Where Will IonQ Be in 1 Year?

IonQ (IONQ +0.98%) just received final regulatory approval for one of its most important deals to date: the acquisition of SkyWater Technology. SkyWater is the largest exclusively U.S.-based semiconductor foundry and is recognized by the Department of Defense as a trusted foundry. The deal gives IonQ full control of its supply chain. It now has a factory to manufacture its chips, eliminating the need to rely on outside suppliers. In light of this acquisition, it's a good time to consider where IonQ will be in a year. Image source: The Motley Fool. The numbers are trending up Financially, IonQ stands out among pure-play quantum computing companies. Revenue growth is accelerating, as IonQ reported sales of $64.7 million in the first quarter of 2026, a year-over-year increase of 755%. Its remaining performance obligations, meaning future contracted revenue not yet recorded on an income statement, hit a record $470 million. The results were good enough for IonQ to raise full-year revenue guidance to between $260 million and $270 million. That's a stark difference from IonQ's main competitors: D-Wave Quantum, Rigetti Computing, and Quantum Computing. They all had revenue of less than $5 million in their most recent reported quarters. Multiple companies are dedicated to quantum computing systems, but only IonQ has achieved commercial success to date. IonQ also has a solid balance sheet, with $3.1 billion in cash, cash equivalents, and investments. With plenty of cash reserves, substantial revenue growth, and now a major acquisition, IonQ has a strong bull case over the next year. The risk could impact IonQ's upside While there's a lot to like about IonQ, it's still a high-risk investment. It's burning cash: Operating cash flow was negative $151 million in the first quarter, and management is guiding for a full-year adjusted EBITDA loss of $310 million to $330 million. The cash reserves give it a long runway, but this is a company that has had to spend heavily to keep scaling. ExpandNYSE: IONQIonQToday's Change(0.98%) $0.35Current Price$36.12Key Data PointsMarket Cap$13BMarket cap calculated using publicly traded shares outstanding only. Does not include unlisted, private, or dual-class non-traded shares. Implied market cap may vary.Day's Range$35.58 - $37.6552wk Range$25.89 - $84.64Volume8.5MAvg Vol27.4MGross Margin-2879.52% IonQ stock is also expensive, trading at 55 times trailing sales as of July 29. That's in the same range as Palantir Technologies, the poster child for expensive stocks, but well below its competitors. D-Wave and Rigetti both trade at over 400 times trailing sales, for comparison. Still, high valuations often lead to a correction, which has already been happening this year, with quantum computing companies and tech stocks trading at a premium. Where will IonQ be in one year? Wall Street analysts expect IonQ to perform well over the next 12 months, but there's a wide range of forecasts, with a per-share low of $48.50 and a high of $100. The average is $69.31, which would represent over 100% upside at IonQ's current share price. I think there's a good chance IonQ will continue to exceed revenue expectations and deliver positive results for shareholders. With that in mind, this could be an opportunity to buy the dip on one of the top quantum computing stocks. However, IonQ will likely remain volatile, so size any investments in it accordingly.Read NextJul 31, 2026 •By Geoffrey SeilerQuantum Fallout: 1 Quantum Stock to Buy, 1 to Hold, and 1 to Sell on the Recent DipJul 30, 2026 •By Alex CarchidiRigetti vs. IonQ vs. D-Wave: Ranking the Quantum Computing Trade Heading Into H2 2026.Jul 29, 2026 •By Robert IzquierdoAstera Labs vs. IonQ: Is the Artificial Intelligence Giant or the Quantum Computing Chipmaker the Better Stock to Buy in 2026?Jul 27, 2026 •By Rich SmithWhy IonQ Stock Just JumpedJul 26, 2026 •By Johnny RiceIonQ vs. Rigetti: Who's Winning the $2.7 Trillion Quantum Computing Race?Jul 25, 2026 •By Robert IzquierdoIntel vs. IonQ: Comparing Revenue Trends Between Artificial Intelligence and Quantum Computing ChipmakersAbout the AuthorLyle Daly is a contributing Motley Fool stock market analyst covering information technology and cryptocurrency. Lyle has been a contributor at the financial services company since 2018. His work has been featured on USA Today, Yahoo Finance, MSN, Fox Business, and Nasdaq. Before joining The Motley Fool, he wrote for financial brands including Intuit.TMFLyleDalyX@LyleDalyStocks MentionedIonQNYSE: IONQ$36.22(+1.26%)+$0.45Motley Fool Stock Advisor’s Latest PickGet Access---% Avg Return*Average returns of all recommendations since inception. Cost basis and return based on previous market day close.