Rigetti Computing Stock Jumps After WSJ Report Of U.S. Equity Talks

Oct 24 - Rigetti Computing RGTI shares surged more than 8% on Friday and extended gains of Thursday after reports said the U.S. government is exploring taking minority stakes in select quantum-computing firms, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

People familiar with the discussions said the Commerce Department is evaluating potential equity-for-funding agreements with companies viewed as strategically important to national security and emerging technologies.

Rigetti is reportedly among those in talks, though the agency has not confirmed any final arrangement. The company, known for its superconducting-based quantum processors, previously said it holds around $570 million in cash and plans to deliver a 100-plus-qubit system by late 2025.

Analysts said even preliminary federal involvement could boost Rigetti's access to capital and strengthen its position against larger rivals such as IBM and Google. However, they also cautioned that quantum computing remains years from commercial scale, keeping valuations sensitive to policy signals.

RGTI traded around $43 on Friday morning, up roughly 15% over two sessions.