IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Up 15.1% – Here’s Why

Shares of IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) were up 15.1% during trading on Friday . The stock traded as high as $36.11 and last traded at $35.02. Approximately 32,335,437 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 48% from the average daily volume of 21,810,125 shares. The stock had previously closed at $30.43.

Key IonQ News

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a “buy” rating and set a $100 price target, signaling strong analyst conviction and a large implied upside versus recent levels. Rosenblatt Reaffirms Buy
• Positive Sentiment: Barrages of bullish retail/long‑term pieces highlight IonQ’s leadership in quantum hardware, acquisitions to control the ecosystem, and long‑term upside narratives that can attract growth‑oriented investors. Should You Put $1,000 Into This High-Risk, High-Reward Stock Right Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks’ 2026 quantum outlook singles out IonQ but warns growth is cooling after 2024–2025 surges and that revenue scaling may slow amid macro and geopolitical headwinds — a reminder that execution and revenue cadence will matter to valuation. Quantum Computing 2026 Outlook: 2 Stocks for Long-Term Upside
• Neutral Sentiment: Major outlets report that IonQ publicly disputes the short‑seller’s claims and the company has pushed back on alleged “holes” in revenue, which could limit the lasting damage if the rebuttal satisfies customers and investors. IonQ Disputes Short-Seller Claims
• Negative Sentiment: A Wolfpack Research short‑seller report alleged loss of key defense contracts and gaps in revenue; that report triggered a prior sharp selloff and remains a primary catalyst for investor concern and volatility. Should IonQ Stock Investors Panic?
• Negative Sentiment: Ademi LLP announced an investigation into possible securities‑fraud claims tied to alleged inaccurate statements about IonQ’s operations and prospects — a legal/regulatory overhang that increases downside risk and could prolong volatility. Ademi LLP Investigates Claims of Securities Fraud

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

A number of analysts recently issued reports on IONQ shares. Zacks Research raised IonQ from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on IonQ in a report on Tuesday, December 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. Needham & Company LLC restated a “buy” rating and set a $80.00 target price on shares of IonQ in a research note on Tuesday, January 27th. Morgan Stanley upped their price target on IonQ from $32.00 to $58.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Tuesday, November 4th. Finally, Wedbush began coverage on shares of IonQ in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, IonQ presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $75.91.

IonQ Price Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $12.17 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -6.55 and a beta of 2.63. The business’s 50-day moving average price is $47.65 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $51.13.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($3.58) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.44) by ($3.14). The business had revenue of $39.87 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.99 million. IonQ had a negative return on equity of 127.06% and a negative net margin of 1,836.32%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 221.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.24) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts predict that IonQ, Inc. will post -0.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, CRO Rima Alameddine sold 100,000 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.89, for a total value of $4,689,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive owned 432,616 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,285,364.24. This trade represents a 18.78% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, Director William J. Teuber, Jr. bought 2,000 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $54.81 per share, with a total value of $109,620.00. Following the purchase, the director owned 6,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $351,496.53. This represents a 45.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders have sold a total of 125,000 shares of company stock valued at $5,992,000 over the last ninety days. 5.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Trading of IonQ

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Archer Investment Corp raised its holdings in IonQ by 119.3% in the 2nd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 592 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 322 shares during the period. Stone House Investment Management LLC raised its stake in IonQ by 700.0% during the third quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its position in IonQ by 485.7% during the third 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 period. Hilltop National Bank boosted its stake in IonQ by 112.5% during the third quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 425 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after buying an additional 225 shares during the period. Finally, Fortitude Family Office LLC lifted its stake in IonQ by 3,800.0% in the fourth quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 624 shares of the company’s stock worth $28,000 after purchasing an additional 608 shares during the last quarter. 41.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.