The Trump administration’s June 22 executive orders mark an important policy shift by expanding the federal focus beyond basic research toward commercialization, deployment and national security applications. The move signals that quantum computing is increasingly being treated as a strategic technology with implications for economic competitiveness, cybersecurity and defense, rather than solely as a long-term scientific research initiative.
Against this backdrop, investors may want to take a closer look at companies that are well-positioned to benefit from growing federal support for the quantum ecosystem. Among pure-play quantum companies, Quantum Computing Inc. QUBT and International Business Machines IBM stand out given their exposure to the sector’s long-term commercialization and deployment trends.
More on the Latest Executive Orders and Their Impact
Building on earlier U.S. quantum initiatives, one executive order directs the White House to update the National Quantum Strategy within 180 days. The revised strategy will prioritize domestic manufacturing, workforce development, public-private partnerships and the commercialization of quantum technologies.
It also establishes the Quantum Computer for Application Development and Discovery Science (QC-ADDS) initiative at the Department of Energy to develop a large-scale quantum computer for scientific discovery. A companion executive order accelerates the federal transition to post-quantum cryptography, reflecting growing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity against future quantum-enabled threats.
Why Investors Should Care
While quantum computing remains at an earlier stage of commercialization, Washington is increasingly positioning it as a strategic technology with long-term economic, cybersecurity and national security importance.
The investment implications extend beyond pure-play quantum developers. The updated National Quantum Strategy and the Department of Energy’s QC-ADDS initiative could support demand across the quantum value chain, including quantum hardware, advanced semiconductors, photonics, cryogenic systems and quantum software.
At the same time, the administration’s push to accelerate the federal transition to post-quantum cryptography could create opportunities for cybersecurity vendors serving government and regulated industries. While broad commercial adoption of fault-tolerant quantum computing remains years away, the executive orders suggest that federal procurement and strategic investment are likely to play a larger role in shaping the industry’s long-term growth trajectory.
Three-Month Price Performance
2 Stocks to Benefit
Quantum Computing: The company is building a portfolio that extends beyond quantum computing hardware to include integrated photonics, quantum optimization, quantum sensing and quantum cybersecurity solutions. As QCi continues expanding its U.S.-based photonic chip manufacturing capabilities and commercializing products such as its Dirac optimization platform, increased federal support for quantum commercialization and deployment could broaden opportunities for collaboration with government agencies, research institutions and industry partners.
Over the past three months, shares of QUBT gained 31.9%. This Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stock is expected to report earnings growth of 16.7% in the second quarter of 2026. You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
IBM: In June, the company committed to investing more than $10 billion over the next five years to accelerate quantum research, manufacturing and ecosystem development in the United States. IBM’s 2026 roadmap targets the first demonstrations of quantum advantage using hybrid quantum-classical systems, while its longer-term objective remains delivering a large-scale fault-tolerant quantum computer by 2029. The administration’s focus on domestic manufacturing and commercialization aligns closely with IBM’s strategy and longstanding collaborations with government agencies and national laboratories.
In the past three months, IBM stock has gained 17.3%. This Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) stock is expected to report earnings growth of 7.9% in the second quarter of 2026.
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