Why Did D-Wave Quantum Stock Fall 16.6% This Week?

D-Wave Quantum (NASDAQ: QBTS) stock fell this week, finishing down 16.6% by the market's close on Friday, Aug. 28, 2026, following the company's announcement that a key C-suite executive would be departing. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite are both up this week, gaining 1.1% and 1.8%, respectively. ExpandNASDAQ: QBTSD-Wave QuantumPremium FeatureMoneyball Superscore66/100Today's Change(-5.08%) $-0.91Current Price$16.99Key Data PointsMarket Cap$6.7BMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.Day's Range$16.68 - $17.7252wk Range$12.75 - $46.75Volume18.1MAvg Vol23.6MGross Margin-730.78% D-Wave CFO John Markovich to retire Sept. 2, replaced by Greg Golkov On Tuesday, Aug. 25, D-Wave announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO) John Markovich is retiring, effective Sept. 2, 2026. He will be replaced by Greg Golkov, the company's senior vice president of finance. CEO Alan Baratz thanked Markovich for his "significant contributions," including the "pivotal role" he played in helping take D-Wave public in 2022. The company said the resignation wasn't the result of any disagreements "on any matter related to the Company's business, operations, accounting policies, practices, financial statements, disclosure controls and procedures or internal control over financial reporting." Image source: Getty Images. Despite the disclaimer, the sudden announcement of his unusually quick departure spooked investors. D-Wave's operating loss doubled to $54.7 million in Q2 2026 That's especially true because it comes on the heels of a less-than-stellar earnings report. D-Wave's Q2 sales were flat year over year, coming in once again just above $3 million. At the same time, however, its operating loss more than doubled from negative $26.5 million to negative $54.7 million. This is a stock with an enormous amount of very uncertain growth baked in. I would avoid D-Wave stock.Read NextAug 27, 2026 •By Will HealyIf You Invested $1,000 in D-Wave Quantum Stock 3 Years Ago, This Is How Much You Would Have TodayAug 26, 2026 •By Eric VolkmanWhy D-Wave Quantum Stock Was Plummeting TodayAug 24, 2026 •By Robert IzquierdoD-Wave Quantum vs. Rigetti Computing: Which Quantum Computing Stock Is a Better Investment in 2026?Aug 23, 2026 •By Robert IzquierdoWhat Does a D-Wave Quantum Insider's Sale of 23,850 Shares Mean for Investors?Aug 21, 2026 •By Rich SmithWhy Did Rigetti Quantum Stock Pop Today?Aug 17, 2026 •By Rick OrfordD-Wave Could Unlock Massive Enterprise Demand but the Valuation Risk Is RealAbout the AuthorJohnny Rice is a contributor for The Motley Fool who has spent more than five years writing about the stock market, with a special interest in tech -- especially AI infrastructure, space stocks, and crypto. Before this, he helped found an agency, so he's seen a P&L from the inside, not just in a 10-K. He holds a B.A. in theater from the University of San Diego with minors in math and physics, and an M.F.A. in acting -- an eclectic background that has made him adept at both reading the numbers and explaining them in plain English.TMFJohnnyRiceStocks MentionedD-Wave QuantumNASDAQ: QBTS$16.99(-5.08%)-$0.91Motley Fool Stock Advisor’s Latest PickGet Access---% Avg Return*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.