IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Stock Rating Cut to Strong Sell at Zacks Research

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) was downgraded by equities research analysts at Zacks Research from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report issued on Thursday, Zacks reports.

A number of other brokerages have also commented on IONQ. Rosenblatt Securities reiterated a “buy” rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of IonQ in a report on Tuesday, October 13th. B. Riley Financial dropped their price objective on shares of IonQ from $100.00 to $75.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Monday, November 2nd. Jefferies Financial Group lowered their price objective on IonQ from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Friday. Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of IonQ from a “sell (d+)” rating to a “sell (d-)” rating in a report on Friday, August 21st. Finally, Morgan Stanley decreased their price target on IonQ from $49.00 to $43.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, October 15th. Ten analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, three have issued a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, IonQ presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $60.23.

IonQ Stock Performance

IONQ opened at $32.12 on Thursday. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $36.91 and a 200 day moving average price of $41.58. The firm has a market cap of $13.79 billion, a P/E ratio of 118.98 and a beta of 3.32. IonQ has a twelve month low of $24.92 and a twelve month high of $73.65.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Thursday, November 5th. The company reported ($0.29) EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.35) by $0.06. IonQ had a negative return on equity of 22.29% and a negative net margin of 553.27%. The firm had revenue of $173.83 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $141.49 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($3.58) earnings per share. The company’s revenue for the quarter was up 336.0% compared to the same quarter last year. As a group, analysts anticipate that IonQ will post -2.96 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity at IonQ

In other IonQ news, insider John Raymond sold 2,407 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, September 10th. The shares were sold at an average price of $37.21, for a total transaction of $89,564.47. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider owned 77,741 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,892,742.61. This trade represents a 3.00% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On IonQ

Several hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. BlackRock Inc. acquired a new stake in IonQ in the 2nd quarter valued at $1,112,945,000. Bank of America Corp DE purchased a new stake in IonQ during the 2nd quarter valued at approximately $344,757,000. Bank of New York Mellon Corp bought a new stake in shares of IonQ in the 2nd quarter valued at about $113,863,000. Legal & General Group Plc acquired a new stake in shares of IonQ during the 2nd quarter valued at about $82,126,000. Finally, Deutsche Bank AG purchased a new position in IonQ during the 2nd quarter valued at about $27,836,000. 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 reported record third-quarter revenue of $173.8 million, up 336% year over year and above analyst expectations. Its loss per share was also narrower than forecast. Why IonQ Stock Is Soaring Today
• Positive Sentiment: The company raised its 2026 revenue guidance to $505 million–$515 million. Its backlog reached $1.2 billion, and Superion 256 capacity is booked through 2027—signs of robust demand and future sales visibility. IonQ: 3 Key Takeaways for Long-Term Investors
• Positive Sentiment: IonQ also advanced to Stage C of DARPA’s quantum benchmarking initiative, while its SkyWater acquisition is expected to strengthen manufacturing capabilities. IonQ Q3 2026 Earnings Call Highlights
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts at Cantor Fitzgerald and Needham lowered their price targets but kept positive ratings, reflecting a more cautious outlook without abandoning the investment case. Cantor Fitzgerald recommendations
• Negative Sentiment: Despite the growth, IonQ remains loss-making. Investors are also weighing cash burn and potential dilution from its planned capital raise and stock-funded $1.15 billion Elisity acquisition, as well as uncertainty over how quickly quantum computing demand will translate into sustainable profits. IonQ Beat and Raised: Can the Quantum Stock Buck the Tech Selloff?
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks added IONQ to its Strong Sell list, a counterpoint to the earnings optimism and a potential source of investor caution. New Strong Sell Stocks for November 6th

IonQ Company Profile

IonQ, Inc (NYSE: IONQ) is a quantum computing company that develops full-stack quantum computing systems and related software. Its technology is based on trapped-ion quantum computing, which uses electrically charged atoms as qubits and is designed to support highly accurate quantum operations.

The company provides access to its quantum computers through cloud platforms and direct enterprise and research engagements. Its offerings include quantum computing hardware, cloud-based access, software tools, and professional services intended to help organizations explore applications in areas such as optimization, chemistry, materials science, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity.