Quantum Stocks Jump as Traders Bet on More US Government Stakes

Quantum stocks jumped this week on news that the U.S. government was taking equity stakes in nine companies, including IBM , as President Donald Trump's administration continues to acquire shares of private sector companies.

So where might the government take its shopping cart next? Traders on prediction market platform Kalshi are putting money on the question.

Traders place 32% odds that IonQ will get a government stake in 2026. IonQ was one of the quantum computing companies that wasn't part of the Thursday announcement, but its stock still jumped more than 12% on the news. Shares then rose more than 7% on Friday.

Also on the list is Anduril Industries, which traders give a 31% chance of getting a U.S. government stake this year.

Anduril is a privately-owned defense technology company based in California. Last week, the company unveiled a new funding round that doubled its valuation to $61 billion. The Palmer Luckey company has worked with the Trump administration closely, including on the proposed "Golden Dome" missile defense system.

Lastly, traders place 28% odds that Micron Technology gets a U.S. government stake. Shares of Micron have surged more than 160% in 2026 thanks to a memory shortage due to the artificial intelligence buildout.

The contracts only are resolved to "yes" if an official announcement is made or verified by the company or a government agency.

In August, around the same time when the U.S. stake in Intel was first revealed, there were reports that the government was considering taking a stake in Micron. However, that proposal didn't come to fruition, and the White House said it wouldn't seek stakes in chip companies increasing investment in the U.S.

Representatives for Micron, Anduril and IonQ couldn't be immediately reached for comment.

Disclosure: CNBC and Kalshi have a commercial relationship that includes customer acquisition and a minority investment.