Clearbridge Investments LLC Increases Position in IonQ, Inc. $IONQ

Clearbridge Investments LLC increased its stake in IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) by 34.8% in the fourth quarter, according to its most recent 13F filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 623,075 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 160,834 shares during the quarter. Clearbridge Investments LLC’s holdings in IonQ were worth $27,957,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

Other large investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ameriflex Group Inc. increased its holdings in shares of IonQ by 485.7% in the 3rd quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. now owns 410 shares of the company’s stock valued at $25,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of IonQ by 171.8% in the 4th quarter. Accent Capital Management LLC now owns 587 shares of the company’s stock valued at $26,000 after purchasing an additional 371 shares in the last quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC increased its holdings in shares of IonQ by 3,800.0% in the 4th quarter. Fortitude Family Office LLC now owns 624 shares of the company’s stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 608 shares in the last quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC increased its holdings in shares of IonQ by 117.4% in the 3rd quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the company’s stock valued at $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares in the last quarter. Finally, EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of IonQ by 50.5% in the 2nd quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 831 shares of the company’s stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 41.42% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other IonQ news, insider John W. Raymond sold 2,800 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, March 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $33.34, for a total transaction of $93,352.00. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 83,963 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,799,326.42. This trade represents a 3.23% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Robert T. Cardillo sold 3,773 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Wednesday, May 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $49.90, for a total transaction of $188,272.70. Following the sale, the insider directly owned 139,967 shares in the company, valued at $6,984,353.30. This represents a 2.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 5.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have recently issued reports on IONQ shares. Needham & Company LLC cut their price target on shares of IonQ from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen raised shares of IonQ from a “strong sell” rating to a “sell” rating in a research note on Saturday, May 23rd. Wedbush reissued an “outperform” rating and issued a $60.00 price objective on shares of IonQ in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Weiss Ratings raised shares of IonQ from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Finally, Northland Securities assumed coverage on shares of IonQ in a research note on Monday, April 20th. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $55.00 price objective on the stock. Ten investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, IonQ has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $68.63.

Key Stories Impacting IonQ

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IonQ opened a new quantum computing R&D lab in Boulder, Colorado, expanding semiconductor chip testing and development capacity for future trapped-ion systems. IonQ, Inc. (IONQ) Opens a New Quantum Computing R&D Lab in Boulder, Colorado
• Positive Sentiment: Recent bullish commentary highlighted IonQ’s record Q1 FY26 revenue, raised full-year guidance, and strong RPO growth, reinforcing the company’s long-term growth story. IonQ: The Most Complete Pure-Play Quantum Investment
• Neutral Sentiment: Several market articles and analyst-style pieces continued to spotlight IonQ as a leading pure-play quantum stock, which may be helping support investor interest but does not change fundamentals on its own. Brokers Suggest Investing in IonQ (IONQ): Read This Before Placing a Bet
• Negative Sentiment: A widely circulated article accused IonQ of making misleading bitcoin-mining claims, adding reputational pressure and likely contributing to investor caution. Martin Shkreli accuses IONQ of making wild bitcoin mining claims
• Negative Sentiment: With IonQ’s valuation still elevated and its earnings profile not yet profitable, traders may be taking profits after a strong run in the stock.

IonQ Trading Down 9.7%

Shares of NYSE IONQ opened at $56.69 on Wednesday. The stock has a market cap of $21.16 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -202.45 and a beta of 3.18. IonQ, Inc. has a 52 week low of $25.89 and a 52 week high of $84.64. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $48.42 and its 200 day moving average price is $44.32.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.34) EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.26) by ($0.08). The business had revenue of $64.67 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $49.75 million. IonQ had a net margin of 174.88% and a negative return on equity of 23.20%. IonQ’s revenue was up 754.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted ($0.14) earnings per share. As a group, research analysts expect that IonQ, Inc. will post -2.26 earnings per share for the current year.

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.