IonQ, Inc. $IONQ is Cerberus Capital Management L.P.'s 3rd Largest Position

Key Points

• Cerberus Capital Management trimmed its stake in IonQ by 94.7% in Q3, selling about 2.28 million shares and retaining 127,201 shares worth $7.82 million, yet IonQ remains the fund’s third-largest holding.
• Analyst views are mixed but tilt positive: nine Buy, six Hold and one Sell produce a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.45, with individual targets ranging roughly from $37 to $90.
• Company and insider signals diverge — IonQ announced a partnership with the University of Cambridge to build a 256‑qubit system, while insiders show both activity (a director bought 3,000 shares) and net insider sales of 10,781 shares over the past three months; insiders own about 5.2% of the stock.

Cerberus Capital Management L.P. trimmed its holdings in IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ - Free Report) by 94.7% in the third quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities & Exchange Commission. The fund owned 127,201 shares of the company's stock after selling 2,283,121 shares during the period. IonQ accounts for about 0.3% of Cerberus Capital Management L.P.'s holdings, making the stock its 3rd biggest holding. Cerberus Capital Management L.P.'s holdings in IonQ were worth $7,823,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also recently modified their holdings of the company. Archer Investment Corp grew its stake in IonQ by 119.3% during the 2nd quarter. Archer Investment Corp now owns 592 shares of the company's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 322 shares in the last quarter. Stone House Investment Management LLC raised 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 valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 350 shares during the last quarter. Ameriflex Group Inc. lifted its stake in IonQ by 485.7% in 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 lifted its stake in IonQ by 112.5% in 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. Finally, Financial Consulate Inc. acquired a new position in shares of IonQ during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $29,000. 41.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of equities research analysts have recently issued reports on IONQ shares. Mizuho initiated coverage on IonQ in a research report on Thursday, December 11th. They issued an "outperform" rating and a $90.00 price target for the company. Morgan Stanley set a $37.00 price objective on IonQ in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Benchmark lowered their price objective on IonQ from $75.00 to $65.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald restated an "overweight" rating on shares of IonQ in a report on Monday, February 9th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a "sell (d-)" rating on shares of IonQ in a research note on Thursday, January 22nd. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $69.45.

Insider Activity at IonQ

In other IonQ news, Director William J. Teuber, Jr. bought 3,000 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $38.38 per share, for a total transaction of $115,140.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 9,413 shares of the company's stock, valued at $361,270.94. This trade represents a 46.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, insider Robert T. Cardillo sold 5,165 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction on Thursday, February 26th. The shares were sold at an average price of $39.44, for a total value of $203,707.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 112,291 shares in the company, valued at $4,428,757.04. This represents a 4.40% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 10,781 shares of company stock worth $497,804. Insiders own 5.20% of the company's stock.

Trending Headlines about IonQ

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IonQ announced a partnership with the University of Cambridge to build a 256‑qubit quantum computer, a concrete technical milestone that supports commercialization prospects and product differentiation. IonQ partners with the University of Cambridge for 256-qubit quantum computer
• Positive Sentiment: Analysts are highlighting 2026 as a scaling year for quantum computing — Zacks says IonQ is positioned to expand revenues and push new qubit systems, which supports a longer‑term growth narrative for the stock. Quantum Computing Set to Scale in 2026: IONQ, QBTS, RGTI's Outlook
• Positive Sentiment: A MarketWatch/Fool-style roundup names IonQ among top quantum contenders, noting IonQ's technique gives it an edge on accuracy versus peers — positive for investor perception of competitive moat. 2 Millionaire-Maker Quantum Computing Stocks
• Neutral Sentiment: Zacks flagged IonQ as a trending/search interest stock, which can increase retail attention and intraday volume but doesn’t guarantee direction. Is Trending Stock IonQ, Inc. (IONQ) a Buy Now?
• Neutral Sentiment: Financial roundups (e.g., Yahoo Finance) listed IonQ among stocks making notable moves, indicating increased media visibility and trading activity rather than directional news. Stocks making big moves yesterday: Saia, Oracle, Atlas Energy Solutions, IonQ, and Conagra
• Negative Sentiment: Multiple Zacks pieces note recent share weakness: IonQ has underperformed in the recent tech sell‑off, is down materially year‑to‑date, and experienced notable intraday dips — near‑term pressure from macro/tech sentiment and high beta remains a risk. IonQ, Inc. (IONQ) Sees a More Significant Dip Than Broader Market: Some Facts to Know IonQ Stock Falls in 2026 Tech Sell-Off: Should You Buy the Dip or Hold?

IonQ Price Performance

Shares of NYSE IONQ opened at $33.04 on Friday. The company has a 50 day simple moving average of $40.13 and a 200-day simple moving average of $50.07. The company has a market capitalization of $12.11 billion, a P/E ratio of -13.27 and a beta of 2.61. IonQ, Inc. has a 1 year low of $18.81 and a 1 year high of $84.64.

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.

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