IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Shares Down 7.7% – What’s Next?

Shares of IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) were down 7.7% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The stock traded as low as $45.76 and last traded at $45.8350. Approximately 19,905,856 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 18% from the average daily volume of 24,197,914 shares. The stock had previously closed at $49.67.

Key Stores Impacting IonQ

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

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on IONQ. Jefferies Financial Group initiated coverage on IonQ in a research note on Tuesday. They set a “buy” rating and a $100.00 target price on the stock. Zacks Research upgraded IonQ from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, November 4th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. assumed coverage on IonQ in a report on Thursday, November 20th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $47.00 target price for the company. Benchmark upped their price target on shares of IonQ from $55.00 to $75.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, September 16th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on shares of IonQ from $60.00 to $70.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, November 7th. Ten equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $70.00.

IonQ Stock Performance

The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $54.23 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $49.91. The company has a market cap of $16.82 billion, a P/E ratio of -9.05 and a beta of 2.62.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last released its 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). 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 for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $26.99 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.24) earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 221.5% on a year-over-year basis. On average, equities research analysts forecast that IonQ, Inc. will post -0.86 EPS for the current year.

Insider Activity at IonQ

In other news, Director William J. Teuber, Jr. acquired 2,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was bought at an average price of $54.81 per share, with a total value of $109,620.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director directly owned 6,413 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $351,496.53. This represents a 45.32% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. Also, CRO Rima Alameddine sold 100,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 20th. The shares were sold at an average price of $46.89, for a total transaction of $4,689,000.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive owned 432,616 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $20,285,364.24. This trade represents a 18.78% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. 5.20% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On IonQ

A number of hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IONQ. Amazon Com Inc. bought a new position in shares of IonQ in the second quarter valued at approximately $36,705,000. Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new stake in IonQ during the second quarter valued at about $6,104,000. Norges Bank bought a new position in IonQ in the 2nd quarter worth approximately $114,767,000. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA boosted its holdings in shares of IonQ by 8,150.0% in the second quarter. Union Bancaire Privee UBP SA now owns 82,500 shares of the company’s stock worth $3,545,000 after acquiring an additional 81,500 shares during the period. Finally, Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. grew its position in shares of IonQ by 21.5% in the second quarter. Cookson Peirce & Co. Inc. now owns 102,466 shares of the company’s stock valued at $4,403,000 after purchasing an additional 18,124 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 41.42% of the company’s stock.

About IonQ

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.