Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI) Shares Up 1.8% - Time to Buy?

Key Points

• 108‑qubit Cepheus reached general availability with tripled capacity and improved fidelity, and sector tailwinds — including NVIDIA’s Ising‑model push and crypto‑risk narratives — have reignited investor interest in Rigetti as a step toward commercial adoption.
• Shares rose 1.8% to $19.45 on unusually heavy volume (61.9M, ~104% above average), but the stock remains volatile amid insider sales, a 17.9% YoY revenue decline and very negative margins; analysts hold a consensus "Moderate Buy" with a target of $31.70, signaling upside tempered by execution risk.

Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI - Get Free Report) shot up 1.8% during trading on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $20.09 and last traded at $19.45. 61,882,243 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 104% from the average session volume of 30,284,494 shares. The stock had previously closed at $19.11.

More Rigetti Computing News

Here are the key news stories impacting Rigetti Computing this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rigetti announced general availability and technical metrics for its 108‑qubit Cepheus system (tripling capacity and improving fidelity). Investors view this as tangible progress on scalability and a step toward commercial adoption. Can RGTI's 108‑Qubit Cepheus Launch Accelerate Quantum Advantage Push?
• Positive Sentiment: Nvidia’s launch of Ising models and broader AI/quantum tie‑ins has reignited interest in pure‑play quantum names, boosting expectations for partner/ecosystem-led adoption and valuation re-ratings for Rigetti. NVIDIA's Quantum Computing Play Just Sent IonQ and Rigetti Flying
• Positive Sentiment: Sector narratives — including the security risk quantum poses to crypto — are drawing fresh capital into quantum stocks, with media coverage framing Rigetti as a beneficiary of thematic flows. Quantum Computing's Crypto Threat Is Getting Real—and Investors Are Piling In
• Neutral Sentiment: Commentary flags heavy short‑term swings and high intraday volume — the stock has seen sharp recent gains but retains weaker 90‑day and YTD momentum, underscoring elevated volatility rather than a clear valuation reset. Rigetti Computing (RGTI) Valuation Check After Recent Short Term Share Price Swings
• Neutral Sentiment: Multiple outlets note a multi‑day quantum sector rally (momentum/flow‑driven) that’s helping Rigetti alongside peers — helpful for sentiment but dependent on follow‑through in bookings. IonQ Rises 4%, D‑Wave Surges 5%, Rigetti Gains 3: The Quantum Rally Is Now a Three‑Day Phenomenon
• Negative Sentiment: Analysis highlights ongoing insider sales and large institutional portfolio rebalancings (some big funds trimming positions) — a potential headwind if selling pressure resumes or growth targets slip. Rigetti (RGTI) jumps 11.8% as attention returns to its 108‑qubit system rollout and on‑premises order pipeline

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several brokerages have commented on RGTI. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Rigetti Computing from $50.00 to $43.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. TD Cowen cut shares of Rigetti Computing from a "buy" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, February 12th. Royal Bank Of Canada cut shares of Rigetti Computing to a "hold" rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Rosenblatt Securities restated a "buy" rating and set a $40.00 price objective on shares of Rigetti Computing in a research note on Thursday, March 5th. Finally, B. Riley Financial upgraded shares of Rigetti Computing from a "neutral" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $35.00 price objective for the company in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Eight investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Rigetti Computing presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $31.70.

Rigetti Computing Stock Performance

The firm's 50 day moving average is $15.91 and its 200-day moving average is $24.96. The stock has a market capitalization of $6.46 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -28.60 and a beta of 1.82.

Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI - Get Free Report) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, March 4th. The company reported ($0.03) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.05) by $0.02. Rigetti Computing had a negative net margin of 3,111.92% and a negative return on equity of 14.91%. The firm had revenue of $1.87 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $2.33 million. Rigetti Computing's quarterly revenue was down 17.9% on a year-over-year basis. As a group, sell-side analysts forecast that Rigetti Computing, Inc. will post -0.34 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling at Rigetti Computing

In related news, CTO David Rivas sold 36,719 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.52, for a total value of $643,316.88. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief technology officer directly owned 651,914 shares in the company, valued at $11,421,533.28. The trade was a 5.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CFO Jeffrey A. Bertelsen sold 4,270 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Tuesday, March 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $17.52, for a total transaction of $74,810.40. Following the completion of the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 175,609 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,076,669.68. The trade was a 2.37% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 1.90% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Rigetti Computing

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in RGTI. Heritage Wealth Advisors increased its holdings in Rigetti Computing by 454.3% in the 4th quarter. Heritage Wealth Advisors now owns 1,164 shares of the company's stock worth $26,000 after acquiring an additional 954 shares in the last quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC increased its holdings in Rigetti Computing by 138.4% in the 4th quarter. Larson Financial Group LLC now owns 1,218 shares of the company's stock worth $27,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares in the last quarter. EFG International AG purchased a new stake in Rigetti Computing in the 4th quarter worth $28,000. Tsfg LLC increased its holdings in Rigetti Computing by 320.5% in the 4th quarter. Tsfg LLC now owns 1,312 shares of the company's stock worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. increased its holdings in Rigetti Computing by 180.3% in the 4th quarter. Northwestern Mutual Wealth Management Co. now owns 1,334 shares of the company's stock worth $30,000 after acquiring an additional 858 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 35.38% of the company's stock.

Rigetti Computing Company Profile

Rigetti Computing is a pioneering quantum computing company that designs and manufactures superconducting quantum processors alongside a complementary software stack. Founded in 2013 by CEO Chad Rigetti, the company has developed end-to-end quantum systems—from cryogenic hardware to control electronics—to advance the performance and scalability of quantum machines.

At the core of Rigetti's offering is its Quantum Cloud Services (QCS) platform, which enables developers and enterprises to access quantum processing units (QPUs) and hybrid quantum-classical workflows via the cloud.

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