D-Wave Exec Sells Shares as QBTS Stock Surges on CHIPS Act Hopes

Benzinga reported Friday that shares of D-Wave Quantum Inc. (NASDAQ: QBTS) posted one of the session’s sharpest single-day moves. The stock closed the regular session up 33.37% at $25.74, then extended those gains a further 7.81% in after-hours trade to $27.75.

CHIPS Act Catalyst Drives the Rally

Investor momentum was largely tied to reports surrounding D-Wave CHIPS Act funding. The Trump administration is reportedly preparing roughly $2 billion in awards to quantum computing firms under the CHIPS and Science Act. IBM is said to be in line for $1 billion, while GlobalFoundries may receive $375 million from the Commerce Department. D-Wave separately confirmed Thursday it had signed a Letter of Intent for $100 million in proposed funding under the same legislation. That announcement appeared to accelerate buying interest in QBTS shares heading into Friday’s session.

Insider Files Pre-Planned Share Sale

Amid the rally, D-Wave’s Executive Vice President and Chief Human Resources Officer Sophie Ames disclosed a sale of 23,025 shares in a newly filed SEC Form 4. The transactions, executed May 20 at a weighted average price near $18.98 per share, generated proceeds of approximately $437,000. Individual trades ranged from roughly $18.35 to $19.40. Importantly, the filing indicated the sale was carried out under a Rule 10b5-1 pre-scheduled trading plan. That plan was originally adopted in June 2025 and later amended in September 2025. Such arrangements are designed to remove discretionary timing from insider transactions. Following the sale, Ames retained 596,803 shares, including 543,750 unvested restricted stock units.

Background: A Volatile Year for Quantum Stocks

Quantum computing equities have had an uneven 12 months. QBTS shares touched a 52-week high of $46.75 before retreating sharply, with a low of $12.75 recorded over the same period. Even with Friday’s move, the stock remains well below that peak. Over the past year, shares have gained roughly 35%. D-Wave focuses on commercial quantum systems built around optimization and enterprise use cases, distinguishing it from gate-based quantum approaches pursued by rivals. Its market capitalization stood at approximately $9.54 billion following Friday’s session close.

What Comes Next for QBTS

Near-term price signals for the stock are mixed. Short-term momentum appears constructive, but medium- and longer-term trend indicators remain negative, according to Benzinga’s stock ranking data. Whether the CHIPS Act funding materializes at the scale reported, and on what timeline, will likely determine whether Friday’s surge holds or fades.

Read Next: What the CHIPS Act Means for U.S. Tech Manufacturing