Quantum Computing Speculation Propels Rigetti to $2.8B Volume, Secures 30th U.S. Rank

On September 18, 2025, , . equities in dollar volume. The jump followed renewed institutional interest in quantum computing infrastructure and a broader market rotation into AI hardware plays. Analysts noted the move aligned with recent speculative trends in the sector, though earnings guidance and operational milestones remain pending.

The stock’s performance was primarily driven by strategic positioning within the S&P 1500, where high-volume days often correlate with short-term momentum strategies. Traders cited the prior day’s volume surge as a catalyst, with portfolio rebalancing activity observed in the early morning hours. However, no corporate announcements or regulatory updates were reported to directly justify the magnitude of the move.

for multi-asset strategies highlight key challenges in replicating such performance. A robust test would require defining a liquid universe (e.g., S&P 1500), using prior-day volume data to rank stocks, and simulating equal-weighted portfolios rebalanced daily. Execution assumptions—such as buying at the next-day open and selling at close—remain critical to avoid look-ahead bias. Current tools, however, limit simultaneous testing of multiple tickers, necessitating synthetic index construction for accurate replication.

To implement a across 500 names, data engineering steps are required to aggregate and normalize inputs. Options include narrowing the scope to an ETF proxy like SPY, reducing the basket size, or exporting data for offline basket creation. These adjustments ensure alignment with the constraints of single-ticker back-testing engines while preserving the integrity of the original methodology.