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NVIDIA Sparks April Rally in 2 Quantum Stocks, 40%+ Upside Still Left
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Key Takeaways
NVIDIA's quantum-AI push sparked April rallies across IonQ and Rigetti amid renewed investor enthusiasm.
IONQ gains traction via DARPA selection and NVIDIA-linked hybrid use cases, with 42% implied upside.
RGTI advances full-stack strategy and NVQLink integration, with analysts projecting 62% upside.
The quantum computing sector continues to demonstrate extreme volatility in the back half of April due as much to macro forces as to technological progress. After a euphoric 2024-2025, when speculative capital drove outsized gains across early-stage quantum names, the current year has exposed the fragility of that momentum.
Volatility Returns to Quantum Markets
Many publicly traded quantum companies remain pre-profit and their valuations continue to be highly sensitive to liquidity conditions, interest rates and investor risk appetite. As a result, the space has delivered sharp drawdowns alongside episodic rallies, supporting its reputation as one of the most volatile segments within deep tech. Accordingly, while McKinsey projects that surging investment and faster-than-expected innovation could propel the quantum market to $100 billion in a decade, the pace of growth is likely to be uneven and milestone-driven.
AI Convergence: NVIDIA-Led Momentum Rebuilds Sentiment
A crucial trend in 2026 is the growing linkage between quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Recent breakthroughs, particularly NVIDIA’s launch of quantum-AI models aimed at solving error-correction challenges, have reignited investor enthusiasm, triggering double-digit rallies in stocks like IonQ (IONQ - Free Report) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI - Free Report) , D-Wave Quantum (QBTS - Free Report) and Quantum Computing (QUBT - Free Report) in April.
Month-to-Date Pure Play Quantum Stocks Performances
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The collaboration between NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) and quantum pureplays began in October 2025 with NVIDIA’s NVQLink platform integrating quantum hardware partners into a hybrid computing stack. The relationship deepened through CUDA-Q, which, by early 2026, supported interoperability with the pureplays' systems. A crucial point came on April 14, 2026, when NVIDIA introduced its Ising quantum-AI models, marking a major expansion that enhanced error correction and calibration capabilities while driving renewed investor momentum in partner stocks.
These developments highlight a broader shift toward hybrid quantum-classical architectures, which experts increasingly view as the most viable near-term commercialization pathway.
The following are the two pureplay quantum computing stocks with triple digit short-term price targets and solid earnings projections.
IONQ: It remains one of the most advanced pure-play quantum firms, with growing traction across government, research and enterprise channels. In April, the company was selected for a DARPA program focused on scalable quantum architectures. IonQ continues to expand hybrid quantum-classical use cases through collaborations leveraging NVIDIA’s ecosystem, including NVQLink-enabled integrations that combine quantum processing with high-performance computing environments.
For 2026, IONQ is expected to report earnings growth of 46.2% on revenue growth of 82.2%. Based on short-term price targets offered by 12 analysts, the average price target for IonQ represents an increase of 42% from the last closing price. IONQ currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
IONQ Sales and EPS Growth Rates (Y/Y %)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RGTI: Rigetti, meanwhile, is gaining momentum through its full-stack approach, spanning quantum hardware, cloud delivery and proprietary software platforms. The company has actively aligned with NVIDIA’s hybrid computing architecture, supporting NVQLink to enable low-latency integration between quantum processors and classical GPUs. Commercial traction is also improving, with recent system sales and government-linked orders highlighting incremental revenue visibility.
For 2026, RGTI is expected to report earnings growth of 73.4% on revenue growth of 254.7%. Based on short-term price targets offered by 10 analysts, the average price target for RGTI represents an increase of 62% from the last closing price. Rigetti currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RGTI Sales and EPS Growth Rates (Y/Y %)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
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NVIDIA Sparks April Rally in 2 Quantum Stocks, 40%+ Upside Still Left
Key Takeaways
The quantum computing sector continues to demonstrate extreme volatility in the back half of April due as much to macro forces as to technological progress. After a euphoric 2024-2025, when speculative capital drove outsized gains across early-stage quantum names, the current year has exposed the fragility of that momentum.
Volatility Returns to Quantum Markets
Many publicly traded quantum companies remain pre-profit and their valuations continue to be highly sensitive to liquidity conditions, interest rates and investor risk appetite. As a result, the space has delivered sharp drawdowns alongside episodic rallies, supporting its reputation as one of the most volatile segments within deep tech. Accordingly, while McKinsey projects that surging investment and faster-than-expected innovation could propel the quantum market to $100 billion in a decade, the pace of growth is likely to be uneven and milestone-driven.
AI Convergence: NVIDIA-Led Momentum Rebuilds Sentiment
A crucial trend in 2026 is the growing linkage between quantum computing and artificial intelligence. Recent breakthroughs, particularly NVIDIA’s launch of quantum-AI models aimed at solving error-correction challenges, have reignited investor enthusiasm, triggering double-digit rallies in stocks like IonQ (IONQ - Free Report) and Rigetti Computing (RGTI - Free Report) , D-Wave Quantum (QBTS - Free Report) and Quantum Computing (QUBT - Free Report) in April.
Month-to-Date Pure Play Quantum Stocks Performances
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
The collaboration between NVIDIA (NVDA - Free Report) and quantum pureplays began in October 2025 with NVIDIA’s NVQLink platform integrating quantum hardware partners into a hybrid computing stack. The relationship deepened through CUDA-Q, which, by early 2026, supported interoperability with the pureplays' systems. A crucial point came on April 14, 2026, when NVIDIA introduced its Ising quantum-AI models, marking a major expansion that enhanced error correction and calibration capabilities while driving renewed investor momentum in partner stocks.
These developments highlight a broader shift toward hybrid quantum-classical architectures, which experts increasingly view as the most viable near-term commercialization pathway.
The following are the two pureplay quantum computing stocks with triple digit short-term price targets and solid earnings projections.
IONQ: It remains one of the most advanced pure-play quantum firms, with growing traction across government, research and enterprise channels. In April, the company was selected for a DARPA program focused on scalable quantum architectures. IonQ continues to expand hybrid quantum-classical use cases through collaborations leveraging NVIDIA’s ecosystem, including NVQLink-enabled integrations that combine quantum processing with high-performance computing environments.
For 2026, IONQ is expected to report earnings growth of 46.2% on revenue growth of 82.2%. Based on short-term price targets offered by 12 analysts, the average price target for IonQ represents an increase of 42% from the last closing price. IONQ currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
IONQ Sales and EPS Growth Rates (Y/Y %)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RGTI: Rigetti, meanwhile, is gaining momentum through its full-stack approach, spanning quantum hardware, cloud delivery and proprietary software platforms. The company has actively aligned with NVIDIA’s hybrid computing architecture, supporting NVQLink to enable low-latency integration between quantum processors and classical GPUs. Commercial traction is also improving, with recent system sales and government-linked orders highlighting incremental revenue visibility.
For 2026, RGTI is expected to report earnings growth of 73.4% on revenue growth of 254.7%. Based on short-term price targets offered by 10 analysts, the average price target for RGTI represents an increase of 62% from the last closing price. Rigetti currently carries a Zacks Rank #3.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
RGTI Sales and EPS Growth Rates (Y/Y %)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research