Quantum computing stocks rally after IonQ reports a fresh technical breakthrough

Quantum computing stocks rally after IonQ reports a fresh technical breakthrough

By Samuel O’Brient
Publication Date: 2026-09-23 14:55:00

Quantum computing stocks jumped on Wednesday, with IonQ leading a rally in the sector after reporting a breakthrough and a new deal to install its quantum tech in Nvidia’s Accelerated Quantum Research Center.

After a burst of burt of momentum throughout 2025, IonQ stock has struggled this year, down about 4% year to date after Wednesday’s gain. The stock popped as much as 13% before paring.

IonQ’s peers in the sector also got a boost. Here were the big moves intraday in other quantum stocks:

Here’s where some of the sector’s top movers were as markets opened on Wednesday.

The rally in the space on Wednesday was being driven by an announcement from IonQ regarding a breakthrough in “real-time quantum error-correction,” marking a major technical milestone for the nascent technology.

While the company’s researchers showcased their work in this area in a paper published on September 3, they released a statement detailing further progress on Tuesday, highlighting what it describes as a significant milestone in quantum advancements.

The gain was also being driven by news of a deal for IonQ to bring its quantum computing technology to an Nvidia research center meanto to “help drive the new breakthroughs needed to turn qubits into useful, large-scale quantum supercomputers capable of solving the world’s hardest problems.”

Wednesday’s momentum sparked enthusiasm from retail traders in online forums. The day trader crowd piled into quantum…