IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Up 2.7% – Still a Buy?

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) shares shot up 2.7% during trading on Tuesday . The company traded as high as $31.96 and last traded at $31.6240. 14,956,562 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 25% from the average session volume of 20,040,734 shares. The stock had previously closed at $30.78.

More IonQ News

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 revenue and guidance surprise — IonQ reported Q4 revenue of $61.9M (up ~429% YoY), beat estimates and raised FY‑2026 revenue guidance to $225M–$245M, driving the rally. MarketBeat: IonQ Just Delivered the Quarter That Changes the Quantum Narrative
• Positive Sentiment: Large cash cushion — IonQ exited 2025 with roughly $3.3B in cash and investments, reducing dilution risk and giving management runway to invest aggressively. MarketBeat: Cash advantage discussion
• Positive Sentiment: Defense and commercial contract momentum — IonQ was selected to support the Missile Defense Agency SHIELD IDIQ and completed a major Romanian QKD network deployment, validating government demand for its tech. InsideHPC: SHIELD IDIQ selection Yahoo: Romania QKD deployment
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic M&A and supply‑chain moves — Acquisitions (Vector Atomic, SkyWater) position IonQ for integrated sensing/manufacturing that appeal to defense and enterprise buyers. MarketBeat: Acquisitions and strategic rationale
• Positive Sentiment: Support from some sell‑side firms — Rosenblatt reaffirmed a buy and Benchmark kept a buy rating (lowered PT) — bullish voices that can sustain upward momentum. Benzinga: Analyst actions
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector context — analysts and comparisons to peers (e.g., Rigetti) are highlighting where upside vs. execution risk remains; useful for relative-risk assessment but not an immediate catalyst. Zacks: Rigetti vs IonQ
• Negative Sentiment: Margins and cash burn remain issues — gross margin contracted in Q4 and management guided an adjusted loss of ~$310M–$330M for 2026, keeping long‑term profitability a risk. Zacks: Gross margin down
• Negative Sentiment: Some analysts trimmed targets / moved to neutral — JPMorgan cut its PT to $42 (neutral) and DA Davidson lowered its PT to $35 (neutral), signaling lingering valuation concerns. Benzinga: Analyst price target cuts
• Negative Sentiment: Minor insider selling disclosed — a director sold a small block of shares; not large enough alone to alter the picture but worth noting. SEC filing: insider sale

Analyst Ratings Changes

IONQ has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating on shares of IonQ in a research note on Monday, February 9th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of IonQ from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings restated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of IonQ in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Jefferies Financial Group started coverage on shares of IonQ in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They issued a “buy” rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. Finally, Mizuho started coverage on IonQ in a report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $90.00 target price on the stock. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.45.

IonQ Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $14.16 billion, a PE ratio of -16.37 and a beta of 2.63. The company has a fifty day moving average of $42.78 and a two-hundred day moving average of $50.33.

Insider Activity 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 transaction of $1,028,000.00. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 60,839 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,127,124.60. This represents a 24.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 25,616 shares of company stock worth $1,322,096. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IonQ

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the business. Stone House Investment Management LLC grew its position in 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 acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of IonQ by 485.7% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 410 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank grew 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 worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. purchased a new position in IonQ in the 3rd quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. bought a new stake in IonQ during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. 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.