IonQ, Inc. (IONQ)
IonQ is a pioneer in the world of quantum computing, building powerful machines that aim to solve complex problems far beyond the reach of today's computers.
Is IonQ, Inc. a good stock for a UK beginner?
The honest version: There's no rating here and nothing for sale. In its favour: Operating at the cutting edge of a potentially transformative technology. Worth weighing: High valuation relative to current sales.
Is this normal for this company?
Each figure against the range this same company has produced recently. Neither end of a range is the good end.
Profit as a share of sales, from the company's own quarterly statements. The range covers the 5 quarters we hold, and the figure shown is its most recent one.
How these ranges are built
Every number here is the company's own reported figure, not a comparison with other companies. The ranges come from this company's own results and its share price. Where it reports in a different currency from the one its shares trade in, the price-to-earnings range is left out rather than mixing the two.
What does IonQ, Inc. do?
IonQ builds quantum computers that use the unique properties of atoms to process information in ways traditional silicon chips simply cannot. Income flows from selling cloud access to these machines and from research partnerships with large organisations. Watch how quickly they can move from experimental research to reliable, large-scale commercial use.
On our factor screen it looks strongest on growth and value, and weakest on income.
- !Pays no dividend - the whole return rides on the share price
- ✓Growing - revenue up about 287% over the year
- ✓Low debt - a sturdier balance sheet
- Growth screens high
- Income screens low
Does IonQ, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - IonQ, Inc. doesn't currently pay a dividend, so the whole return would rest on the share price. Plenty of growing companies reinvest their profits instead of paying them out - neither approach is better or worse, they're just different.
Does IonQ, Inc. have more cash or more debt?
It holds about $2.12B in cash against about $54.50M of debt - so it has net cash of about $2.06B. More cash than debt is a cushion: it does not need to borrow just to cover what it owes.
From the latest reported balance sheet. Cash and debt levels change, and some borrowing is normal - this is context, not a judgment.
What do IonQ, Inc.'s numbers mean?
How has it performed?
Growth of £1,000, the worst fall, and year by year
Over about 2 years to 2026-09-11. This is the share price only; any dividends would add to it. And it's the USD return - as a UK investor your actual £ return also moves with the exchange rate. Past performance is not a guide to the future, and it could just as easily have fallen.
How much has IonQ, Inc. actually fallen?
Over the last 2 years of daily prices, IonQ, Inc. fell as much as −68% from a high to a later low. Falls like this are normal when you own a share.
Past falls are not a forecast - it can fall further, or recover.
How has it done year by year?
Calendar-year total return - the share price with dividends reinvested - from adjusted closing prices. The current year is only part-complete. Past returns are not a guide to the future.
A closer look at the numbers
Ownership, earnings history, where the money goes, and the outlook range
Does the share price tell you if it's cheap or expensive?
Who owns IonQ, Inc.?
About 51% of IonQ, Inc., or about 51 in every 100 shares, is held by big institutions such as pension and index funds, and company insiders hold about 1%. The rest, roughly 48%, is held by the public and smaller investors.
What this does and doesn't tell you
This is a recent snapshot of the share register, and it moves. We don't read anything into who owns what - a high institutional share is common for any large listed company and is not a signal about it.
Based on beta - how much the price swings versus the whole market. Bumpier isn't bad; it just means a rougher ride, which matters more the sooner you might need the money.
Prices move on results, news and the mood of the whole market - no single headline explains a day, and a quiet week is usually just noise, not a signal.
How much money does IonQ, Inc. make?
Revenue and profit by quarter, and how much of each sale turns into profit.
When does IonQ, Inc. report earnings, and how did recent quarters go?
IonQ, Inc. is next scheduled to report on about 2026-11-04 - dates can move, and we don't predict results; this just tells you when to look.
‘Beat’ and ‘missed’ are against what analysts expected, not whether the business is doing well.
| Reported | Expected EPS: The earnings per share analysts expected for the quarter - the average of their forecasts. 'Beating' or 'missing' is measured against this number. | Actual EPS | vs expected |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-05-06 | $-0.24 | $-0.34 | Missed -39% |
| 2026-02-25 | $-0.47 | $1.93 | Beat +508% |
| 2025-11-05 | $-0.19 | $-0.17 | Beat +11% |
| 2025-08-06 | $-0.14 | $-0.14 | Missed -3% |
| 2025-05-07 | $-0.14 | $-0.16 | Missed -13% |
| 2025-02-26 | $-0.25 | $-0.93 | Missed -272% |
Across the last 6 quarters here, IonQ, Inc. came in ahead of what analysts expected 2 times. One quarter is noise, not a trend.
See who else reports over the next two weeks →
Where these figures come from
Each quarter a company reports its results against a consensus of analyst forecasts. The figures here are reported versus expected earnings per share from published results; the expectation is that analyst consensus, not our view. Report dates are estimates and can move.
What are the scenarios for IonQ, Inc.?
An illustrative range for the year ahead — not a prediction or a price target.
What are the pros, cons and common questions?
The case each way, and the questions people ask
Quantum computing becomes a standard tool for global industries.
The technology fails to prove more useful than traditional supercomputers.
What are the pros and cons of IonQ, Inc.?
A balance check, not a score or verdict.
- Operating at the cutting edge of a potentially transformative technology
- Exceptional year-on-year revenue growth: How fast the company's sales grew versus a year ago.
- Strong intellectual property portfolio in quantum hardware
- High valuation relative to current sales
- Business model is still in the early, unproven stages
- No dividend payments as all cash is reinvested into growth
- Extreme share price volatility due to high beta
- Significant technical hurdles to achieving reliable quantum computing
- Intense competition from well-capitalised technology conglomerates
The write-up's own warning lights — if these start happening, the case above changes.
- A major breakthrough by a competitor that renders IonQ's hardware obsolete
- A sustained period where the company fails to secure new commercial contracts
Common questions about IonQ, Inc.
Does IonQ, Inc. pay a dividend?
No - IonQ, Inc. does not currently pay a dividend, so the return would rest on the share price. Many growing companies reinvest profits instead of paying them out.
When does IonQ, Inc. report earnings next?
IonQ, Inc. is next scheduled to report results on about 2026-11-04. Report dates are estimates and can move; this is a diary note for when to look, not a forecast of the outcome.
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This plain-English summary was auto-generated on 2026-08-02 from public data and checked for an education-only, no-advice tone (the figures above carry their own, usually fresher, 'as of' date). It's information, never a recommendation.