Here's Why D-Wave Quantum Stock Soared This Week
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By Howard Smith – Apr 17, 2026 at 11:00AM ESTKey PointsD-Wave's CEO warned that Nvidia should be "shaking in [its] boots."Ironically, Nvidia was the catalyst for this week's monster quantum stock move. Quantum computing stocks are soaring this week, and D-Wave Quantum (QBTS +1.80%) is one of the biggest winners. As of mid-morning Friday, D-Wave shares had rocketed about 54% since last week's close, according to data provided by S&P Global Market Intelligence. Ironically, the catalyst was artificial intelligence (AI) leader Nvidia, to which D-Wave's CEO Alan Baratz issued a warning earlier this week. Image source: The Motley Fool. D-Wave CEO challenges Nvidia In an announcement that fueled the surge in quantum computing stocks, Nvidia said it is launching a new open-source quantum AI model called Ising. It was created to accelerate the rapidly evolving computing technology. Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated, "AI is essential to making quantum computing practical. With Ising, AI becomes the control plane -- the operating system of quantum machines -- transforming fragile qubits to scalable and reliable quantum-GPU systems." ExpandNYSE: QBTSD-Wave QuantumToday's Change(1.80%) $0.39Current Price$21.91Key Data PointsMarket Cap$8.0BDay's Range$21.41 - $22.4952wk Range$5.97 - $46.75Volume24MAvg Vol28MGross Margin82.59% Ironically, D-Wave CEO Alan Baratz had just challenged Nvidia's AI dominance with its GPU chips. At the Semafor World Economy summit this week, Baratz said, "If I was Nvidia, I'd be shaking in my boots," as he believes quantum is positioned to become the new generation of computing power that could eventually surpass conventional AI accelerators. With Ising, Nvidia is showing it will remain relevant amid the evolution of the transformative technology. This week's stock move shows there will likely be more than one winner in the quantum space. Read NextApr 16, 2026 •By Howard SmithStock Market Today, April 16: D-Wave Quantum Surges After Nvidia Sparks Quantum AI OptimismApr 15, 2026 •By Eric TrieStock Market Today, April 15: D-Wave Quantum Inc. Surges as Nvidia’s Ising Models Fuel Rally in Quantum StocksApr 14, 2026 •By Eric VolkmanWhy D-Wave Quantum Stock Took off Like a Rocket TodayApr 12, 2026 •By Rick OrfordIs D-Wave's Pullback an Opportunity or a Warning?Apr 8, 2026 •By Keith NoonanWhy D-Wave Quantum Stock Plummeted 23.2% Last Month and Has Inched Lower in AprilApr 7, 2026 •By Keithen DruryUp 1,460% Since 2024, Is It Too Late to Buy This Quantum Computing Leader?About the AuthorHoward Smith is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering technology and industrial stocks. Prior to The Motley Fool, Howard spent nearly 30 years supervising quality and operations in the steel industry, mostly with leading steel company Nucor. He holds a bachelor’s degree in metallurgical engineering from Lafayette College and a master’s degree in environmental engineering from Johns Hopkins University.TMFBuilt2LastStocks MentionedD-Wave QuantumNYSE: QBTS$21.71(+0.88%)+$0.19NvidiaNASDAQ: NVDA$201.08(+1.38%)+$2.73*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.