Overview
- Hedge funds and other large holders signaled caution on pure-play quantum stocks after a speculative surge, including Rigetti’s trailing 12-month gain of more than 6,200% by mid-October.
- Analysts still outline substantial potential, with Boston Consulting Group estimating $450 billion to $850 billion in value by 2040 and The Quantum Insider projecting up to $1 trillion by 2035.
- Commentary steers investors to diversified incumbents, highlighting IBM’s decade-long quantum program, reported roadmap milestones, and goal of building a fault-tolerant system by the end of the decade.
- Cybersecurity is flagged as a nearer-term avenue, with Zscaler already offering post-quantum cryptography and PQC described as a market exceeding $300 billion within a decade.
- Near- to mid-term applications drawing interest include faster AI model training, stronger security, and molecular simulations to accelerate drug discovery.