IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Gap Up – What’s Next?

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) shares gapped up prior to trading on Thursday . The stock had previously closed at $33.59, but opened at $39.05. IonQ shares last traded at $40.9880, with a volume of 19,315,069 shares trading hands.

IonQ News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue and guidance topped expectations — Q4 revenue rose sharply to about $61.9M (well above estimates) and FY26 revenue guidance ($225M–$245M midpoint) came in meaningfully above Street estimates, supporting the view that IonQ is scaling commercial demand. IonQ Stock Pops After Posting Triple-Digit Growth and Strong 2026 Forecast
• Positive Sentiment: Major commercial deployment in Europe — IonQ announced deployment of technology powering Romania’s national quantum key distribution (RoNaQCI), one of Europe’s largest operational QKD networks, validating enterprise/government demand for its networking products. IonQ Delivers One of the Largest Operational Quantum Key Distribution Networks in Europe
• Positive Sentiment: Defense/government traction — IonQ was named to the Missile Defense Agency’s SHIELD IDIQ vehicle, opening access to a large defense spending pool and potential future task orders. This adds credibility to long-term revenue pathways in national security. Quantum: IonQ Selected to Support Missile Defense Agency SHIELD IDIQ Contract
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst price-target moves are mixed — Benchmark cut its target from $75 to $65 but kept a “buy” rating, signaling continued confidence despite a lower near-term valuation view. Benchmark Lowers Price Target on IonQ
• Neutral Sentiment: Rosenblatt reaffirmed a buy and maintained a $100 target, showing divergence among brokers on longer-term upside. Rosenblatt Reaffirms Buy on IonQ
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts trimmed forecasts despite the beat — a few firms reduced estimates/targets after the report, highlighting remaining uncertainty around margins, cash burn and the sustainability of hyper-growth. These Analysts Slash Their Forecasts On IonQ After Q4 Results
• Negative Sentiment: Losses widened and margins remain negative — non‑GAAP loss per share was still negative (company reported a smaller loss than expected on a per‑share basis, but overall profitability and negative net margins are a concern for some investors). IonQ Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2025 Financial Results
• Negative Sentiment: Insider sale disclosed — a director sold a small block of shares recently; it’s a minor data point but may be noted by investors monitoring insider activity. Director Insider Sale Filing

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts have weighed in on IONQ shares. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of IonQ in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of IonQ in a report on Monday, February 9th. Mizuho initiated coverage on shares of IonQ in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $90.00 price objective for the company. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on IonQ in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $100.00 price target for the company. Finally, DA Davidson reduced their price target on IonQ from $55.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, IonQ has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $69.73.

IonQ Price Performance

The firm has a market cap of $13.94 billion, a PE ratio of -7.50 and a beta of 2.63. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $42.90 and its 200-day moving average price is $50.39.

Insider Buying and Selling at IonQ

In related news, Director Kathryn K. Chou sold 20,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.40, for a total value of $1,028,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director owned 60,839 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,127,124.60. This represents a 24.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this link. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 25,616 shares of company stock worth $1,322,096. Insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On IonQ

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Archer Investment Corp boosted its stake in shares of IonQ by 119.3% in the second quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 592 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the period. Stone House Investment Management LLC grew its position in shares of IonQ by 700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after buying an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of IonQ by 485.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 410 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank boosted its holdings in shares of IonQ by 112.5% in the third quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the period. Finally, Accent Capital Management LLC raised its position in IonQ by 171.8% in the 4th quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC now owns 587 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.42% of the company’s stock.

About IonQ

IonQ, Inc engages in the development of general-purpose quantum computing systems in the United States. It sells access to quantum computers of various qubit capacities. The company makes access to its quantum computers through cloud platforms, such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) Amazon Braket, Microsoft’s Azure Quantum, and Google’s Cloud Marketplace, as well as through its cloud service. It also provides contracts associated with the design, development, and construction of specialized quantum computing hardware systems; maintenance and support services; and consulting services related to co-developing algorithms on quantum computing systems.