IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Rating Lowered to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) was downgraded by stock analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a note issued to investors on Thursday, Zacks reports.

Several other equities analysts also recently weighed in on the company. Wall Street Zen upgraded IonQ from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. Weiss Ratings lowered shares of IonQ from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Mizuho lowered their price target on shares of IonQ from $61.00 to $52.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Benchmark restated a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 target price on shares of IonQ in a report on Thursday, August 6th. Finally, Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $75.00 price target on shares of IonQ in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.23.

IonQ Price Performance

Shares of NYSE:IONQ opened at $32.12 on Thursday. IonQ has a 1 year low of $24.92 and a 1 year high of $73.65. The company has a market cap of $13.79 billion, a PE ratio of 118.98 and a beta of 3.32. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $36.91 and its 200 day moving average is $41.58.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.29) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of ($0.35) by $0.06. The firm had revenue of $173.83 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $141.49 million. IonQ had a negative net margin of 553.27% and a negative return on equity of 22.29%. The business’s revenue was up 336.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned ($3.58) EPS. Analysts expect that IonQ will post -2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other IonQ news, insider John Raymond sold 2,407 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The stock was sold at an average price of $37.21, for a total transaction of $89,564.47. Following the transaction, the insider owned 77,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,892,742.61. This trade represents a 3.00% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of IonQ

Large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Moors & Cabot Inc. raised its stake in IonQ by 4.2% during the 3rd quarter. Moors & Cabot Inc. now owns 55,148 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,419,000 after buying an additional 2,228 shares during the period. Allworth Financial LP raised its position in shares of IonQ by 20.9% during the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 9,113 shares of the company’s stock valued at $400,000 after buying an additional 1,575 shares during the last quarter. Private Advisory Group LLC bought a new stake in shares of IonQ during the third quarter worth $672,000. Pier 88 Investment Partners LLC increased its stake in IonQ by 8.5% during the 3rd quarter. Pier 88 Investment Partners LLC now owns 12,700 shares of the company’s stock valued at $557,000 after purchasing an additional 1,000 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Capstone Wealth Management Group LLC acquired a new stake in IonQ in the 3rd quarter worth about $385,000. 41.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Key Headlines Impacting IonQ

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IonQ reported record third-quarter revenue of $173.8 million, up 336% year over year and above analyst expectations. Its loss per share was also narrower than forecast. Why IonQ Stock Is Soaring Today
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $505 million–$515 million. Its backlog reached $1.2 billion, and Superion 256 capacity is booked through 2027—signs of robust demand and future sales visibility. IonQ: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: IonQ also advanced to Stage C of DARPA’s quantum benchmarking initiative, while its SkyWater acquisition is expected to strengthen manufacturing capabilities. IonQ Q3 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald and Needham lowered their price targets but kept positive ratings, reflecting a more cautious outlook without abandoning the investment case. Cantor Fitzgerald recommendations
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the growth, IonQ remains loss-making. Investors are also weighing cash burn and potential dilution from its planned capital raise and stock-funded $1.15 billion Elisity acquisition, as well as uncertainty over how quickly quantum computing demand will translate into sustainable profits. IonQ Beat and Raised: Can the Quantum Stock Buck the Tech Selloff?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks added IONQ to its Strong Sell list, a counterpoint to the earnings optimism and a potential source of investor caution. New Strong Sell Stocks for November 6th

About IonQ

IonQ, Inc (NYSE: IONQ) is a quantum computing company that develops full-stack quantum computing systems and related software. Its technology is based on trapped-ion quantum computing, which uses electrically charged atoms as qubits and is designed to support highly accurate quantum operations.

The company provides access to its quantum computers through cloud platforms and direct enterprise and research engagements. Its offerings include quantum computing hardware, cloud-based access, software tools, and professional services intended to help organizations explore applications in areas such as optimization, chemistry, materials science, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.