Empowered Funds LLC Boosts Stake in IonQ, Inc. $IONQ

Empowered Funds LLC grew its position in shares of IonQ, Inc. (NYSE:IONQ) by 862.9% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The fund owned 47,280 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 42,370 shares during the quarter. Empowered Funds LLC’s holdings in IonQ were worth $1,363,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.

A number of other large investors also recently modified their holdings of the company. Royal Bank of Canada grew its holdings in shares of IonQ by 12.5% during the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 134,176 shares of the company’s stock worth $2,962,000 after purchasing an additional 14,898 shares during the period. Amundi purchased a new position in IonQ in the first quarter valued at approximately $630,000. AQR Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in IonQ by 106.2% in the first quarter. AQR Capital Management LLC now owns 57,305 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,265,000 after buying an additional 29,513 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC lifted its position in IonQ by 24.1% during the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 450,031 shares of the company’s stock valued at $9,932,000 after buying an additional 87,428 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth lifted its position in IonQ by 30.3% during the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 46,782 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,032,000 after buying an additional 10,881 shares in the last quarter. 41.42% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Analyst Ratings Changes

Several research firms have issued reports on IONQ. Wedbush initiated coverage on shares of IonQ in a research report on Monday, August 3rd. They issued an “outperform” rating and a $75.00 price objective for the company. Weiss Ratings raised shares of IonQ from a “sell (d-)” rating to a “sell (d+)” rating in a research note on Monday, May 11th. Morgan Stanley set a $49.00 target price on shares of IonQ in a report on Thursday. Cantor Fitzgerald reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $70.00 price target on shares of IonQ in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Benchmark reiterated a “buy” rating and issued a $60.00 price target on shares of IonQ in a report on Thursday. Nine research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, four have given a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $69.92.

IonQ Stock Up 12.0%

NYSE IONQ opened at $44.48 on Friday. The stock has a market cap of $16.60 billion, a PE ratio of -9.55 and a beta of 3.28. IonQ, Inc. has a fifty-two week low of $25.89 and a fifty-two week high of $84.64. The business has a 50 day moving average price of $47.97 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $43.32.

IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, August 5th. The company reported ($0.33) earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of ($0.56) by $0.23. IonQ had a negative net margin of 553.27% and a negative return on equity of 21.75%. The company had revenue of $80.05 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $66.47 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted ($0.70) earnings per share. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 286.7% on a year-over-year basis. Sell-side analysts anticipate that IonQ, Inc. will post -2.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

IonQ News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting IonQ this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Record quarterly results and raised outlook: IonQ reported second-quarter revenue of approximately $80.1 million, up 287% year over year and above expectations. The company also raised its 2026 revenue outlook to $280 million–$290 million, reinforcing the view that demand is accelerating. IONQ Q2 Earnings Miss Estimates, Revenues Beat, Stock Rises
• Positive Sentiment: Defense business is expanding: DARPA awarded IonQ a $28 million contract extension, with a potential additional $30 million option, to produce 125 next-generation optical atomic clocks. Separately, IonQ’s Capella space division won an NRO contract for commercial synthetic-aperture-radar data supporting national-security missions. These awards add revenue visibility and strengthen IonQ’s government customer base. DARPA Selects IonQ to Produce Next-Generation Atomic Clocks
• Positive Sentiment: Strategic growth initiatives gained attention: The $1.8 billion SkyWater Technology acquisition is supporting IonQ’s vertically integrated quantum roadmap, including a planned 256-qubit system. Reported remaining performance obligations reached $485 million, while new grid, networking and cybersecurity projects broaden the company’s commercial opportunity. IonQ Sparks a Quantum Grid Revolution
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst sentiment remains bullish: Benchmark, Needham, Cantor Fitzgerald and Rosenblatt reaffirmed positive ratings, with price targets ranging from $60 to $100, helping support the rebound in speculative quantum stocks.
• Neutral Sentiment: IonQ remains a high-volatility, unprofitable growth stock. Analysts see substantial long-term upside if quantum adoption reaches commercial milestones, but the shares are still well below their 52-week high and the company continues to post significant losses. What Sent IonQ Shares Surging and Whether the Momentum Can Last
• Negative Sentiment: IonQ filed a prospectus supplement related to a secondary share resale, which could increase the available share supply and create dilution or selling-pressure concerns. Investors are also still mindful of the stock’s 31.6% July decline and the risk that enthusiasm may fade if quantum commercialization takes longer than expected. IonQ Files Prospectus Supplement for Secondary Share Resale

Insider Activity at IonQ

In related news, Director Kathryn K. Chou sold 2,757 shares of IonQ stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.02, for a total transaction of $151,690.14. Following the sale, the director owned 62,608 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $3,444,692.16. The trade was a 4.22% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through the SEC website. Also, Director Gabrielle B. Toledano sold 2,757 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, June 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $55.01, for a total transaction of $151,662.57. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 11,154 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $613,581.54. The trade was a 19.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last three months, insiders sold 9,329 shares of company stock valued at $513,216. Corporate insiders own 0.55% of the company’s stock.

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.