to the multi-quarter recognition cycle of system sales.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
D-Wave Quantum Stock Trades Above 50 but Below 200-Day Moving Averages
Technical indicators suggest weak near-term performance for D-Wave. Notably, the 50-day SMA continues to read lower than the 200-day SMA, signaling a persistent bearish trend.
This technical trend implies that recent price momentum remains weaker than the longer-term average, indicating sustained selling pressure and a lack of strong bullish conviction. It also suggests that, unless a clear catalyst emerges, the stock may continue to face downside risk in the near term.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Our Take
Given the disconnect between strong long-term potential and weak near-term fundamentals, D-Wave appears vulnerable in the current environment. Elevated losses, rising operating expenses and lumpy revenue recognition are likely to weigh on earnings visibility. The broader weakness across pure-play quantum names like IonQ and Rigetti further signals fragile sector sentiment. With bearish technical signals and negative estimate revisions, QBTS has a Zacks Rank #5 (Strong Sell), suggesting investors may consider booking profits or reducing exposure for now.
You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.