Fred Alger Management LLC Purchases 238,959 Shares of IonQ, Inc. $IONQ

Key Points

• Fred Alger Management LLC boosted its stake in IonQ by 310.3% in Q3, buying 238,959 additional shares to hold 315,959 shares worth about $19.43 million (≈0.09% of the company), while other institutions like Clear Street and Brevan Howard also opened or expanded large positions.
• Analyst sentiment is mixed but tilted positive — IonQ has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" with a consensus price target of $69.45, even as several firms recently trimmed targets (e.g., JPMorgan to $42, Benchmark/Needham to $65) and ratings range from buy to hold to one sell.
• Insider activity and business developments present both tailwinds and risks: a director bought 3,000 shares while insiders sold 13,581 shares in the last 90 days, and IonQ announced strategic deals (including an MOU with KISTI and a Romania agreement) that could boost commercialization amid broader macro risk for high‑beta quantum names.

Fred Alger Management LLC increased its position in shares of IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ - Free Report) by 310.3% in the 3rd quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 315,959 shares of the company's stock after buying an additional 238,959 shares during the period. Fred Alger Management LLC owned 0.09% of IonQ worth $19,431,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.

A number of other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also bought and sold shares of IONQ. Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in shares of IonQ by 2.8% during the 3rd quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 48,485 shares of the company's stock worth $2,982,000 after purchasing an additional 1,342 shares during the last quarter. Elevation Point Wealth Partners LLC acquired a new stake in IonQ in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $240,000. Brevan Howard Capital Management LP bought a new position in IonQ in the 3rd quarter worth approximately $11,517,000. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC increased its position in IonQ by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Chevy Chase Trust Holdings LLC now owns 610,916 shares of the company's stock worth $37,571,000 after buying an additional 6,453 shares during the period. Finally, Clear Street Group Inc. acquired a new position in shares of IonQ during the third quarter worth approximately $61,488,000. 41.42% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

IONQ has been the subject of several research reports. Morgan Stanley set a $37.00 price objective on IonQ in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their target price on shares of IonQ from $47.00 to $42.00 and set a "neutral" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Benchmark reduced their price target on shares of IonQ from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Needham & Company LLC decreased their price target on shares of IonQ from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, Wedbush started coverage on shares of IonQ in a research report on Wednesday, December 17th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $60.00 price target on the stock. Nine equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, IonQ has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $69.45.

More IonQ News

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Strategic MOU with KISTI announced at NVIDIA GTC positions IonQ to advance quantum–HPC hybrid solutions in South Korea using NVIDIA NVQLink, supporting enterprise and research adoption in a major APAC market. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: A Romania quantum deal ties IonQ technology to critical‑infrastructure narratives, which may increase visibility for government and regulated‑sector procurement opportunities. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage is highlighting IonQ alongside peers as quantum computing moves toward commercialization, reinforcing the narrative that IonQ’s revenue pipeline and next‑gen systems matter to investors. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Retail/finance press pieces continue to favor IonQ (including comparisons and articles noting insider buying trends), which can support retail investor interest and multiple expansion. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Macro risk from rising oil and inflation concerns could pressure high‑beta, growth‑oriented names like IONQ if markets turn risk‑off; Zacks highlights this broader headwind for quantum stocks. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: An insider sale (John W. Raymond sold 2,800 shares) was recently reported, which investors may view as a minor negative signal even though total insider holdings remain substantial. Read More.

Insider Transactions at IonQ

In other IonQ news, Director William J. Teuber, Jr. purchased 3,000 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were purchased at an average price of $38.38 per share, with a total value of $115,140.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 9,413 shares of the company's stock, valued at $361,270.94. This represents a 46.78% increase in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, insider Robert T. Cardillo sold 5,165 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.44, for a total transaction of $203,707.60. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 112,291 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $4,428,757.04. This represents a 4.40% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 13,581 shares of company stock valued at $591,156 in the last ninety days. 5.20% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

IonQ Trading Up 1.0%

Shares of NYSE:IONQ opened at $33.32 on Tuesday. The firm has a market capitalization of $12.22 billion, a PE ratio of -13.38 and a beta of 2.61. IonQ, Inc. has a 1-year low of $18.81 and a 1-year high of $84.64. The business's 50 day moving average is $39.83 and its 200-day moving average is $50.06.

IonQ 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.

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