Why Rigetti Computing Stock Just Crashed
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Rigetti Computing (RGTI 8.22%) stock, which managed to hold more or less steady earlier in the week, suddenly stumbled and fell 9.2% through 2:55 p.m. ET Wednesday. Helping to support the stock price earlier was a Trump Administration order promoting the development of quantum computing, which sparked a wave of call option buying yesterday -- as many as 10.4 calls purchased for every put, according to StreetInsider.com -- indicating traders were heavily bullish on the stock. Image source: Getty Images. Some good news for Rigetti? As NBC reports, President Trump on Monday signed an order "to build a powerful quantum computer for scientific research," aiming to have the device operational before he leaves office in 2029. Further out, the President called for protecting government computer systems from cyberattacks made more powerful by the use of quantum computers, by using other quantum computers to build quantum-resistant cryptography by 2030 or 2031. And I must say, all of this sounds pretty bullish for a leading quantum computing stock like Rigetti, and a good reason for investors to be bidding it up yesterday. ExpandNASDAQ: RGTIRigetti ComputingToday's Change(-8.22%) $-1.75Current Price$19.53Key Data PointsMarket Cap$7.1BDay's Range$19.02 - $20.9652wk Range$10.80 - $58.15Volume34.9MAvg Vol41.1MGross Margin-5945.49% No bad news for Rigetti stock The other good news is that there's no specific bad news driving today's sell-off. It's just that all the call-buying yesterday may have gone overboard. The lack of further good news like Monday's may have prompted day traders to cash out today, sparking a momentum crash. Volatility, of course, is the name of the game in quantum computing stocks, where far-in-the-future advancements (2028? 2030? 2031?) run into analyst forecasts of continued losses for the companies supposed to make the advancements. Analysts polled by S&P Global Market Intelligence warn that it could be 2031 or later before Rigetti earns its first profit. Even with government support, Rigetti stock remains a risky bet.Read NextJun 20, 2026 •By Adam SpataccoAfter Receiving $100 Million From the Trump Administration, Is Rigetti Computing Stock a Screaming Buy?Jun 18, 2026 •By Catie HoganIs Rigetti Computing Stock a Buy Right Now?Jun 18, 2026 •By Anthony Di PizioPrediction: This Quantum Computing Stock Is Going to Plummet in the Second Half of 2026Jun 15, 2026 •By Rich SmithWhy Rigetti Computing Stock Keeps Going UpJun 12, 2026 •By Matt DiLallo3 Best Quantum Computing ETFs for 2026 and How to InvestJun 8, 2026 •By Anders Bylund9 Best Quantum Computing Stocks for 2026 and How to InvestAbout the AuthorRich Smith is a contributing Motley Fool defense and stock market analyst covering publicly traded and emerging companies in defense, space, aerospace, and other sectors. Prior to The Motley Fool, Rich practiced international corporate law for Clifford Chance in Russia, and for the Russian-Ukrainian Legal Group in Moscow, Kyiv, and Washington, D.C. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international relations from the College of William & Mary, a law degree from the University of Baltimore, and a language certification from the International Institute of Russian Language & Culture in Tver, Russian Federation. The Globe and Mail once featured him as “one of the best stock pickers since 2009.”TMFDittyX@RichSmithFoolStocks MentionedRigetti ComputingNASDAQ: RGTI$19.53(-8.22%)-$1.75Motley 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.