Rigetti Computing’s Quantum Hype Cools as Shares Slide

Rigetti Computing ( (RGTI) ) has fallen by -16.50%. Read on to learn why.

Rigetti Computing shares retreated 16.50% over the past week, giving back part of their recent rally as traders reassessed the balance between long‑term promise and near‑term risks. The stock, which has been swinging around the mid‑$20 range, faced profit‑taking after a sharp run‑up fueled by excitement over new contracts and upbeat analyst coverage. Despite the pullback, trading remained active and volatility elevated, keeping Rigetti firmly on the radar of speculative growth and quantum‑themed investors.

The core bullish narrative driving Rigetti’s earlier surge remains intact: a headline $8.4 million government contract in India and other commercial wins that investors see as validation of the company’s quantum computing technology. Analysts highlighted Rigetti’s chiplet‑based architecture, its in‑house Fab‑1 manufacturing facility, and fast superconducting gates as key technical advantages that could support stronger revenue growth into 2026. B. Riley’s upgrade to Buy helped spark call‑heavy options flows and a flatter put‑call skew, signaling that, under the surface, options traders still lean modestly bullish even as implied volatility has slipped to the lower end of its one‑year range.

At the same time, the 16.50% weekly slide underscores how fragile sentiment remains around Rigetti Computing. Investors are wrestling with a thin current revenue base, ongoing losses, pressured margins, and execution risks in commercializing cutting‑edge quantum hardware. The stock is still up significantly year‑to‑date, but the recent drop shows that any stumble—or simply a cooling of hype—can quickly knock back the share price. For now, Rigetti sits at the crossroads of high expectations and hard financial reality, making it a volatile name for investors willing to bet on the future of quantum computing.