IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Down 10.2% on Analyst Downgrade

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) fell 10.2% during mid-day trading on Thursday after Zacks Research downgraded the stock from a hold rating to a strong sell rating. The company traded as low as $24.92 and last traded at $26.5270. Approximately 34,679,246 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 42% from the average daily volume of 24,407,305 shares. The stock had previously closed at $29.54.

A number of other research firms also recently commented on IONQ. Benchmark reissued a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of IonQ in a research note on Thursday, August 6th. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on IonQ from $70.00 to $60.00 and set an “overweight” rating for the company in a research note on Friday. Needham & Company LLC lowered their target price on IonQ from $65.00 to $48.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. B. Riley Financial dropped their price target on shares of IonQ from $100.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. Finally, Mizuho dropped 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. Ten research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, IonQ has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.23.

Insider Transactions at IonQ

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

IonQ News Roundup

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

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IonQ

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of IonQ during the second quarter worth $1,112,945,000. Bank of America Corp DE acquired a new position in shares of IonQ in the 2nd quarter valued at $344,757,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp purchased a new position in IonQ in the 2nd quarter worth about $113,863,000. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC increased its stake in IonQ by 45.0% in the 2nd quarter. UBS AM a distinct business unit of UBS ASSET MANAGEMENT AMERICAS LLC now owns 1,632,290 shares of the company’s stock worth $86,936,000 after purchasing an additional 506,191 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Legal & General Group Plc purchased a new position in IonQ in the 2nd quarter worth about $82,126,000. 41.42% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

IonQ Trading Up 21.5%

The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $36.91 and a 200-day simple moving average of $41.58. The stock has a market cap of $13.79 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 118.98 and a beta of 3.32.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.29) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.35) by $0.06. The company had revenue of $173.83 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates 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 quarterly revenue was up 336.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($3.58) earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that IonQ, Inc. will post -2.96 earnings per share for the current year.

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.