IonQ Is Ripping Higher Today -- Is the Stock a Buy Right Now?
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By Keith Noonan – Apr 15, 2026 at 1:38PM ESTKey PointsIonQ's share price is surging thanks to recent news that Nvidia is expanding its quantum software suite. The stock posted big gains yesterday in conjunction with the announcement of a DARPA partnership and a significant tech breakthrough. IonQ looks to be one of the stronger players in the quantum space, but its stock is still a high-risk, high-reward play. IonQ (IONQ +19.38%) stock is seeing another day of huge gains in Wednesday's trading. The company's share price was up 18% as of 1:45 p.m. ET. IonQ's valuation is surging higher today thanks to news that Nvidia is releasing a new family of open source artificial intelligence (AI) models to support quantum-computing technologies. Nvidia's Ising models have been created to help researchers and enterprises build useful quantum processors, and companies across the quantum-computing industry are seeing big gains today in conjunction with the news. IonQ's big rally today comes on the heels of a 20.2% gain for the stock in yesterday's trading propelled by news that the company had signed a new partnership with the U.S.
Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). Image source: Getty Images. Is IonQ stock a buy right now? In conjunction with the World Quantum Day event that took place on April 14, IonQ has seen some bullish news stories recently. Signs that Nvidia will continue to support development in the quantum space represent a meaningful vote of confidence from the most influential player in the AI industry. Meanwhile, IonQ's partnership with DARPA and recent announcement that it has demonstrated that two quantum-computing systems can be linked together actually look even more promising on a business-specific level. ExpandNYSE: IONQIonQToday's Change(19.38%) $6.93Current Price$42.69Key Data PointsMarket Cap$13BDay's Range$37.46 - $43.2952wk Range$23.48 - $84.64Volume3.8MAvg Vol22MGross Margin-2267.11% While IonQ looks to be one of the stronger players in the quantum industry, the stock won't be a good fit for every investor. With a market capitalization of roughly $15.5 billion, the company is valued at approximately 66 times this year's expected sales -- and its path to regular profitability and earnings growth remains speculative. IonQ has a shot at being a huge winner over the long term, but it's also a very risky bet. With that in mind, I think that all but the most bullish and risk-tolerant quantum investors should wait for a pullback before buying heavily into the stock. Read NextApr 15, 2026 •By Rich SmithWhy D-Wave Quantum Stock Keeps Going UpApr 15, 2026 •By Rich SmithWhy IonQ Stock Keeps Going UpApr 14, 2026 •By Keith NoonanWhy IonQ Stock Skyrocketed TodayApr 14, 2026 •By Keith NoonanIonQ's New DARPA Contract Could Make It the Top Quantum Stock of 2026Apr 14, 2026 •By John BallardRigetti Computing vs. IonQ: Diverging Trends in Quarterly RevenueApr 13, 2026 •By Keithen Drury3 Under-the-Radar AI Stock Picks That Could Be Incredible BuysAbout the AuthorKeith Noonan is a contributing writer at The Motley Fool covering technology, consumer goods, and other sectors. He holds a bachelor’s degree in English from Boston College.TMFNoonsStocks MentionedIonQNYSE: IONQ$42.70(+19.41%)+$6.94NvidiaNASDAQ: NVDA$197.33(+0.42%)+$0.82*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.