IonQ 'offers no quantum of solace'

Quantum computing group IonQ is inefficient, overhyped and overpriced, says Dr Matthew Partridge

IonQ logo is displayed on a smartphone screen
(Image credit: Cheng Xin/Getty Images)

With many AI stocks having fallen substantially from their recent highs, investors have been seeking the next big technology that can deliver large investment returns. Many people think that quantum computing – using quantum mechanics to enable computers to perform calculations deemed too complex for conventional computer technology – could fit the bill. However, while quantum computing does hold out the promise of exponentially increasing the speed at which computers can carry out tasks, this doesn’t mean that every company in this area is worth buying.

One firm longer on hype than on substance is IonQ (NYSE: IONQ), a quantum computing hardware and software company based in Maryland. Its shares quintupled over the last three months of 2024 thanks to promising recent developments in quantum computing at both Microsoft and Google. IonQ claims that its particular type of quantum computing technology is more promising than versions used by its rivals, and is only a few years away from reaching the stage at which it can be used in a range of fields, such as drug development.

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Dr Matthew Partridge
Shares editor, MoneyWeek

Matthew graduated from the University of Durham in 2004; he then gained an MSc, followed by a PhD at the London School of Economics.

He has previously written for a wide range of publications, including the Guardian and the Economist, and also helped to run a newsletter on terrorism. He has spent time at Lehman Brothers, Citigroup and the consultancy Lombard Street Research.

Matthew is the author of Superinvestors: Lessons from the greatest investors in history, published by Harriman House, which has been translated into several languages. His second book, Investing Explained: The Accessible Guide to Building an Investment Portfolio, is published by Kogan Page.

As senior writer, he writes the shares and politics & economics pages, as well as weekly Blowing It and Great Frauds in History columns He also writes a fortnightly reviews page and trading tips, as well as regular cover stories and multi-page investment focus features.

Follow Matthew on Twitter: @DrMatthewPartri