IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Benchmark

Key Points

• Benchmark upgraded IonQ to “strong buy,” while the broader analyst consensus remains “moderate buy” with an average price target of $69.46. Rosenblatt reiterated a buy rating with a $100 target, while JPMorgan raised its target to $50 but maintained a neutral rating.
• IonQ shares opened at $33.84 after falling 5.8%, with a market capitalization of about $12.63 billion and a 12-month range of $25.89 to $84.64. The stock remains highly volatile and unprofitable, with a quarterly EPS miss despite revenue rising 754.7% year over year.
• Insiders sold 13,102 shares worth $701,489 during the past quarter, while hedge funds and institutional investors own 41.42% of the company. IonQ’s pending SkyWater Technology acquisition could strengthen its manufacturing capabilities, but integration and execution remain key risks.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ - Get Free Report) was upgraded by research analysts at Benchmark to a "strong-buy" rating in a note issued to investors on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Several other brokerages also recently weighed in on IONQ. Rosenblatt Securities reaffirmed a "buy" rating and issued a $100.00 target price on shares of IonQ in a report on Thursday, June 11th. Wall Street Zen raised IonQ from a "strong sell" rating to a "sell" rating in a research note on Saturday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased their target price on IonQ from $42.00 to $50.00 and gave the stock a "neutral" rating in a research report on Thursday, May 7th. Morgan Stanley set a $48.50 target price on IonQ in a research note on Thursday, May 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings raised IonQ from a "sell (d-)" rating to a "sell (d+)" rating in a report on Monday, May 11th. One analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have issued a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus target price of $69.46.

IonQ Trading Down 5.8%

NYSE IONQ opened at $33.84 on Monday. IonQ has a 12 month low of $25.89 and a 12 month high of $84.64. The stock has a market cap of $12.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of -120.85 and a beta of 3.23. The company's 50 day moving average is $51.98 and its two-hundred day moving average is $43.90.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, May 6th. The company reported ($0.34) earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of ($0.26) by ($0.08). The firm had revenue of $64.67 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $49.75 million. IonQ had a negative return on equity of 23.20% and a net margin of 174.88%.The business's revenue for the quarter was up 754.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the company earned ($0.14) earnings per share. Sell-side analysts forecast that IonQ will post -2.26 EPS for the current year.

Insider Transactions at IonQ

In related news, insider Robert T. Cardillo sold 3,773 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Wednesday, May 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $49.90, for a total value of $188,272.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 139,967 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $6,984,353.30. This trade represents a 2.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. Also, Director Kathryn K. Chou sold 2,757 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The stock was sold at an average price of $55.02, for a total transaction of $151,690.14. Following the transaction, the director directly owned 62,608 shares of the company's stock, valued at approximately $3,444,692.16. This represents a 4.22% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 13,102 shares of company stock valued at $701,489 over the last quarter. 0.55% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IonQ

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of IONQ. Bogart Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in IonQ by 24.4% during the 1st quarter. Bogart Wealth LLC now owns 1,273 shares of the company's stock valued at $37,000 after acquiring an additional 250 shares during the period. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC lifted its position in shares of IonQ by 117.4% during the third quarter. Beaird Harris Wealth Management LLC now owns 500 shares of the company's stock worth $31,000 after purchasing an additional 270 shares during the last quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC boosted its stake in shares of IonQ by 50.5% during the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 831 shares of the company's stock valued at $36,000 after purchasing an additional 279 shares during the period. ABN Amro Investment Solutions boosted its stake in shares of IonQ by 2.5% during the first quarter. ABN Amro Investment Solutions now owns 12,314 shares of the company's stock valued at $355,000 after purchasing an additional 295 shares during the period. Finally, Versant Capital Management Inc grew its holdings in shares of IonQ by 26.1% in the second quarter. Versant Capital Management Inc now owns 1,491 shares of the company's stock worth $79,000 after purchasing an additional 309 shares during the last quarter. 41.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Trending Headlines about IonQ

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IonQ received final regulatory approval to complete its acquisition of SkyWater Technology. The deal is intended to accelerate IonQ’s quantum-computing roadmap and strengthen its access to U.S.-based semiconductor manufacturing capabilities, potentially improving supply-chain control and scalability. IonQ Receives Regulatory Approval to Complete Acquisition of SkyWater Technology
• Positive Sentiment: Benchmark’s renewed coverage of quantum stocks highlighted IonQ’s full-stack platform, spanning computing, networking, sensing and security, as well as its reported sales of a 256-qubit system in more than 30 countries. The broader investment case is also benefiting from expectations that the quantum industry could generate approximately $1.5 billion in revenue in 2026. Benchmark’s Quantum Re-Rating Might Change The Case For Investing In IonQ
• Positive Sentiment: D-Wave Quantum’s expanded commercial agreement with AT&T, which applies quantum optimization to telecommunications operations, sparked a sector-wide rally and reinforced the possibility of near-term enterprise applications for quantum technology. IonQ benefited from this sympathy interest, although the announcement was not an IonQ contract. D-Wave’s Expanded AT&T Deal
• Neutral Sentiment: The SkyWater transaction still must be integrated successfully, and investors may focus on execution, financing and the time required for manufacturing synergies to translate into revenue growth.
• Negative Sentiment: IonQ declined even as the wider market advanced, reflecting a pullback in quantum and AI-infrastructure names amid concerns about elevated expectations and the commercial timing of emerging technologies. IonQ Stock Slides as Market Rises
• Negative Sentiment: IonQ remains a high-volatility, loss-making growth stock. Its latest quarterly EPS missed analysts’ expectations despite strong revenue growth, while the share price remains below its 50-day moving average, signaling continued technical and valuation pressure.

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.

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