D-Wave Quantum (NASDAQ:QBTS) Stock Price Down 9.5% - Here's Why

Key Points

• D-Wave Quantum shares fell 9.5% to $17.51 amid investor concerns following the announced retirement and resignation of CFO John Markovich, effective September 2, 2026.
• The company recently missed quarterly revenue and EPS expectations, reporting $3.08 million in revenue versus $4.03 million expected and an adjusted loss of $0.10 per share. D-Wave remains unprofitable, despite growing bookings, backlog and commercial-customer demand.
• Analyst sentiment remains broadly positive, with a consensus “Moderate Buy” rating and average price target of $36.27, although insider selling and the leadership transition add risk to the speculative stock.

D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NASDAQ:QBTS - Get Free Report) shares dropped 9.5% on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $17.45 and last traded at $17.51. 25,876,598 shares changed hands during trading, a decline of 10% from the average session volume of 28,620,412 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.35.

D-Wave Quantum News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting D-Wave Quantum this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Despite recent earnings weakness, D-Wave’s rising bookings, backlog and commercial-customer growth suggest continued demand for its quantum-computing systems and services. The company’s expanding order book indicates that the revenue decline may reflect delivery timing rather than a lack of customer interest. The Bull Case for D-Wave After a Disappointing Earnings Season
• Neutral Sentiment: Quantum-computing adoption could benefit D-Wave over the longer term as companies and governments increase spending on post-quantum cybersecurity and related technologies. However, the opportunity remains dependent on broader commercialization and does not address near-term profitability. Quantum Computing Is Raising the Stakes for Cybersecurity: 5 Stocks to Watch
• Negative Sentiment: Chief Financial Officer John Markovich will retire and resign effective September 2, 2026. D-Wave said an acting CFO will take over, but investors appear concerned that the abrupt leadership transition could signal deeper execution, financial-reporting or funding risks at a company that is not yet profitable. D-Wave Quantum Announces the Resignation of Chief Financial Officer
• Negative Sentiment: The reaction was amplified by D-Wave’s speculative profile: the company recently missed quarterly revenue and earnings expectations, remains loss-making, and has experienced a gap between strong orders and reported revenue. The CFO departure also pressured other quantum-computing stocks as investors reassessed risks across the sector. D-Wave Sinks as Its CFO Retires

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on the stock. Wall Street Zen raised shares of D-Wave Quantum from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Roth Capital reaffirmed a "buy" rating and set a $30.00 price objective on shares of D-Wave Quantum in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. BMO Capital Markets initiated coverage on D-Wave Quantum in a report on Thursday, August 20th. They set an "outperform" rating and a $35.00 target price on the stock. Wedbush began coverage on D-Wave Quantum in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $40.00 target price for the company. Finally, Weiss Ratings lowered D-Wave Quantum from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (e+)" rating in a research report on Tuesday, August 11th. Thirteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, two have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, D-Wave Quantum presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $36.27.

D-Wave Quantum Stock Down 9.5%

The stock's 50-day moving average price is $20.38 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $20.21. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.48 billion, a PE ratio of -24.66 and a beta of 2.15. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.03, a quick ratio of 20.42 and a current ratio of 20.55.

D-Wave Quantum (NASDAQ:QBTS - Get Free Report) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, August 6th. The company reported ($0.10) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.08) by ($0.02). D-Wave Quantum had a negative net margin of 2,001.59% and a negative return on equity of 26.67%. The business had revenue of $3.08 million for the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $4.03 million. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.08) earnings per share. The company's revenue was down 0.6 on a year-over-year basis. As a group, analysts expect that D-Wave Quantum Inc. will post -0.46 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, VP Sophie C. Ames sold 3,070 shares of D-Wave Quantum stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, July 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $16.95, for a total transaction of $52,036.50. Following the completion of the transaction, the vice president directly owned 589,009 shares in the company, valued at approximately $9,983,702.55. This trade represents a 0.52% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, Director Rohit Ghai sold 13,518 shares of the business's stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, June 15th. The stock was sold at an average price of $26.41, for a total value of $357,010.38. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 23,617 shares in the company, valued at approximately $623,724.97. This represents a 36.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last ninety days, insiders sold 1,012,065 shares of company stock valued at $26,245,703. 1.30% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On D-Wave Quantum

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Fiduciary Financial Advisors purchased a new stake in D-Wave Quantum during the 2nd quarter valued at about $25,000. Root Financial Partners LLC raised its holdings in D-Wave Quantum by 388.0% in the fourth quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 976 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 776 shares during the last quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC raised its holdings in D-Wave Quantum by 545.5% in the first quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 1,788 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 1,511 shares during the last quarter. Kemnay Advisory Services Inc. bought a new position in shares of D-Wave Quantum in the fourth quarter worth approximately $28,000. Finally, PeakShares LLC bought a new position in shares of D-Wave Quantum in the first quarter worth approximately $29,000. 42.47% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

D-Wave Quantum Company Profile

D-Wave Quantum Inc NYSE: QBTS develops and provides quantum computing systems, software and services focused on quantum annealing technology. Headquartered in Burnaby, British Columbia, D-Wave designs specialized processors that leverage quantum mechanics to solve complex optimization and sampling problems. Since its founding in 1999 by physicists including Geordie Rose, the company has pursued the development of commercially viable quantum hardware and accompanying software tools.

The company’s product portfolio centers on its quantum annealers, which are complemented by hybrid solvers that integrate classical and quantum computing resources.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to contact@marketbeat.com.

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