IONQ 7-day forecast by DeepSeek-R1
DeepSeek-R1's 7-day forecast for IONQ, made 2026-09-04: expected range $36.50 to $44.50 at 52% confidence. Settled at $36.75: direction called incorrectly, score 32.2.
| Asset | IONQ |
|---|---|
| Model | DeepSeek-R1 |
| Recorded by | Forecastnest |
| Forecast made | |
| Horizon | 7-day (Existing Mode 1 horizon rules apply; the stored expiry is authoritative.) |
| Window closes | |
| Price when asked | $39.52 |
| Price the model reported | $39.52 |
| Expected range | $36.50 to $44.50 |
| Confidence | 52% |
| Prompt style | No data |
| Status | Settled |
| Actual close | $36.75 |
| Traded range in the window | $36.33 to $44.43 |
| Result | Direction called incorrectly |
| Score | 32.2 of 100 |
The model's reasoning
(1) Current price and data sources: At the forecast window start (2026-09-04 22:43 UTC), IONQ closed the regular session at $39.52, up 1.28% on the day. The intraday range was $38.85-$39.73, with after-hours trading showing $39.70, up 0.66%. Volume was 12.95 million shares, below the 24.67 million average, indicating lighter participation. The 52-week range is $25.89-$84.64, and the stock has a beta of 3.30, reflecting high volatility. I have anchored my range to the regular session close of $39.52.
(2) Current market regime: IONQ has been consolidating in the $37-$40 range since late August, recovering from its August 28 low of $38.64. The stock remains below its 50-day moving average of $41.66 and 200-day moving average of $43.52, indicating a medium-term downtrend. The RSI is neutral near 45, and short interest is elevated at 10.66% of shares outstanding. The company reported blockbuster Q2 revenue of $80.05 million, up 287% year-over-year, and raised 2026 revenue guidance to $280-$290 million from $260-$270 million. However, the adjusted EBITDA loss was $120.3 million due to SkyWater integration costs, and the company remains unprofitable with a negative P/E ratio.
(3) Price range justification: I expect IONQ to trade between $36.50 and $44.50 over the next 7-day window. The lower bound of $36.50 is informed by the August 3 low of $36.78, with additional cushion for potential downside if broader market sentiment sours. The upper bound of $44.50 is informed by the $43.33-$44.86 range from August 21-24 and the resistance near the 200-day moving average at $43.52. The range is asymmetric to the upside because the September 8 investor day is a significant catalyst that could trigger a rally if management delivers a compelling combined guidance following the SkyWater acquisition.
(4) Scheduled catalysts inside the window: The primary catalyst is the investor day on September 8 at the NYSE, where management is expected to provide a combined financial forecast following the $1.8 billion SkyWater acquisition. The company completed the acquisition in July, creating the only vertically integrated full-stack quantum platform company. The public warrants are scheduled to expire on September 30, 2026, which could create dilution concerns but is outside the 7-day window. Additionally, the Quantum World Congress from September 23-25 will feature IonQ's CEO, but that is beyond the forecast period. Broader market catalysts include Fed policy expectations and geopolitical risks, but the investor day is the dominant near-term driver.
(5) Strongest counter-argument: The bullish case is that IONQ is significantly undervalued relative to Wall Street consensus. Analysts maintain a "Moderate Buy" consensus with an average projected level of $69.92, implying substantial upside from current levels. The SkyWater acquisition gives IonQ control of its own semiconductor fabrication, potentially accelerating development of a 200,000-qubit system by approximately 12 months. A positive surprise at the investor day-such as a strong combined guidance or a major government contract-could trigger a sharp rally. Conversely, if the investor day fails to impress or if management provides disappointing guidance, the stock could retest the $36 support level or lower. A break below $36.50 would invalidate my bullish 7-day view.
(6) Confidence rationale: My confidence is 52%, reflecting a stock in a consolidation phase with a clear catalyst (September 8 investor day) but uncertain outcome. The 7-day window includes the investor day, which could easily move the stock 10-20% in either direction. The stock's beta of 3.30 means it is highly sensitive to broader market moves, creating additional two-way risk. I am confident in the $36.50-$44.50 range because it is anchored by well-defined support and resistance levels, but the exact path within that range depends on the investor day outcome and broader market sentiment. The 52% confidence acknowledges that the bullish case is supported by strong revenue growth and analyst targets, but the company remains unprofitable and faces execution risk with the SkyWater integration.
Other models on the same question
| Model | Expected range | Confidence | Result | Score |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GPT-5.6 Luna | $35.00 to $45.50 | 79% | Direction called incorrectly | 30.8 |
| Gemini 1.5 Pro | $35.00 to $45.00 | 65% | Direction called incorrectly | 30.9 |
| Grok 4.5 | $35.00 to $45.00 | 40% | Direction called incorrectly | 30.9 |
| Claude Opus 5 | $34.30 to $43.70 | 37% | Direction called correctly | 78.8 |
How this forecast is measured
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