New York, January 9, 2026, 21:12 EST — Market closed.
- Rigetti shares ended Friday down 2.1%, settling at $24.72
- Rigetti now anticipates its 108-qubit Cepheus-1-108Q system will be generally available by the end of Q1 2026
- Vanguard revealed a 10.89% stake in a Schedule 13G/A filing submitted this week
Shares of Rigetti Computing dropped 2.1% on Friday, closing at $24.72. The company announced a revised timeline for its 108-qubit quantum system, Cepheus-1-108Q, now targeting general availability by the end of Q1 2026. https://www.investing.com/equities/rigetti-computing-inc-historical-data 1
Timing is crucial since quantum stocks often hinge on technical milestones and delivery timelines just as much as actual revenue. Even minor schedule tweaks can reshape how traders assess near-term commercialization prospects. One key metric investors focus on is two-qubit gate fidelity, which gauges how reliably a quantum device executes a fundamental operation.
The spotlight on the “pure-play” quantum group has intensified, driven by sharp moves on headlines and shifting risk appetite. For Rigetti, a reset in availability alongside a clear fidelity target has pushed upcoming updates into focus—even though the stock market remains closed until Monday.
Chief executive Dr. Subodh Kulkarni said the company is “taking more time to test and optimize” the 108‑qubit system and highlighted issues with its “tunable couplers.” He added the company opted to run “another iteration” of the chip to boost fidelity. 2
Rigetti reported achieving a median two-qubit gate fidelity of 99% on its 108-qubit system. The company also posted 99.7% fidelity on its 9-qubit system and 99.6% on the 36-qubit version. Cepheus-1-108Q, Rigetti explained, is constructed from twelve 9-qubit “chiplets” arranged in a modular design.
On Friday, the stock swung from $24.72 to $26.70, with about 36 million shares changing hands—a busy day for this company, known for sharp moves on product news and benchmark revisions.
In another regulatory filing, The Vanguard Group disclosed ownership of 35,970,648 shares, equal to 10.89% of Rigetti’s common stock as of Dec. 31, 2025. 3
Rigetti is among several U.S.-listed quantum companies — including IonQ, D‑Wave Quantum, and Quantum Computing Inc — that have seen wild swings and speculative trading. “What is the right price to pay for a piece of the future?” Steve Sosnick, chief markets strategist at Interactive Brokers, asked Reuters back in November, discussing the sector’s volatility. 4
The near-term outlook still depends heavily on execution: additional testing might delay timelines once more, and failing to hit the 99.5% median two-qubit gate-fidelity target could postpone wider customer access. For a stock so tied to milestones, that’s the risk on the downside.
Investors are turning their attention to Tuesday’s U.S. consumer price index report for December 2025, set for 8:30 a.m. ET. Meanwhile, any updates on Cepheus‑1‑108Q testing will be closely watched as Rigetti aims to launch by the end of Q1. The company hasn’t announced when it will report earnings, but MarketBeat projects the next release on March 4. https://www.bls.gov/schedule/news_release/current_year.asp 5
