IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Up 12.4% – Should You Buy?

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) shares shot up 12.4% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $61.12 and last traded at $58.9860. 61,970,606 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 138% from the average session volume of 26,021,352 shares. The stock had previously closed at $52.47.

Trending Headlines about IonQ

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: The Trump administration said it will invest more than $2 billion in quantum computing companies and take stakes in nine firms, boosting optimism that IonQ could be among the next beneficiaries of federal support. Which company will the U.S. government take a stake in next? Here’s what traders think
• Positive Sentiment: IonQ’s quantum peers surged after the announcement, and IonQ joined the broader rally as traders rotated into the sector on expectations of government backing and a stronger long-term industry outlook. IonQ stock spikes on massive quantum announcement
• Positive Sentiment: IonQ also benefited from recent company updates, including a newly opened research lab, shareholder approval for a key acquisition, and momentum from its record first-quarter results and raised 2026 revenue outlook. Why Is IonQ (IONQ) Stock Rocketing Higher Today
• Neutral Sentiment: Retail sentiment remains strong, with a Stocktwits poll showing most users bullish on IonQ, reinforcing momentum but not changing fundamentals by itself. RGTI Vs QBTS Vs INFQ Vs IONQ: Which Quantum Computing Stock Is Retail Most Bullish On?
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the rally, one report noted IonQ fell after announcing a higher 2026 outlook and the SkyWater acquisition, suggesting some investors may be worried about execution, dilution, or integration risk. IonQ (IONQ) Is Down 5.0% After Raising 2026 Outlook And Announcing SkyWater Acquisition

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IONQ has been the topic of several research analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reiterated an “overweight” rating on shares of IonQ in a report on Monday, February 9th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their target price on IonQ from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of IonQ in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Northland Securities started coverage on IonQ in a research report on Monday, April 20th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $55.00 price target for the company. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their price objective on IonQ from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, IonQ currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $68.63.

IonQ Trading Up 7.9%

The company has a market cap of $23.72 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -226.93 and a beta of 3.05. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $40.37 and its 200 day simple moving average is $43.28.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.34) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $64.67 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $49.75 million. IonQ had a negative return on equity of 23.20% and a net margin of 174.88%.The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 754.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business earned ($0.14) earnings per share. On average, analysts predict that IonQ, Inc. will post -2.26 EPS for the current year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director William J. Teuber, Jr. bought 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was bought at an average cost of $38.38 per share, for a total transaction of $115,140.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,413 shares in the company, valued at $361,270.94. This represents a 46.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, insider Robert T. Cardillo sold 5,165 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.44, for a total value of $203,707.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 112,291 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,428,757.04. This trade represents a 4.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 12,354 shares of company stock worth $504,428. 5.20% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IonQ

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada increased its position in IonQ by 12.5% during the first quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 134,176 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,962,000 after purchasing an additional 14,898 shares during the last quarter. Amundi purchased a new position in IonQ during the first quarter worth about $630,000. AQR Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in IonQ by 106.2% in the 1st quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 57,305 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,265,000 after purchasing an additional 29,513 shares during the last quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC boosted its holdings in IonQ by 24.1% in the 1st quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 450,031 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,932,000 after purchasing an additional 87,428 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth grew its stake in shares of IonQ by 30.3% in the 1st quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 46,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,032,000 after buying an additional 10,881 shares during the period. 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.