IonQ Is Skyrocketing Today -- Is the Quantum Computing Stock a Buy? - The Motley Fool
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By Keith Noonan – Feb 26, 2026 at 3:32PM ESTKey PointsIonQ crushed Wall Street's sales and earnings targets for the fourth quarter. The company also issued issued sales guidance for the year that far exceed expectations. IonQ's latest business update showed encouraging demand for its services, but the stock remains a high-risk, high-reward play. NYSE: IONQIonQMarket Cap$14BToday's Changeangle-down(21.20%) $7.12Current Price$40.71Price as of February 26, 2026 at 3:58 PM ETIonQ's latest quarterly report could be a game changer.IonQ (IONQ +21.20%) stock is soaring in Thursday's trading following the company's recent quarterly report. The quantum-computing specialist's share price was up 22.7% as of 3:30 p.m. ET despite a bearish backdrop for the broader market. The S&P 500 was down 0.6% at the same point in the day, and the Nasdaq Composite was down 1.4%. IonQ's non-GAAP (adjusted) loss per share of $0.20 on revenue of $61.89 million came in far better than the average Wall Street analyst targets, which had called for a per-share loss of $0.23 on sales of $40.38 million. Sales were up an impressive 429% year over year, and margins came in better than anticipated. Image source: Getty Images. Is IonQ a buy right now? IonQ's Q4 results and forward guidance show that near-term performance has been far better than expected. The company said that it expects sales for this year to be between $225 million and $245 million. For comparison, the average analyst estimate had only targeted sales of roughly $192.6 million for the year. ExpandNYSE: IONQIonQToday's Change(21.20%) $7.12Current Price$40.71Key Data PointsMarket Cap$14BDay's Range$38.75 - $41.8952wk Range$17.88 - $84.64Volume3.4MAvg Vol20MGross Margin-2267.11% With a market capitalization of approximately $14.6 billion after today's rally, IonQ is valued at roughly 62 times the midpoint of management's sales target for the year. For investors seeking exposure to the quantum computing market, the stock looks like a stronger potential portfolio addition on the heels of signs that demand for its technologies and services is ramping at a rapid pace. On the other hand, the company's highly growth-dependent valuation and speculative performance outlook suggest that the stock is probably only a good fit for investors with very high levels of risk tolerance. Read NextFeb 26, 2026 •By Joe TenebrusoWhy IonQ Stock Surged TodayFeb 26, 2026 •By Howard SmithStock Market Today, Feb. 26: IonQ Surges After Revenue and 2026 Guidance Exceed ExpectationsFeb 26, 2026 •By Scott LevineWhy Shares of IonQ Are Soaring This WeekFeb 26, 2026 •By Leo SunForget the Quantum Hype Cycle: IonQ's Earnings Just Proved the Business Is RealFeb 25, 2026 •By Justin PopePrediction: The Quantum Computing Hype Could Cool Off in 2026 -- Here's WhyFeb 25, 2026 •By Sean WilliamsInstitutional Investors and Hedge Funds Sent an Unmistakable Message to Quantum Computing Stocks IonQ, Rigetti Computing, and D-Wave QuantumAbout 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$40.88 (+21.70%) $+7.29S&P 500 IndexSNPINDEX: ^GSPC$6908.86 (0.54%) $37.27NASDAQ Composite IndexNASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC$22878.38 (1.18%) $273.69*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.