D-Wave Quantum Inc. (QBTS) shares tumbled 5.09% in pre-market trading on Friday, continuing a volatile pattern that began with the company's first-quarter earnings release. This pre-market decline follows a dramatic swing in the stock's performance, where it soared 51% during regular trading hours on Thursday before reversing course with a 5.09% drop in after-hours trading.

The initial surge was driven by D-Wave's better-than-expected Q1 results. The quantum computing leader reported a narrower loss of $0.02 per share, outperforming analysts' expectations of a $0.05 loss. Revenue also exceeded estimates, growing more than sixfold year-over-year to $15 million. CEO Alan Baratz highlighted the sale of the company's Advantage quantum computer to a key research center and increased adoption of its hybrid offerings as key drivers of the strong performance.

However, the after-hours decline and subsequent pre-market drop suggest a potential correction as investors reassess the stock's valuation following the significant intraday rally. Market observers speculate that profit-taking by short-term investors who capitalized on Thursday's surge may be contributing to the reversal. The volatile movement underscores the speculative nature of quantum computing stocks and the market's ongoing process of digesting D-Wave's latest financial results and future prospects.