IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Climb 5.6% – Should You Buy?

Posted by George Bondi on Sep 26th, 2026

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ – Get Free Report) shares were up 5.6% on Thursday. The company traded as high as $45.66 and last traded at $44.9060. 42,721,680 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, an increase of 73% from the average daily volume of 24,709,574 shares. The stock had previously closed at $42.54.

Key IonQ News

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

Positive Sentiment: IonQ’s demonstration of real-time quantum error correction is being viewed as an important step toward fault-tolerant and commercially useful quantum computing. The technology could help address one of the industry’s biggest barriers to adoption. IonQ Removes Major Quantum Barrier
Positive Sentiment: NVIDIA is working with IonQ to integrate quantum systems with advanced AI infrastructure, adding credibility and visibility to IonQ’s commercialization efforts. The partnership has helped fuel investor interest in the stock. Why IonQ Stock Is Up Today
Positive Sentiment: IonQ secured a contract to deliver its Superion 256-qubit trapped-ion quantum computer to Florida International University. The deployment would be the first sale of the platform in Florida and expands IonQ’s on-premises academic customer base. IonQ’s Superion 256 Platform Selected by Florida International University
Neutral Sentiment: Analyst and investor commentary is split: IonQ’s technical progress strengthens its long-term opportunity, but meaningful revenue from broad commercial adoption may take time. The company’s investment case therefore depends heavily on execution and progress toward commercialization. Can IonQ’s AI Breakthrough Drive Revenue?
Negative Sentiment: Quantum-computing shares have begun giving back part of their sharp rally, as traders take profits and question whether current valuations adequately reflect near-term fundamentals. IonQ remains unprofitable, making the stock particularly sensitive to changes in sentiment and interest rates. Quantum Computing Stocks Tumble After Stunning Rally
Negative Sentiment: Critics argue that IonQ’s substantial losses and speculative valuation could outweigh the near-term impact of its breakthroughs. The company’s recent revenue growth is encouraging, but investors still need evidence that technical advances will translate into recurring, profitable sales. IonQ: Nvidia QPU Catalyst Isn’t Enough

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several equities analysts recently issued reports on the company. B. Riley Financial reaffirmed a “buy” rating on shares of IonQ in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of IonQ in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of IonQ in a research report on Thursday, August 6th. Rosenblatt Securities reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of IonQ in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group restated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of IonQ in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $64.18.

Get Our Latest Stock Report on IonQ

IonQ Trading Up 1.3%

The stock has a market cap of $17.36 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -9.78 and a beta of 3.30. The firm’s 50 day moving average is $39.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $44.02.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ – Get Free Report) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.33) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.56) by $0.23. The company had revenue of $80.05 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $66.47 million. IonQ had a negative net margin of 553.27% and a negative return on equity of 22.29%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 286.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the company earned ($0.70) EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that IonQ, Inc. will post -2.11 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at IonQ

In related news, insider John Raymond sold 2,407 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.21, for a total transaction of $89,564.47. Following the sale, the insider owned 77,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,892,742.61. This trade represents a 3.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Company insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Bogart Wealth LLC grew its position in shares of IonQ by 24.4% in the first quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 1,273 shares of the company’s stock valued at $37,000 after purchasing an additional 250 shares during the period. ABN Amro Investment Solutions lifted its position in IonQ by 2.5% during the first quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 12,314 shares of the company’s stock worth $355,000 after buying an additional 295 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its stake in IonQ by 26.1% in the 2nd quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,491 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after buying an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC boosted its stake in IonQ by 22.9% in the 1st quarter. Root Financial Partners LLC now owns 1,725 shares of the company’s stock worth $50,000 after buying an additional 321 shares during the last quarter. Finally, POM Investment Strategies LLC grew its holdings in IonQ by 14.9% in the 2nd quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 2,861 shares of the company’s stock valued at $152,000 after buying an additional 370 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.42% of the company’s stock.

About IonQ

(Get Free Report)

IonQ, Inc is a quantum computing company that develops and commercializes quantum computers based on trapped-ion technology. Its systems are designed to perform specialized computations that may be difficult for classical computers, with potential applications in areas such as optimization, materials science, drug discovery, artificial intelligence and financial modeling.

The company provides access to its quantum processors through cloud platforms, including Amazon Web Services’ Amazon Braket, Microsoft Azure Quantum and Google Cloud.