Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI) Stock Price Down 6.5% – Time to Sell?

Rigetti Computing, Inc. (NASDAQ:RGTI) fell 6.5% on Friday . The stock traded as low as $16.63 and last traded at $17.42. 26,135,258 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 18% from the average session volume of 32,008,229 shares. The stock had previously closed at $18.64.

Key Headlines Impacting Rigetti Computing

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

• Positive Sentiment: Rigetti booked an $8.4M order from India’s Centre for Development of Advanced Computing for its modular Cepheus-1-108Q system — an early commercial deployment that validates Rigetti’s hardware roadmap and could underpin near-term revenue and referenceability as Cepheus reaches broader availability. Rigetti’s India Quantum Order Tests Market For Cepheus Valuation Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst / comparison coverage highlights RGTI’s “bold hardware roadmap” and fresh orders as potential upside versus peers — investors may view Rigetti as a differentiated hardware play if it commercializes Cepheus successfully. Rigetti vs. IonQ: Which Quantum Computing Stock Has More Upside?
• Neutral Sentiment: Strong earnings at peers (IonQ) and positive prints at D-Wave are increasing investor attention on the quantum sector overall — this can lift sentiment for Rigetti but also intensify comparisons and capital flows toward names that beat estimates or raised guidance. IonQ Stock Jumps 22% on Earnings. Quantum Pure Play Is at ‘Inflection Point,’ CEO Says.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector commentary warns that quantum hype could cool in 2026; that broader narrative may cap valuation expansion even as commercial milestones accumulate. Investors should weigh execution vs. sentiment risk. Prediction: The Quantum Computing Hype Could Cool Off in 2026 — Here’s Why
• Negative Sentiment: Rigetti shares are under selling pressure ahead of the company’s earnings next week; short-term traders may be reducing exposure amid a broader tech sell-off and rotation to winners (e.g., IonQ). What’s Going On With Rigetti Computing (RGTI) Stock Friday?
• Negative Sentiment: Opinion pieces note RGTI’s big drawdown from prior highs and debate whether current levels are a buying opportunity or a sign of structural risk — that narrative can sustain volatility and deter risk-averse investors until clear execution progress is shown. Where Will Rigetti Computing Be in 5 Years?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

RGTI has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on Rigetti Computing in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They set a “hold” rating and a $30.00 target price on the stock. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of Rigetti Computing in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Wall Street Zen lowered shares of Rigetti Computing from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, February 21st. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered shares of Rigetti Computing to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Finally, Benchmark dropped their price target on shares of Rigetti Computing from $50.00 to $40.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Tuesday, November 11th. Eight research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $32.60.

Rigetti Computing Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $5.75 billion, a P/E ratio of -13.40 and a beta of 1.69. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $21.10 and its 200-day simple moving average is $25.73.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Rothschild Investment LLC boosted its holdings in Rigetti Computing by 26.1% during the third quarter. Rothschild Investment LLC now owns 1,665 shares of the company’s stock valued at $50,000 after purchasing an additional 345 shares in the last quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH boosted its stake in Rigetti Computing by 1.7% in the 3rd quarter. Trust Co. of Toledo NA OH now owns 21,178 shares of the company’s stock valued at $631,000 after buying an additional 357 shares in the last quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc grew its position in Rigetti Computing by 1.0% in the third quarter. Prospera Financial Services Inc now owns 41,789 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,245,000 after acquiring an additional 419 shares during the period. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC grew its position in Rigetti Computing by 1.4% in the fourth quarter. Kestra Private Wealth Services LLC now owns 37,534 shares of the company’s stock valued at $831,000 after acquiring an additional 535 shares during the period. Finally, MAI Capital Management raised its stake in Rigetti Computing by 17.7% during the third quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 3,763 shares of the company’s stock worth $112,000 after acquiring an additional 566 shares in the last quarter. 35.38% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

About Rigetti Computing

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.