IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Stock Price Up 4.2% – Should You Buy?

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ)’s stock price traded up 4.2% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $49.44 and last traded at $48.41. 30,292,903 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 25% from the average session volume of 24,188,000 shares. The stock had previously closed at $46.44.

IonQ News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IonQ expanded and extended its partnership with QuantumBasel — the reported addition (~$60 million) to the collaboration strengthens commercial revenue prospects and validates product demand. IonQ stock rises after expanding $60 million QuantumBasel partnership
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment turned more constructive: Jefferies initiated coverage and other outlets report a new street‑high price target and bullish price-upside calls (including one analyst claiming >75% potential upside), lifting the stock’s narrative and attracting buy-side attention. IonQ just got a new street-high price target
• Positive Sentiment: Maryland awarded $5M to IonQ toward a new College Park headquarters, a tangible state incentive that lowers capex burden and signals local political support for expansion. Maryland awards $5M to IonQ for new College Park headquarters
• Neutral Sentiment: Media and analysts are publishing bullish takeaways on IonQ as a leading trapped‑ion quantum player and potential “quantum AI” beneficiary — these pieces boost investor attention but are opinion‑driven. Could IonQ Be the Best Quantum AI Stock to Own?
• Neutral Sentiment: Options and trading‑flow reports show elevated activity in IONQ contracts, indicating heightened speculative and hedging interest that can amplify intraday moves but doesn’t by itself change fundamentals. Unpacking the Latest Options Trading Trends in IonQ
• Neutral Sentiment: Broader commentary on a potential quantum‑stock rebound provides a tailwind for sentiment but remains dependent on execution and commercial wins. Are Quantum Computing Stocks Due for a Rebound?

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IONQ has been the topic of a number of recent analyst reports. Benchmark upped their price target on IonQ from $55.00 to $75.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, September 16th. B. Riley boosted their target price on IonQ from $75.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Monday, September 22nd. Cantor Fitzgerald upped their target price on IonQ from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “sell (d-)” rating on shares of IonQ in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. Finally, Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on IonQ in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $100.00 price target on the stock. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $72.08.

IonQ Stock Performance

The company has a market cap of $16.82 billion, a PE ratio of -9.05 and a beta of 2.62. The stock has a 50 day moving average of $54.23 and a 200-day moving average of $49.98.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($3.58) earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.44) by ($3.14). The firm had revenue of $39.87 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $26.99 million. IonQ had a negative net margin of 1,836.32% and a negative return on equity of 127.06%. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 221.5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted ($0.24) EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that IonQ, Inc. will post -0.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at IonQ

In other IonQ news, Director Kathryn K. Chou sold 20,000 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 completion of the sale, the director directly owned 60,839 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,127,124.60. The trade was a 24.74% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director William J. Teuber, Jr. acquired 2,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $54.81 per share, for a total transaction of $109,620.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director directly owned 6,413 shares in the company, valued at approximately $351,496.53. The trade was a 45.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. 5.20% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. Allworth Financial LP boosted its holdings in IonQ by 36.1% in the third quarter. Allworth Financial LP now owns 5,971 shares of the company’s stock valued at $367,000 after purchasing an additional 1,585 shares during the last quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd lifted its holdings in shares of IonQ by 101.4% in the 3rd quarter. Swiss Life Asset Management Ltd now owns 11,925 shares of the company’s stock valued at $733,000 after buying an additional 6,005 shares during the period. Strategic Advocates LLC lifted its holdings in shares of IonQ by 2.9% in the 3rd quarter. Strategic Advocates LLC now owns 49,763 shares of the company’s stock valued at $3,060,000 after buying an additional 1,409 shares during the period. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC boosted its stake in shares of IonQ by 24.7% in the third quarter. CIBC Private Wealth Group LLC now owns 3,763 shares of the company’s stock worth $231,000 after buying an additional 746 shares during the last quarter. Finally, CIBC Bancorp USA Inc. acquired a new stake in IonQ during the third quarter worth about $1,814,000. 41.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

IonQ Company Profile

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.