IonQ Stock: Quantum Stocks Surges on Government Funding Talks Ahead of Earnings

TLDR

• IonQ stock jumped 14% in premarket trading Thursday on news of potential federal funding discussions
• The company is negotiating with the Commerce Department to grant equity in exchange for at least $10 million in funding
• IonQ reports third-quarter earnings on November 5 after growing revenue to $28.3 million in the first half of 2025
• The company achieved a world record in quantum computing fidelity on October 21
• Operating losses tripled year over year to $160.6 million in the second quarter

IonQ shares surged 14% in premarket trading Thursday morning. The quantum computing company is in discussions with the Commerce Department about federal funding.

IonQ, Inc., IONQ

The talks involve IonQ granting equity stakes to the government. In return, the company would receive minimum funding awards of $10 million.

Rigetti Computing and D-Wave Quantum are also negotiating similar arrangements. D-Wave shares rose 15% in premarket trading while Rigetti climbed 11%.

The Wall Street Journal first reported the funding discussions. The Commerce Department has not yet commented on the matter.

IonQ went public in 2021 as the first pure-play quantum computing company. Shares have climbed nearly 300% over the past 12 months through October 21.

The company has shown strong revenue growth in 2025. First-half sales reached $28.3 million, up from $19 million in the same period of 2024.

On October 21, IonQ announced a breakthrough in quantum computing accuracy. The company achieved the highest fidelity level ever recorded in the industry.

This milestone matters because error rates have held back quantum computing. High accuracy is needed for these machines to scale and gain wider use.

Profitability Challenges Continue

The company remains unprofitable despite its technical progress. Operating losses more than tripled year over year in the second quarter.

IonQ posted an operating loss of $160.6 million in Q2. That’s a steep increase from the prior year period.

The stock’s price-to-sales ratio has climbed to elevated levels. The valuation is now higher than it’s been for most of 2025.

Quantum computers use qubits instead of traditional binary bits. These qubits can exist in multiple states at once.

This allows quantum machines to process certain types of data much faster. But qubits are sensitive to environmental disturbances.

Earnings Report Coming Soon

IonQ will release third-quarter results on November 5. The report comes as 2025 marks the 100th anniversary of quantum mechanics.

The quantum computing sector has attracted attention this year. Multiple companies are working to commercialize the technology.

Quantum Computing Inc is also considering a similar funding arrangement with the government. That company’s shares gained 13% in premarket trading Thursday.

The federal funding talks reflect growing government interest in quantum technology. The Commerce Department appears willing to take equity positions in exchange for supporting these companies.

IonQ’s stock performance and funding discussions come as the company prepares to report quarterly results next month.

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