New York, Jan 15, 2026, 14:48 (EST) — Regular session
- D-Wave Quantum shares dipped roughly 0.5% in afternoon trading, slipping back after a 4.6% gain on Wednesday
- Honeywell revealed that Quantinuum intends to file a confidential S-1 for a potential IPO, keeping quantum stocks under the spotlight
- Investors are focused on D-Wave’s upcoming Quantum Circuits acquisition and the late-January updates tied to its Qubits 2026 event
D-Wave Quantum Inc shares slipped roughly 0.5% to $29.99 Thursday afternoon, retreating after a 4.6% gain the day before. Earlier, the stock touched $31.25 but drifted toward its session low as about 32 million shares traded. 1
The quantum-computing sector remains in focus as Honeywell revealed its majority-owned unit, Quantinuum, intends to confidentially submit a draft registration statement on Form S-1 for a potential IPO. Honeywell noted that the share count and price range are still undecided, adding the deal depends on market conditions and SEC approval. 2
The broader tech sector showed some strength, with the Nasdaq 100 up around 0.5%. Quantum stocks, however, were uneven. IonQ dropped about 3%, Rigetti slipped near 1%, while Quantum Computing Inc edged up a bit. Honeywell gained nearly 1%.
D-Wave is pushing beyond its annealing machines—a type of quantum computer designed for optimization—into gate-model systems that can handle broader programming tasks. On Jan. 7, the company announced it would acquire Quantum Circuits for $550 million, a mix of $300 million in D-Wave stock and $250 million in cash, with the deal expected to close by late January. CEO Alan Baratz said the merger would “leapfrog the industry,” aiming to roll out gate-model products and services by 2026. 3
A filing revealed that on Jan. 6, D-Wave struck a merger agreement to buy all issued and outstanding shares of Quantum Circuits, outlining the deal’s structure and mechanics in detail. 4
D-Wave highlighted engineering efforts aimed at making larger machines feasible. In a separate release on Jan. 6, the company announced it demonstrated scalable, on-chip cryogenic control of gate-model qubits. It claimed this approach can significantly reduce the wiring needed for bigger systems. “Without on-chip control and multiplexing, useful gate-model quantum computers require an impractically large amount of wiring,” said chief development officer Trevor Lanting. 5
Cryogenic control handles the behind-the-scenes work: managing the electronics that guide qubits at ultra-low temperatures, where superconducting circuits function. Reducing wiring cuts down hardware size and eases scaling challenges.
Quantum computing is still in its infancy, and stock prices often leap ahead of actual business developments. Delays in deal closures, slower advances in error correction, or changing investor appetite for speculative tech can send shares swinging wildly.
Investors are focused on two key events: an update on the Quantum Circuits closing slated for later this month, and D-Wave’s comments at its Qubits 2026 conference, happening Jan. 27-28 in Boca Raton, Florida. On the sector front, traders will be monitoring for any public signals in Quantinuum’s IPO journey, especially as its paperwork shifts from confidential to public.
