Quantum computing stocks surge into late 2024. While many were bullish on the industry, the investment case quickly collapsed in the first few months of 2025. Ion Q (NYSE: IONQ) There was a massive sell-off, with the stock down more than 50% by the end of February.
However, if you followed my advice on IonQ stock in January, I told you to wait a few months for the stock to cool down before buying shares. If you waited until March to buy the stock, it would be a handsome gain. The stock more than doubled from March 1 to year-end.
That’s strong gains in the short term, but where will IonQ stock go this year?
In 2025, IonQ achieved several breakthrough achievements. It was the first company to achieve a 2-qubit gate fidelity score of 99.99%, a measure of a quantum computer’s accuracy. No other company can achieve 99.9% 2-qubit gate fidelity, meaning IonQ is 10 times more accurate than its nearest competitor. Since computational accuracy is the main reason quantum computing is not yet deployed on a large scale, this is a big deal.
It also holds the key to IonQ stock’s full-year performance. If it can continue to reach new thresholds, including 99.999% and beyond, it will be one step closer to becoming the first company to deliver a quantum computing solution accurate enough to be deployed in a commercial setting. If IonQ can reach this threshold before any of its competitors, it will become one of the top quantum computing investment options.
On the other hand, IonQ could be in trouble if competitors start to catch up.
So, where is IonQ stock headed in 2026?
While IonQ can continue to release news about its quantum computing capabilities, the reality is that the stock can’t do much about the market’s risk tolerance. If an event occurs that reduces market risk, IonQ’s stock could struggle. On the other hand, if we get bullish indicators, riskier stocks like IonQ could soar.
It’s impossible to predict these events in advance, so investors really need to pay attention to the long-term development of stocks like IonQ. IonQ is the leader in the quantum computing industry and a strong bet to win the quantum computing arms race, but we won’t know if it’s the winner until around 2030.
Therefore, I think investors can buy IonQ stock now, expecting it to rise and fall significantly over the next few years. If it becomes the go-to quantum computing provider, its stock will deliver significant gains over the long term, not just in 2026.
Before buying IonQ stock, consider the following factors:
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Keithen Drury has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has an interest in and recommends IonQ. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
If you follow my IonQ stock recommendations in 2025, you’ll double your money. Here’s what I think you should be doing right now. Originally posted by The Motley Fool