Should You Invest $1,000 in IonQ Right Now?

Shares of pure-play quantum computing player IonQ (NYSE: IONQ) have soared by over 62% in the past year.

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With the company delivering multiple technology breakthroughs and rapidly moving toward its ambitious targets, many investors are wondering if this may be the right time to invest $1,000 in the stock.

Accelerating financials and proven execution

IonQ reported stellar results in the third quarter of fiscal 2025 (ending Sept. 30, 2025), with revenues soaring 222% year-over-year to $39.9 million, nearly 37% more than the higher end of the company's guidance. The company also holds a pro forma cash balance of $3.5 billion and no debt on its balance sheet. Hence, the company has sufficient financial flexibility to invest in research and development, targeted acquisitions, and commercial expansion.

IonQ has also achieved a world record of 99.99% two-qubit fidelity (two quantum bits can work together with extremely low error rates), which is a significant step toward the company's long-term goal of building a fault-tolerant quantum system (computations remain correct despite qubits experiencing errors). The company is also moving aggressively toward its target of creating a quantum computing system with 40,000 to 80,000 logical qubits by 2030.

IonQ's flagship Tempo system has achieved an algorithmic qubit score of 64 (#AQ 64 ), a strong indicator of its real-world performance and ability to tackle complex quantum problems. The company has also expanded global access to its commercialized Forte Enterprise system with #AQ 36 score, by making it available on Amazon's managed quantum computing service, Amazon Braket, and on IonQ Quantum Cloud. This can eventually generate recurring revenue streams for IonQ. Finally, IonQ has also added new capabilities in quantum networking, sensing, and security through acquisitions, including Oxford Ionics, Vector Atomic, and a controlling stake in ID Quantique.

Despite these strengths, commercial quantum adoption may require time, which can keep the company unprofitable for an extended period. Hence, long-term investors can consider investing $1,000 in this stock only if it is not more than 5% of their larger diversified investment portfolio.

Manali Pradhan, CFA has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends IonQ. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.