New York, Feb 26, 2026, 11:12 EST — Regular session
- IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) jumped roughly 19% to $40.08 in early trading, lifted by the company’s outlook upgrade for 2026 revenue.
- Quantum computing firm posted a steep increase in revenue for both the fourth quarter and the full year 2025, while also outlining a broader expected revenue range for 2026.
- IonQ rolled out a national quantum key distribution network in Romania as well.
IonQ Inc jumped roughly 19% to $40.08 as of 11:07 a.m. EST on Thursday. The quantum computing firm delivered its earnings update and new networking news, sparking renewed interest from buyers. The stock previously closed at $33.59, hitting an intraday range between $38.75 and $41.29. Shares of Rigetti and D-Wave, both in the quantum space, were also up.
Quantum computing stocks don’t have much revenue to lean on yet, and the path to profits is still a long one. That’s why even a hint of short-term sales progress can spark sharp reactions from investors.
IonQ finally threw some hard numbers into the mix: a revenue outlook for the coming year and a Q1 range, moving the focus away from just “quantum potential.” Now there’s more for the market to chew on than speculation alone.
IonQ, in a late Wednesday filing, posted fourth-quarter revenue of $61.9 million and full-year revenue hitting $130.0 million. The company is targeting $225 million to $245 million in revenue for 2026. “Significantly outperformed our revenue guidance range,” De Masi said. The company also projected an adjusted EBITDA loss between $310 million and $330 million for this year; adjusted EBITDA, often used as a stand-in for operating profit, excludes certain items. SEC
The company ended 2025 with $3.3 billion in cash, cash equivalents and investments. For the fourth quarter, it turned in an adjusted loss of $0.20 a share.
IonQ on Thursday announced it had rolled out the tech powering Romania’s National Quantum Communication Infrastructure, leveraging quantum key distribution—QKD, for short—which relies on quantum signals for sharing encryption keys. CEO Niccolo de Masi said IonQ was “proud to support” the network. Over at POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Prof. Pantelimon George Popescu called the deployment “an important milestone” for both Romania and the wider EuroQCI initiative. IonQ
Investors are looking to see if IonQ will manage to generate steady revenue from its quantum networking and security offerings, not just from one-off research-related deals, as it does with its quantum computing systems.
Morgan Stanley bumped up its IonQ price target to $37, sticking with an Equalweight call. The bank’s Joseph Moore pointed to “impressive” growth, both organic and via deals, though he flagged tough execution hurdles and signaled the quantum tech landscape is far from settled. Investing.com
But the risks are plain enough. IonQ is projecting a hefty adjusted operating loss for 2026, and with the quantum market still in its early stages, major deals can vanish, get downsized, or just end up as pilots that never ramp up.
Next, attention turns to IonQ’s first-quarter revenue guidance, which sits between $48 million and $51 million. Investors will also be tuned in to the company’s presentations at conferences slated for March 4 and March 11, watching for any signs of the 2026 outlook getting narrowed or cut.
