We recently compiled a list of the Jim Cramer Talked About These 9 Nuclear Power and Quantum Computing Stocks. In this article, we are going to take a look at where Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) stands against the other nuclear power and quantum computing stocks.
Jim Cramer, host of Mad Money, recently cautioned investors about the risks of speculating in sectors like nuclear power and quantum computing, suggesting it could take a long time before these fields generate meaningful returns. While Cramer acknowledged the optimism that accompanies the start of each new year, he pointed out that sometimes the enthusiasm surrounding certain industries is misplaced.
“This year, I see two themes that I want to caution people about: nuclear power and quantum computing. Both have promise, someday, but that day is not, just not near enough to justify the current valuations for these stocks.”
He clarified that while he does not view quantum computing as a hoax, he considers the current expectations surrounding the technology to be overly ambitious. The market, according to Cramer, is setting a low bar for progress in this area.
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“Look, I believe in nuclear power, but when GE Vernova, the company that arguably has the most to gain from it, says discouraging things about an uptick in commercial nuclear power coming any time soon, when quantum computing seems very much in its infancy, well, I fear people will get hurt speculating on even the biggest companies, let alone the smaller ones.”
The outlook for quantum computing became more uncertain last week when Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang stated that “very useful” quantum computers are at least a decade away. During a Q&A at Nvidia’s Consumer Electronics Show Financial Analyst event, Huang suggested that 15 years might be an optimistic estimate, while 30 years could be more realistic. This timeline left little room for optimism among investors who had hoped for quicker breakthroughs.
Cramer acknowledged the speculative nature of these sectors but advised investors to be cautious and realistic about the potential for short-term gains.
“You can speculate of course, but please understand that, like at all New Years, the animal spirits are in play for a few stocks and I don’t want you to be trampled by wayward bulls with visions of riches in front of their greedy eyes. You own Rigetti?… Take some gains and then go out and buy yourself a nice cashmere sweater.”
Our Methodology
For this article, we compiled a list of 9 stocks that were discussed by Jim Cramer during the episode of Mad Money on January 2. We listed the stocks in ascending order of their hedge fund sentiment as of the third quarter, which was taken from Insider Monkey’s database of 900 hedge funds.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 275% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 150 percentage points (see more details here).
A close up of an engineer typing at a quantum computing station in a modern office space.
Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 7
Cramer discussed Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) stock’s parabolic move and highlighted its meager revenue in the past year.
“But then for example, when I look at Rigetti Computing, it’s a $5.6 billion company, professes to be a leader in quantum computers and superconducting equipment, I grow concerned. Rigetti is a multiple-year money loser with just $11.9 million in revenues in the last 12 months.
This stock was at 66 cents four months ago. Now it’s at 20 bucks, up over 30% just today. Its big break occurred at the end of November when it sold 50 million shares at two bucks. The stock was off the races ever since then. Hey, it’s a quantum GameStop, okay?”
Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI) is a company focused on designing and constructing quantum computers and superconducting quantum processors. Recently, the field of quantum computing has garnered significant attention, and as a result, stocks of companies in this space, including Rigetti, have experienced substantial growth. Over the past year, the company stock has surged by more than 1,600%.
Despite the surge in its stock price, there is a notable gap between the company’s market capitalization and its actual financial performance. Its revenue for the third quarter was reported at $2.4 million, a decline from $3.1 million in the same period of 2023. Additionally, the company faced operating expenses of $18.6 million in Q3, which appears relatively small for a company at the forefront of such groundbreaking technology.
Additionally, Andrew Left of Citron Research expressed a bearish view, suggesting that buying shares in Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI) based on the success of companies like Google in quantum computing is misguided. Left argued that the hype around quantum computing might fade, and investors could be left questioning the company’s ability to truly compete in the space, especially given its recent equity sales at low prices and the likelihood of further dilution.
Overall RGTI ranks 6th on our list of the nuclear power and quantum computing stocks Jim Cramer recently talked about. While we acknowledge the potential of RGTI as an investment, our conviction lies in the belief that AI stocks hold greater promise for delivering higher returns and doing so within a shorter timeframe. If you are looking for an AI stock that is more promising than RGTI but that trades at less than 5 times its earnings, check out our report about the cheapest AI stock.
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Disclosure: None. This article is originally published at Insider Monkey.
