Quantum computing stocks surged on Wednesday after Microsoft announced a plan to help businesses prepare for the advent of the quantum computing era. The company’s president and chief operating officer, Mitra Azizirad, wrote that “we are at the advent of the reliable quantum computing era” and expects quantum computers to solve meaningful problems and capture new business value.
The news lifted shares of Rigetti Computing, D-Wave Quantum, IonQ, Defiance Quantum and AI ETF, with some stocks rising by as much as 35%. Microsoft’s program aims to support businesses in their transition to quantum computing, which uses quantum mechanics to solve complex problems faster than traditional computers. This announcement follows a recent “Quantum Day” at Nvidia’s GTC conference in March.
While some analysts believe real-world use cases for quantum computing are still decades away, others see the technology as a game-changer that will enable computing tasks traditional computers can’t and process far more data. The sector has experienced volatility in recent months, with comments from Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang and Meta Platforms’ CEO Mark Zuckerberg tempering expectations.
However, Microsoft’s directive has reignited enthusiasm for quantum computing stocks, with investors returning to “risk on” trades after December core inflation came in weaker than forecast. As the company continues to drive momentum towards quantum readiness, it remains to be seen how this will impact the sector in the long term.
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2025/01/15/quantum-computing-stocks-rip-higher-on-microsofts-quantum-ready-directive.html