Rigetti Computing Stock Sinks Nearly 7% After Hours as CFO Signals Another Year of Heavy Spending: CapEx Won’t Return to 2025 Levels
Rigetti Computing (RGTI) shares dropped 7% after hours as the company missed Q3 2026 earnings and revenue estimates. CFO Jeffrey Bertelsen indicated elevated capital expenditures will continue through 2027 to support investments in quantum computing infrastructure, aiming for a 1,000-qubit milestone by 2028. Revenue fell to $1.41M from $1.95M year-over-year, missing estimates of $3.52M.
How this was made

The 30-second read
Why it matters
The earnings miss and forward‑looking capex guidance suggest near‑term earnings pressure, likely keeping the stock on a downtrend unless new revenue sources materialize.
Market read
The report provides fresh earnings data and guidance for a micro‑cap tech stock, creating actionable insight for short‑term traders.
What to watch
Potential strategic partnerships or government contracts for the Fab‑1 facility that are not disclosed yet.
Background
Rigetti Computing (NASDAQ:RGTI) is a quantum‑computing hardware provider that recently missed Q3 fiscal 2026 expectations and warned that capital expenditures will stay elevated through 2027.
Ticker impact
Rigetti reported a Q3 loss of $0.06 per share, revenue of $1.41M missing estimates, and signaled elevated CapEx through 2027, causing a ~7% after‑hours drop.
downward pressure as investors price in weaker revenue and sustained high CapEx
The miss on both earnings and revenue, plus guidance that capex will not normalize, reduces near‑term profitability expectations.
Market effects
Quantum‑computing firms may face investor scrutiny over high capex cycles, potentially dampening sector sentiment.
U.S. tech micro‑caps could see broader pullback as investors reassess capital‑intensive roadmaps.
Limited; impact confined to niche quantum‑computing investors.
Counterpoint
If the market overreacts to short‑term capex guidance, the stock could rebound on long‑term 1,000‑qubit milestones.
Key entities
- companyRigetti Computing Inc.
Quantum‑computing hardware firm reporting Q3 results.
- executiveJeffrey Bertelsen
Chief Financial Officer who provided the capex guidance.



