D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NYSE:QBTS) stock is trading higher Friday as part of a broader sector rally across quantum computing companies. The Nasdaq and the S&P 500 are also trading higher.
The advance follows third-quarter financial results from sector peer IonQ Inc. (NYSE:IONQ), which reported earnings after the market close on Thursday. IonQ posted revenue of $173.83 million, topping analyst estimates of $141.63 million, and raised its full-year 2026 sales guidance above expectations.
The positive report generated momentum across the group, lifting heavily shorted names, including D-Wave Quantum, which has 79.1 million of its stock sold short, accounting for 23.66% of its public float.
Earnings Positioning
Traders are also purchasing the stock ahead of D-Wave Quantum’s own third-quarter 2026 financial report scheduled for Tuesday. Wall Street expects the company to report a loss of 10 cents per share, compared to a loss of 41 cents in the prior-year period. Consensus estimates place quarterly revenue at $4.33 million, up from $3.74 million a year earlier.
Analyst Sentiment
Wall Street maintains a positive outlook on the company. All 16 analysts tracking the firm rate the stock as a Buy, with an average price forecast of $30.21. On Monday, B. Riley Securities lowered its price forecast on D-Wave Quantum from $40 to $27 while maintaining a Buy rating.
Technical Analysis
Even with Friday’s pop, the bigger-picture trend is still heavy: QBTS is trading about 10% below its 20-day SMA ($11.53) and about 45% below its 200-day SMA ($18.86), which keeps rallies in “counter-trend bounce” territory until price can reclaim key moving averages.
The bearish backdrop is reinforced by the death cross that formed in March (the 50-day SMA below the 200-day SMA), a setup that often signals sellers still control the longer-term trend.
From a levels standpoint, the stock is still working its way off the November swing low and remains far below the August swing high, so traders will be watching whether this bounce can turn into a higher-low structure.
QBTS faces key resistance at $12.50, a psychological price level where recovery attempts could lose momentum before the stock tests its short-term moving averages.
D-Wave Rallies With Quantum Peers but Lags for the Year
D-Wave’s Friday gain is in line with its closest quantum computing peers. IonQ shares rose about 15%, Rigetti Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) gained about 15% and Quantum Computing Inc. (NASDAQ:QUBT) climbed about 9%.
The bounce still leaves the group far below its highs. D-Wave is down about 60% year to date and about 68% below its 52-week high of $32.39, the steepest year-to-date decline of the four. IonQ is down about 32% this year, Rigetti about 49% and Quantum Computing about 40%.
QBTS Stock Price Activity: D-Wave Quantum shares were up 14.31% at $10.35 at the time of publication on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.
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