IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) Trading Down 2.7% – Time to Sell?

IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) was down 2.7% during mid-day trading on Wednesday . The company traded as low as $32.36 and last traded at $32.3940. Approximately 15,993,592 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 26% from the average daily volume of 21,752,773 shares. The stock had previously closed at $33.31.

More IonQ News

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: IonQ and the University of Cambridge are opening the IonQ Quantum Innovation Centre and will host a 256‑qubit system — a major hardware deployment in the UK that raises IonQ’s commercial credibility in Europe and links research partners directly to its hardware. IonQ Cambridge Deal Links Quantum Hardware Deployment With Growth Potential
• Positive Sentiment: The proposed acquisition of SkyWater (SKYT) is positioned to make IonQ a vertically integrated full‑stack quantum company, potentially accelerating development (IonQ cites faster timelines toward larger qubit targets) and expanding pro‑forma revenue to a much larger base. The deal could lower manufacturing costs and shorten timelines if integration works as planned. The SkyWater Deal: IonQ’s Bid for Quantum Supremacy
• Neutral Sentiment: Recent industry/earnings roundups note IonQ’s 2025 revenue base (~$130M) and broader sector results; they underline that quantum remains early‑stage, with mixed near‑term revenue visibility but sizeable long‑term TAM estimates. These summaries provide context but not a near‑term catalyst. Quantum computing earnings Q4 and FY25: IonQ, D-Wave, Rigetti results
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction has been negative: coverage shows shares falling in recent sessions and the stock traded down following the SkyWater announcement — suggesting investor concern about near‑term dilution/financing, execution risk and the time needed to convert strategic benefits into revenue. IonQ, Inc. (IONQ) Declines More Than Market
• Negative Sentiment: Key risks flagged by analysts and coverage: SkyWater’s approach‑agnostic customers may hesitate to work with a supplier now owned by a competitor, and IonQ will need to fund hundreds of millions in cash consideration despite holding large cash reserves — raising execution and integration risk that could pressure the stock until proof points arrive. The SkyWater Deal: IonQ’s Bid for Quantum Supremacy

Wall Street Analyst Weigh In

IONQ has been the topic of a number of analyst reports. Needham & Company LLC lowered their target price on shares of IonQ from $80.00 to $65.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Morgan Stanley set a $37.00 price target on IonQ in a report on Thursday, February 26th. Wall Street Zen upgraded IonQ from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Saturday, March 14th. JPMorgan Chase & Co. dropped their price objective on IonQ from $47.00 to $42.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 26th. Finally, DA Davidson cut their target price on IonQ from $55.00 to $35.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 26th. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus target price of $69.45.

IonQ Price Performance

The stock has a market cap of $11.45 billion, a P/E ratio of -12.54 and a beta of 2.61. The stock’s 50-day moving average is $38.77 and its two-hundred day moving average is $49.75.

Insider Activity at IonQ

In related news, Director William J. Teuber, Jr. acquired 3,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Friday, February 27th. The stock was acquired 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 approximately $361,270.94. This trade represents a 46.78% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Also, insider Robert T. Cardillo sold 5,165 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction dated Thursday, February 26th. The stock was sold at an average price of $39.44, for a total value of $203,707.60. Following the completion of the sale, the insider directly owned 112,291 shares in the company, valued at $4,428,757.04. This trade represents a 4.40% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders sold 13,581 shares of company stock worth $591,156 over the last 90 days. Company insiders own 5.20% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of IONQ. Vanguard Group Inc. lifted its position in IonQ by 18.5% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 34,774,743 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,560,343,000 after purchasing an additional 5,420,037 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new position in shares of IonQ in the 4th quarter worth $199,753,000. Marex Group plc increased its holdings in shares of IonQ by 419.1% in the 4th quarter. Marex Group plc now owns 4,083,453 shares of the company’s stock worth $183,225,000 after buying an additional 3,296,866 shares during the last quarter. State Street Corp raised its position in shares of IonQ by 42.3% during the 4th quarter. State Street Corp now owns 8,962,789 shares of the company’s stock valued at $402,160,000 after buying an additional 2,663,230 shares in the last quarter. Finally, JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its position in shares of IonQ by 648.5% during the 2nd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 2,674,348 shares of the company’s stock valued at $114,917,000 after buying an additional 2,317,058 shares in the last quarter. 41.42% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.