The Motley Fool argues that three quantum computing stocks, IonQ, D-Wave and Quantum Computing Inc, are beaten-down bargains ahead of 2027. The growth numbers are real, the valuations are steep, and profits are nowhere in sight.
Quantum computing stocks are down sharply in 2026, and the Motley Fool says that slide is the opportunity. In an October 29, 2026 opinion piece, the Fool argues that IonQ, D-Wave Quantum and Quantum Computing Inc could soar in 2027 as the market for quantum machines grows.
The case rests on one forecast: Fortune Business Insights projects the quantum computing market will expand at 33% a year from 2026 to 2034, according to the Fool, and the three companies should grow sales fast enough to shrink their steep valuations in two years.
This article is not investment advice. It examines what the Fool argues, checks the numbers it cites, and sets out the risks the pitch underplays.
The Short Version: Quantum Computing Stocks in 60 Seconds
- The Fool’s picks: IonQ (IONQ), D-Wave Quantum (QBTS) and Quantum Computing Inc (QUBT), all down on October 30, 2026.
- The market case: a projected 33% annual growth rate for quantum computing, 2026 to 2034, per Fortune Business Insights via the Fool.
- The growth case: estimated revenue growth of 250% for IonQ in 2026, 90% for D-Wave in 2027 and 109% for QCI in 2028, per Marketscreener via the Fool.
- The catch: all three should stay unprofitable for the foreseeable future, trading at 31x, 103x and 56x projected 2026 sales.
- The verdict: quantum computing stocks offer a real technology story with speculative valuations, and the Fool’s timing depends on rates easing.
Why Quantum Computing Stocks Fell in 2026
Many quantum computing stocks reached record highs last year, then pulled back in 2026. The Fool blames the Iran war, inflation, and the Fed’s first rate hike in three years, which pushed investors toward conservative investments.
On October 30, 2026, IonQ traded at $29.16, down 8.07%, D-Wave at $10.74, down 7.14%, and Quantum Computing Inc at $6.45, down 5.50%, according to the Fool article.
Quantum computers use qubits, which exist in a combination of 0 and 1 until measured, while classical computers use bits that must be either 0 or 1. That lets quantum machines explore a wider range of probabilities per calculation and process certain tasks much faster than classical computers. The trade-off is that they are larger, more expensive and less accurate, so they remain niche tools.
Three Different Machines, Three Different Bets
The three quantum computing stocks in the Fool’s list build different machines.
IonQ: trapped ions, no deep freeze
IonQ traps individual ions with tiny lasers to reach a quantum state, instead of using electron pairs in zero-resistance circuits. Its systems are smaller and more accurate than the electron-driven machines built by IBM and Alphabet’s Google, the Fool says, and they need no cryogenic cooling. IonQ has launched five commercial systems, sold mainly to government and research customers, plus a cloud service.
D-Wave: superconducting circuits and annealing
D-Wave designs its own quantum processing units and systems, using the same superconducting electron circuits as IBM and Google, so its machines must be cryogenically cooled. Its niche is quantum annealing, which runs workflows, supply chains and logistics to find the lowest-energy solutions. The Fool calls the company a quantum-powered efficiency expert.
Quantum Computing Inc: photonic chips at room temperature
Quantum Computing Inc, known as QCI, develops photonic chips that use particles of light rather than electrons or ions. Photonic chips can operate at room temperature and be built in conventional chip fabs with some specialized equipment, which could make them more scalable and affordable, the Fool says. QCI ramped up production over the past year and now supplies telecom, defense, industrial research and AI networking customers.
Quantum Computing Stocks: What the Fool Gets Right
The Fool’s strongest point is arithmetic. The three stocks look expensive at 31, 103 and 56 times projected 2026 sales for IonQ, D-Wave and QCI. But if the revenue estimates hold, those multiples fall to 13, 30 and 14 times projected 2028 sales. Growth is the whole argument for these quantum computing stocks: they are priced for a future that has not arrived yet.
The growth estimates come from Marketscreener. IonQ is estimated at 250% in 2026, then 78% in 2027 and 29% in 2028. D-Wave is estimated at 73%, 90% and 84% across the same three years; QCI at 4,032% in 2026, then 86% in 2027 and 109% in 2028.
Read that QCI number with care. A four-figure growth rate almost always means the starting base was tiny, so it says more about where QCI started than where it will end up.
Quantum Computing Stocks: The Counter-Case
The counter-case starts where the Fool’s argument ends: none of these companies is expected to make a profit for the foreseeable future. That means every multiple here is a multiple of sales, not earnings, and sales multiples can stay high for years, or collapse, without any change in the technology.
D-Wave illustrates the point. At 103 times projected 2026 sales, it carries the richest multiple of the three, and even at 30 times projected 2028 sales it would still be expensive by most standards. The Fool’s answer is that the multiple falls as sales grow, but that assumes the estimates are right. They are forecasts, not results.
The rate argument cuts both ways. The Fool expects the headwinds to dissipate next year, but elevated rates and Treasury yields are why investors avoid unprofitable growth stocks today. If rates stay high, quantum computing stocks could stay cheap, or get cheaper, for longer than the 2027 timetable allows.
There is also no consensus behind the Fool’s trio. TipRanks coverage of quantum computing stocks for 2027 highlights Quantinuum and IQM alongside IonQ and D-Wave. That does not make the Fool wrong, but its three picks are one opinion among several, not the market’s settled view.
What to Watch Next
Three things will test the Fool’s case for quantum computing stocks: revenue estimates surviving real results, rates and Treasury yields easing, and new government and enterprise contracts arriving.
Confirmed, Reported, Unknown
Quick Answers
Are quantum computing stocks a good buy before 2027?
The Motley Fool argues yes, for IonQ, D-Wave and QCI, based on projected market growth and falling sales multiples. But all three are unprofitable, richly valued and sensitive to interest rates, so the Fool’s case is an opinion about timing, not a guarantee. This article is not investment advice.
Why did quantum computing stocks fall in 2026?
According to the Fool, the Iran war, inflation and the Fed’s first rate hike in three years pushed investors toward conservative investments.
Which of the three companies is the most expensive?
D-Wave, at 103 times projected 2026 sales, per the Fool, against 31 for IonQ and 56 for QCI. By 2028, the figures fall to 30, 13 and 14 times.
What is the difference between the three companies’ technology?
IonQ uses trapped ions, no cryogenic cooling needed. D-Wave uses superconducting circuits, cryogenically cooled, focused on quantum annealing. QCI uses photonic chips at room temperature.
Final Word
Quantum computing stocks offer a genuine technology story wrapped in speculative valuations. The Fool is right that the market could grow fast, that the three companies have different and real technologies, and that falling sales multiples would follow if the growth estimates hold. The companies will stay unprofitable, which should anchor any reading of this pitch.
The honest summary is conditional. If the market grows at anything like the projected 33% a year, if the revenue estimates survive, and if rate headwinds ease in 2027, the Fool’s three picks could look cheap in hindsight. If any fails, they could look expensive for a long time. That is the difference between an opinion and a promise.
Sources and Attribution
- Motley Fool, 3 Quantum Computing Stocks to Buy Before They Soar in 2027, October 29, 2026. Primary source for this article.
- Fortune Business Insights, 33% CAGR projection, 2026-2034, as cited by the Fool.
- Marketscreener, revenue growth estimates, 2026-2028, as cited by the Fool.
- TipRanks, quantum computing stocks coverage for 2027.
Share prices are in US dollars, as quoted in the Fool article as of the morning of October 30, 2026, US Eastern time. PetaTech24 tested no quantum computer and holds no position in any stock named here.
