IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Down 6.4% – Here’s What Happened

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ)’s share price fell 6.4% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $47.54 and last traded at $47.6480. 20,598,737 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 23% from the average session volume of 16,737,266 shares. The stock had previously closed at $50.88.

Trending Headlines about IonQ

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Analyst comparison notes IonQ’s advantage versus Rigetti (RGTI) and Qubits (QBTS) on higher gate fidelity, faster execution and stronger revenue momentum — a reminder of relative competitive strength that can support premium valuation. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Technical milestone: reports highlight IonQ achieved ~99.99% two‑qubit gate fidelity in 2025 — a key metric that improves usefulness of quantum processors and strengthens commercial positioning. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Corporate hire: IonQ named Katie Arrington as Chief Information Officer (reported across BusinessWire, GovConWire and defense outlets). Her national‑security and DoD background may help government sales and cybersecurity posture. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Sector interest: Rosenblatt Securities highlighted quantum names (including Rigetti) with Buy ratings — a positive signal for sector funding/attention but not specific to IonQ’s near‑term earnings. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Market/industry roundup notes UBS and others eyeing IBM, Google and IonQ — shows continuing institutional interest that could support longer‑term flows but not an immediate catalyst. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Technology risk reminder: analysis flags IonQ’s trapped‑ion approach as both its biggest advantage and potential weakness versus superconducting rivals — important for long‑term strategy and use‑case fit. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Volatility/watch‑out note: commentators warn quantum names (including IonQ) produced parabolic moves and served a collective $840M “warning” to investors — underscores heightened risk and profit‑taking potential. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Recent price weakness highlighted in coverage showing IonQ fell more than the broader market — a reminder that sentiment and short‑term flows can drive outsized moves despite technical wins. Read More.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on IONQ shares. Wedbush began coverage on shares of IonQ in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $60.00 price objective for the company. B. Riley increased their price target on IonQ from $75.00 to $100.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research report on Monday, September 22nd. Zacks Research upgraded IonQ from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. Jefferies Financial Group began coverage on IonQ in a research note on Tuesday, December 16th. They set a “buy” rating and a $100.00 price objective for the company. Finally, Rosenblatt Securities raised their target price on IonQ from $70.00 to $100.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, November 6th. Nine investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $75.91.

IonQ Price Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $16.55 billion, a P/E ratio of -8.91 and a beta of 2.63. The firm’s fifty day moving average price is $49.24 and its 200-day moving average price is $51.16.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, November 5th. The company reported ($3.58) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of ($0.44) by ($3.14). IonQ had a negative return on equity of 127.06% and a negative net margin of 1,836.32%.The business had revenue of $39.87 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $26.99 million. During the same period in the prior year, the firm earned ($0.24) EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 221.5% on a year-over-year basis. Analysts expect that IonQ, Inc. will post -0.86 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at IonQ

In related news, CRO Rima Alameddine sold 100,000 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction on Thursday, November 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $46.89, for a total value of $4,689,000.00. Following the transaction, the executive directly owned 432,616 shares in the company, valued at $20,285,364.24. The trade was a 18.78% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, Director William J. Teuber, Jr. bought 2,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was purchased at an average price of $54.81 per share, with a total value of $109,620.00. Following the completion of the acquisition, the director owned 6,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $351,496.53. This trade represents a 45.32% increase in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this purchase provides additional information. Insiders sold a total of 125,000 shares of company stock valued at $5,992,000 in the last three months. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On IonQ

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Stone House Investment Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of IonQ by 700.0% during the third quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares in the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. raised its stake in shares of IonQ by 485.7% during the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 410 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Hilltop National Bank raised its stake in shares of IonQ by 112.5% during the 3rd quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 425 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 225 shares in the last quarter. Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new stake in shares of IonQ during the 3rd quarter valued at about $29,000. Finally, UMB Bank n.a. bought a new stake in shares of IonQ in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 41.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.