Why Is IonQ Computing Stock Jumping Today?
Key Points
Pure-play quantum stocks like IonQ soared following a Wall Street Journal report.
Reuters and Yahoo! Finance then reported that a government official explicitly denied the report.
- 10 stocks we like better than IonQ ›
Shares of IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) jumped 13.5% on Thursday before reversing, now up just 6% as of 2:27 p.m. ET. The spike comes as the S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC) and the Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) gained 0.6% and 0.9%, respectively.
The quantum computing company's stock skyrocketed following a Wall Street Journal report claiming the Trump administration was discussing taking ownership stakes in IonQ and similar companies.
Where to invest $1,000 right now? Our analyst team just revealed what they believe are the 10 best stocks to buy right now, when you join Stock Advisor. See the stocks »
The Commerce Department says it is not investing in IonQ
But the stock is down significantly from its peak. Several news outlets, including Reuters, were unable to verify the WSJ report and were told by a U.S. Commerce Department official that the U.S. government is "not currently negotiating with any of the companies."
The revelation that the talks are not taking place reversed momentum for stocks across the quantum market.
Image source: Getty Images.
IonQ's current valuation should make you pause
Dedicated quantum computing stocks have absolutely blown up over the past year as hype around the nascent tech continues building. The technology has massive promise, but I'm pretty convinced investors are jumping the gun here.
Right now, IonQ's $20.4 billion valuation doesn't make sense given just over $52 million in sales over the last 12 months. The company lost more than $463 million in that same period.
Should you invest $1,000 in IonQ right now?
Before you buy stock in IonQ, consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor analyst team just identified what they believe are the 10 best stocks for investors to buy now… and IonQ wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider when Netflix made this list on December 17, 2004... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $602,049!* Or when Nvidia made this list on April 15, 2005... if you invested $1,000 at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $1,105,092!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor’s total average return is 1,028% — a market-crushing outperformance compared to 190% for the S&P 500. Don’t miss out on the latest top 10 list, available when you join Stock Advisor.
See the 10 stocks »
*Stock Advisor returns as of October 20, 2025
Johnny Rice has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
Recommended Articles
