What Triggered QBTS Stock’s Pre-Market Rally Today?

• Florida Atlantic University commits $20 million to purchase and install a D-Wave Advantage2 annealing system.
• D-Wave to establish its new corporate headquarters at the Boca Raton Innovation Center.
• D-Wave is expected to showcase new hybrid solver capabilities using machine learning in quantum workflows at the Qubits 2026 conference later on Tuesday.

Shares of D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS) drew significant retail interest on Tuesday morning after rising over 5% in pre-market trading, fueled by fresh updates including a defense partnership and a deal with Florida Atlantic University.

D-Wave Quantum announced that Florida Atlantic University (FAU) has committed $20 million to purchase and install a D-Wave Advantage2 annealing system at its Boca Raton campus, with deployment expected later in 2026. 

This system will serve as the foundation for a new collaboration between D-Wave and FAU, which could include a Quantum Applications Academy and support for research, training, and workforce development initiatives. 

D-Wave will also establish its new corporate headquarters at the Boca Raton Innovation Center.

More Collaborations

In a separate announcement, D-Wave revealed a collaboration with Davidson Technologies and defense company Anduril Industries to develop quantum-classical hybrid applications for complex U.S. air and missile defense scenarios.

Initial proof-of-concept tests using D-Wave’s Stride hybrid solver on the Advantage2 system demonstrated up to 10x faster solutions, a 9-12% improvement in threat mitigation, and the ability to intercept 45-60 additional missiles in a simulated 500-missile attack.

The collaboration will expand to other defense challenges, including logistics, manufacturing, cyber defense, and course-of-action planning, the company added.

At D-Wave’s Qubits 2026 conference later on Tuesday, the company is expected to showcase new hybrid solver capabilities using machine learning in quantum workflows, as well as progress on its technologies following the acquisition of Quantum Circuits earlier this month.

How Did Stocktwits Users React?

Retail sentiment on Stocktwits turned ‘bullish’ from ‘neutral’ a day earlier, amid ‘high’ message volumes. QBTS was among the top trending tickers on the platform.

One Stocktwits user sounded skeptical and highlighted the stock’s current valuation.

The stock has gained more than 300% over the past year, even as year-to-date declines stand at around 12%.

Read also: UPS Stock Rises Pre-Market On Upbeat Guidance – CEO Calls 2026 As Inflection Year After Amazon Pullback

For updates and corrections, email newsroom[at]stocktwits[dot]com.

Share

·

Add us on