Morgan Stanley cuts IonQ stock target from USD 49.00 to USD 43.00

Published on 10/17/2026 at 21:26 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Q2 revenue reached USD 80.05 million, up 286.7 percent year over year. IonQ stock closed at USD 31.28 on October 16, 2026, down 8.94 percent versus prior close.

Analyst target and earnings date

On October 15, 2026, Morgan Stanley lowered its IonQ target from USD 49.00 to USD 43.00.
Second-quarter revenue reached USD 80.05 million, up 286.7 percent year over year.
IonQ stock closed at USD 31.28 on October 16, 2026, down 8.94 percent from the prior close.
The next earnings date is listed as November 4, 2026, while market capitalization stood at USD 12.7 billion.

IONQ, US46222L1089, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Morgan Stanley lowered its IonQ target from USD 49.00 to USD 43.00 on October 15, 2026, while keeping an Equalweight rating, as reported by Yahoo Finance. The new target was 37.40 percent above the October 16 closing price of USD 31.28. IonQ stock closed at USD 31.28 on October 16, 2026, down 8.94 percent from the prior close.

Second-quarter revenue jumps

IonQ reported revenue of USD 80.05 million for the second quarter of 2026, up 286.7 percent from the year-earlier period. Its adjusted loss was USD 0.33 per share, compared with a consensus loss of USD 0.56, according to MarketBeat. The revenue comparison is the stronger operating signal, but the earnings figure keeps profitability central to the valuation discussion.

Stock near the lower range

At USD 31.28, IonQ stood 20.82 percent above its 52-week low of USD 25.89 and 57.53 percent below its 52-week high of USD 73.65 on October 16, 2026. The stock was down 23.40 percent year to date, while trading volume reached 27,941,849 shares against an average of 22,222,246.

Valuation and next reporting date

IonQ had a market capitalization of USD 12.7 billion, a trailing P/E ratio of negative 6.71 and no dividend yield on October 16, 2026. MetaCap lists November 4, 2026 as the next earnings date and reports a consensus earnings-per-share estimate of negative USD 0.50.

Comparison with peers

IonQ (NYSE, USD): minus 8.94 percent, P/E negative 6.71, market capitalization USD 12.7 billion
D-Wave Quantum (NYSE, USD): minus 8.08 percent, P/E negative 16.59, market capitalization USD 4.4 billion
Rigetti Computing (Nasdaq, USD): minus 6.57 percent, P/E negative 13.16, market capitalization USD 3.9 billion

Trading range remains decisive

The October 16 decline left IonQ closer to its yearly low than its yearly high, even after the company delivered substantial second-quarter revenue growth. Morgan Stanley's lower target adds a more cautious counterpoint to the broader analyst consensus, which MarketBeat puts at USD 63.83 from 15 analysts on October 15, 2026. The next earnings date provides the next scheduled checkpoint for revenue conversion and progress toward profitability.

IonQ's closing price was USD 31.28 on October 16, 2026 at 4:00 p.m. EDT on the NYSE, down 8.94 percent from the prior close.