Quantum to Oil: Should You Keep an Eye on D-Wave & ExxonMobil Stocks?

Quantum computing is an emerging technology with the potential to solve highly complex problems in minutes. It may not be long before this technology reshapes traditional industries such as energy. In this context, should investors keep an eye on companies like Exxon Mobil Corporation XOM and D-Wave Quantum Inc. QBTS?

Year to date, ExxonMobil gained only 7.7%, while QBTS witnessed a massive 81.3% jump. Since the price chart is not the only parameter to conclude on investment opportunities, let’s examine the overall business environment and outlook for both companies.

Why Do Big Oil Companies Require Quantum Computing?

Running a large energy company like ExxonMobil is challenging. From sourcing the best resources and drilling wells to overseeing the global supply chain and planning for energy needs decades in advance, the task is highly complex. Although traditional computers can solve the problem, it will take time and be expensive to solve some issues with millions of variables.

This is where a company like D-Wave comes in. The company could excel at solving these types of optimization problems – like finding the best possible option from a sea of possibilities, since its operations are related to building specialized quantum computers.

Is D-Wave Already Working on Similar Challenges?

Investors should note that D-Wave is already assisting companies in solving real-world problems. For example, they have helped an aerospace and defense company determine the best project to focus on among 12 developments. For planning patrol routes for a police department, D-Wave has also developed a system, thereby achieving their response goals more than 90% of the time. Importantly, it only takes a few seconds to calculate.

D-Wave is also working with an oil and gas company. Last year, QBTS announced it was extending its deal with Aramco. The agreement with the integrated energy company aims to use quantum technologies to address geophysical optimization challenges.

Is ExxonMobil Using Quantum Technology?

Quantum computing is among the advanced technologies that XOM has been exploring with the aim of improving energy research and efficiency. While partnering with leading tech players like IBM, XOM is now able to simulate complex chemical and natural processes faster than ever. Thus, for XOM, developing cleaner fuels, optimizing operations and finding innovative ways to meet the world’s growing energy needs while reducing environmental impact has now become quite easy.

What Would Be the Best Move for Investors?

Thus, while demand for quantum computing and the companies incorporating the technology will increase significantly, it has become obvious that the outlook for both D-Wave and ExxonMobil is bright. But investors shouldn’t jump into betting on the stocks, as both are overvalued.

While XOM is currently trading at a trailing 12-month enterprise value-to-EBITDA (EV/EBITDA) of 7.24x, D-Wave is trading at a trailing 12-month price/book of 7.46x. Both are above their respective broader industry average. For XOM, the broader industry average is 4.39x, while for D-Wave, it’s industry average is 6.47x.

Currently, both QBTS and XOM carry a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

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This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).

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