IONQ Inc (IONQ)

Investing.com -- IonQ stock gained 2.0% in after-hours trading to reach $39.64, capping a session in which the quantum computing company was lifted by a powerful combination of a fresh Wall Street endorsement and a major corporate milestone. Wedbush initiated coverage of the stock with an Outperform rating and a $75 price target, derived from a ten-year discounted cash flow model using a weighted average cost of capital of 22% and a terminal growth rate of 5% — a call that effectively implied the stock could nearly double from recent levels.

Compounding the bullish analyst action, IonQ also confirmed the completion of its $1.8 billion acquisition of SkyWater Technology after receiving final regulatory clearance from the Federal Trade Commission, making it the only pure-play quantum computing company to own its own semiconductor foundry and giving it greater vertical integration over chip manufacturing. Adding further momentum, IonQ and utility partner EPB announced the establishment of the Tennessee Quantum Communications Research Center in Chattanooga, backed by a $15 million, five-year IonQ commitment and set to house the world's first commercial quantum memory unit embedded in a live communications network.

The broader quantum computing sector also caught a tailwind today, with IBM's CEO making comments about quantum computing timelines that sparked sector-wide optimism, while rival D-Wave Quantum's recently announced contract with AT&T to optimize network operations further improved investor sentiment across the space. IonQ's move substantially outpaced a subdued broader market, with the S&P 500 adding just 0.04%, the Dow Jones rising 0.1%, and the NASDAQ gaining 0.1%.

Taken together, the Wedbush initiation, the SkyWater deal closing, the new Tennessee research center, and a rising tide of quantum sector enthusiasm converged to push IonQ well ahead of the market today — with investors also positioning ahead of the company's scheduled second-quarter earnings release on August 5, 2026.