Quantum computing stocks are in full rebound mode in 2026, with the benchmark S&P Kensho Global Quantum Computing Technologies Index up 40% year to date and up 161% over the past 12 months as of April 23. Multiple factors are pushing quantum stocks higher, particularly Nvidia Corp.’s (ticker: NVDA) rollout of the new Ising open-source quantum AI model program, designed to help researchers and enterprises build quantum processors capable of running high-end applications. [Sign up for stock news with our Invested newsletter.] Nvidia says Ising offers quantum players high-performance, scalable AI tools for quantum error correction and calibration, which the company cites as “two of the most critical challenges” in building hybrid-quantum classical systems. The models run the world’s best quantum processor calibration and “enable researchers to tackle much larger, more complex problems with quantum computers by delivering up to 2.5-times faster performance and 3-times higher accuracy for the decoding process needed for quantum error correction,” Nvidia said in an April 14 press release. Nvidia’s announcement, which coincided with World Quantum Day on April 14, wasn’t an outlier. Take IonQ Inc. (IONQ), which on the same day announced that company engineers had connected two physically separate quantum systems, a breakthrough the company called a “foundational technical milestone” that promises to lay the groundwork for linked quantum networks. That’s been a key plank in IonQ CEO Niccolo de Masi’s quantum strategy for the company. “Achieving this photonic interconnect milestone is a pivotal moment in our roadmap as we move from individual quantum processors to distributed, networked architectures,” de Masi said in a statement. “Scaling quantum computation beyond the limits of a single chip is essential for realizing a future quantum internet. This demonstration proves that our trapped-ion platform is uniquely suited for the high-fidelity networking required to solve the world’s most