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

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

Several other equities research analysts have also recently issued reports on the stock. Wedbush reaffirmed an “outperform” rating and set a $75.00 price target on shares of IonQ in a research note on Tuesday, October 13th. B. Riley Financial cut their price objective on shares of IonQ from $100.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Monday, November 2nd. Mizuho reduced their price objective on shares of IonQ from $61.00 to $52.00 and set an “outperform” rating on the stock in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Needham & Company LLC reduced their price objective on shares of IonQ from $65.00 to $48.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Friday. Finally, Bank of America restated a “buy” rating and set a $50.00 target price on shares of IonQ in a research report on Friday. 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 stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $60.23.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, insider John Raymond sold 2,407 shares of the stock in a transaction dated 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 directly owned 77,741 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,892,742.61. This represents 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. 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 Trading of IonQ

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in IONQ. ABN Amro Investment Solutions lifted its holdings in shares of IonQ by 2.5% during the 1st quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 12,314 shares of the company’s stock worth $355,000 after acquiring an additional 295 shares during the period. Versant Capital Management Inc boosted its position in shares of IonQ by 26.1% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,491 shares of the company’s stock worth $79,000 after acquiring an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC boosted its position in shares of IonQ by 6.8% in the third quarter. Lake Street Private Wealth LLC now owns 5,446 shares of the company’s stock worth $239,000 after acquiring an additional 346 shares during the last quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC boosted its position in shares of IonQ by 14.9% in the second quarter. POM Investment Strategies LLC now owns 2,861 shares of the company’s stock worth $152,000 after acquiring an additional 370 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Parallel Advisors LLC grew its holdings in IonQ by 10.1% in the third quarter. Parallel Advisors LLC now owns 4,511 shares of the company’s stock valued at $198,000 after purchasing an additional 415 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.42% of the company’s stock.

IonQ Stock Up 21.5%

The business’s fifty day moving average is $36.91 and its 200-day moving average is $41.58. The stock has a market capitalization of $13.79 billion, a PE ratio of 118.98 and a beta of 3.32.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.29) EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of ($0.35) by $0.06. The firm 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%. IonQ’s revenue for the quarter was up 336.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted ($3.58) earnings per share. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that IonQ, Inc. will post -2.96 EPS for the current fiscal year.

IonQ Company Profile

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.