IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Down 6.3% on Analyst Downgrade

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ)’s stock price dropped 6.3% during mid-day trading on Friday after JPMorgan Chase & Co. lowered their price target on the stock from $47.00 to $42.00. JPMorgan Chase & Co. currently has a neutral rating on the stock. IonQ traded as low as $36.45 and last traded at $38.2960. Approximately 28,433,602 shares were traded during trading, an increase of 31% from the average daily volume of 21,716,652 shares. The stock had previously closed at $40.88.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on IONQ. DA Davidson decreased their target price on IonQ from $55.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wedbush initiated coverage on shares of IonQ in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. They set an “outperform” rating and a $60.00 target price for the company. Cantor Fitzgerald reissued an “overweight” rating on shares of IonQ in a report on Monday, February 9th. Morgan Stanley set a $37.00 price objective on shares of IonQ in a report on Thursday. Finally, Benchmark reduced their target price on IonQ from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Nine research 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. Based on data from MarketBeat, IonQ has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.45.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other IonQ news, Director Kathryn K. Chou sold 20,000 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, December 11th. The shares were sold at an average price of $51.40, for a total value of $1,028,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 60,839 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,127,124.60. The trade was a 24.74% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. In the last 90 days, insiders have sold 25,616 shares of company stock valued at $1,322,096. 5.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

IonQ News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 beat and aggressive 2026 guidance — IonQ reported Q4 revenue of ~$61.9M (≈+429% YoY), topped estimates and raised FY‑2026 revenue guidance well above Street expectations, which sparked the initial rally. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Large cash position reduces near‑term dilution risk — management cites roughly $3.3B in pro‑forma cash and investments, giving IonQ runway to fund growth and acquisitions without immediate equity raises. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Commercial and defense traction — wins like the Romanian QKD deployment and placement on the Missile Defense Agency SHIELD IDIQ validate enterprise/government demand beyond pilots. These add revenue visibility and strategic credibility. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Peer/analyst comparison pieces — multiple analyst writeups compare IonQ to other quantum names (QUBT, RGTI, D‑Wave) and highlight upside scenarios, useful for context but secondary to company results. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades/price‑target cuts — several firms trimmed targets or moved to neutral after Q4 (e.g., DA Davidson, JPMorgan), which can cap near‑term upside and pressure sentiment following the earnings pop. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Profitability and margin pressure remain — gross margin contracted in Q4 and management expects a large adjusted loss for 2026, keeping the valuation dependent on sustained top‑line execution and cash burn management. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Short‑term technical/flow drivers — yesterday’s >20% rally set up profit‑taking and higher intraday volume; insider selling (small director sale disclosed) and high volatility increase near‑term trading risk. Read More.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On IonQ

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the stock. Archer Investment Corp increased its stake in shares of IonQ by 119.3% in the second quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 592 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after buying an additional 322 shares during the period. Stone House Investment Management LLC grew its holdings in IonQ by 700.0% in the 3rd quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC now owns 400 shares of the company’s stock worth $25,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its position in shares of IonQ by 485.7% in the third quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 410 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 340 shares during the period. Hilltop National Bank raised its stake in shares of IonQ by 112.5% during the third quarter. Hilltop National Bank now owns 425 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 225 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Accent Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in shares of IonQ by 171.8% during the fourth quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC now owns 587 shares of the company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares during the period. 41.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

IonQ Stock Down 6.3%

The company has a market capitalization of $13.31 billion, a PE ratio of -15.38 and a beta of 2.63. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $42.78 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $50.33.

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.