By Keithen Drury
Quantum computing isn't as far away as it seems. Every month, there
seems to be a new breakthrough with the technology, and it makes the
possibility of commercially viable quantum computing inch closer and
closer. Most of the money in the quantum computing space will be made
years before it becomes widely available, so it's imperative that
investors devote a small amount of their portfolio to this rising
industry.
Three stocks I'm bullish on in the quantum sector are Alphabet (GOOG) (GOOGL), IonQ (IONQ ), and Nvidia (NVDA). Each of them represents a unique way to invest in quantum computing, and all have major upside.
Image source: Getty Images.
1. Alphabet
Alphabet is one of the most potent competitors in the quantum
computing space. It has some of the most resources of anyone competing,
fueled by growing cash flows from its advertising, cloud computing, and
artificial intelligence (AI) business segments. Furthermore, because it
is self-funding, it doesn't need to advertise every breakthrough it
achieves with its technology. This makes it a bit more secretive, but
from what has been announced, it's clear that Alphabet is both a
frontrunner in quantum technology and applications.
Alphabet was one of the first to announce a quantum algorithm that
actually provides a notable step forward toward real-world applications,
like MRI scans. It has also developed the algorithm necessary to break
cryptocurrency blockchain encryption with its quantum computing
technology. All of this is made possible with its Willow quantum
computing chip, which has 105 qubits, making it one of the more powerful
quantum computing chips today.
I think Alphabet is one of the biggest no-brainer investments in the
quantum computing space, and will continue to impress investors with
each announcement it makes. If quantum computing turns out to be a flop,
Alphabet has its Google Search business that acts as a cash cow to fall
back on, along with all of its other AI investments. These units make
Alphabet what it is today, making it a fairly safe stock pick. But if Alphabet's quantum technologies pan out, it has even greater upside.
2. IonQ
Moving to the opposite end of the spectrum, IonQ is about as risky as
it gets. IonQ has no backup plan; it's quantum computing relevance or
bust. This makes it a focused but risky company, and could deliver huge
upside if it pans out. While most companies are focused on faster
quantum computers, IonQ is working on a slower, more accurate variety.
It excels in this area, as it holds the world record for two-qubit gate
fidelity, a commonly used accuracy metric. IonQ's results in this test
were 99.99%, or one error in every 10,000 operations. Most competitors
have struggled to breach the 99.9% threshold, with popular pick Rigetti Computing only
reaching 99.9% in prototype systems (Alphabet doesn't make its
two-qubit gate fidelity scores public). IonQ's revenue is also soaring,
driven by recognized revenue from contracts and new system sales. In Q1
2026, revenue was up an impressive 755%, showing that IonQ is excelling.
This shows that it's right on track, and with several research
partners on board, it's clear that IonQ is among the top quantum players
in the market. While IonQ has a daunting road ahead, if it can keep up
its near-term success, it will prove to be a strong competitor in its space.
3. Nvidia
Nvidia may not seem like it belongs on a list of quantum computing
stocks. While it doesn't directly make a quantum processing unit (QPU),
it already has a massive stake in traditional computing methods. Nvidia
is convinced that the future of quantum computing lies in a hybrid
environment, where quantum and traditional computers work together to
solve problems. To facilitate this, Nvidia has launched several products
targeted at the quantum computing industry. It has developed its own
generative AI model to aid in error correction, it launched the NVQLink,
which allows quantum computers to plug into existing computing
networks, and adapted its CUDA software to work with quantum computing
functions and revised it as CUDA-Q.
That will allow Nvidia's
traditional computing products to be used alongside new quantum
computing devices. This will keep Nvidia relevant in the future, while
also protecting it against a decline if quantum flops. In the meantime,
an incredible amount of money is being spent on AI, which will boost
Nvidia's stock in the short term. I like it as a stock that should do
well over the next decade, as quantum and AI have the potential to drive massive shareholder returns.
Is Alphabet a long-term buy right now?
Before you buy stock in Alphabet, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and Alphabet wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $445,672!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,280,566!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 948% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 206% for the S&P 500. Don't miss the latest top 10 list, available with Stock Advisor, and join an investing community built by individual investors for individual investors.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of June 10, 2026.
Keithen Drury
has positions in Alphabet, IonQ, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool has
positions in and recommends Alphabet, IonQ, and Nvidia. The Motley Fool
has a disclosure policy.
This article was originally published by The Motley Fool