Rigetti Computing (RGTI +2.62%) has become one of the faces of the quantum computing revolution. As the artificial intelligence (AI) boom really took off in 2025, almost anything that was tied to the theme saw its stock price take off. Rigetti Computing's stock rose 45% last year.
But how has Rigetti Computing fared as an investment over the years?
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If you look at the total return for the stock over the past five years, you'll see that it's returned 137%, which translates to an average annual return of about 18.8%. Not too bad. A thousand dollars invested five years ago would now be worth about $2,370.
RGTI Total Return Price data by YCharts
But that number doesn't really tell the whole story.
From its top in the latter half of 2021 to its bottom in 2023, Rigetti stock lost more than 96% of its value. The hyperinflationary environment of 2022 and the bear market that came with it saw investors abandon companies that were more about potential than results.
But as conditions stabilized, inflation started to fall, and the AI frenzy picked up steam, Rigetti made a huge comeback. From that low to its peak at the beginning of 2025, Rigetti gained 5,000%, pushing its market cap to more than $5.5 billion and making it one of the trendiest stocks in the market.
Rigetti has since dropped by more than 50% from its peak, cementing its position as one of the most closely watched stocks in the world, but one that has also been incredibly volatile.
