Quantum computing is becoming a popular investment theme in the market, but there's just one problem: It's still a few years away from commercial relevance. This makes it nearly impossible to predict which company will be a major winner in this field. Adding to the difficulty of quantum computing investing is that the technology is incredibly complicated and can be difficult to understand. However, not investing in quantum computing could be a massive mistake for your portfolio's future returns.
So, what should investors do? One advantage investors can get in this investment sector is looking at which competitors have strong backers. Amazon (AMZN +0.15%) is one tech giant that is investing in this space and is backing one of the leading pure plays: IonQ (IONQ 3.36%). This gives IonQ a vote of confidence from one of the biggest companies in the world, making IonQ an intriguing stock to invest in.
Amazon owns a small amount of IonQ
We know that Amazon is investing in IonQ from its Form 13F, which informs investors what other stock holdings Amazon has because its investment portfolio is greater than $100 million. As of its last report filed for Q2 holdings, Amazon holds nine stocks, with IonQ being one of them.
Amazon holds just over 850,000 shares of IonQ. While that may sound like a lot, that's only about 0.3% of IonQ's total shares outstanding. So, Amazon isn't a controlling party in IonQ; it's just an investor like you and me (although it has a lot more capital than you and me).
Just because Amazon doesn't own 10% or so of the company doesn't mean this isn't an insignificant investment. Amazon clearly likes what it saw, and with Amazon having more technical prowess than the average investor, I think this makes IonQ an intriguing quantum computing investment.
One thing that sets IonQ apart from its competitors is the path it's taking. While most quantum computing players are using superconducting technology, which requires cooling a particle to nearly absolute zero, IonQ uses a trapped-ion approach, which can be performed at room temperature. Furthermore, the trapped-ion technique is inherently more accurate than superconducting, which is a trade-off for slower processing speeds.
NYSE: IONQ
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Because the biggest hurdle in quantum computing technology is accuracy, I think IonQ is one of the more compelling investment options right now, as it is the leader in this category, holding two world records.
This makes IonQ my top option in the quantum computing investment world. But is the stock worth buying right now?
An investment in IonQ will be volatile
IonQ has had an incredible run over the past few months as quantum computing investing has risen in popularity. The stock is up around 90% since the start of September, which is a massive movement considering that we're still years away from viable quantum computing technology.
Most companies in this realm point toward 2030 as the turning point for quantum computing adoption, and IonQ is no different. Earlier this year, IonQ's CEO Peter Chapman gave investors the projection that the company will be profitable with sales approaching $1 billion by 2030. That's still five years away, which is a long time to wait and hold the stock to see if IonQ is an eventual winner in the quantum computing arms race.
With how much attention quantum computing has gotten in recent weeks, it's impossible to tell where the stocks involved in this sector will head. It's possible that there is a quantum computing investing mania ongoing, and the stocks continue to rise at an irrational pace.
It's also possible that the stock could be ripe for a sell-off, especially after the past few weeks of strong gains. However, as long-term investors, we need to avoid that noise. If you're buying IonQ stock now, you need to have the mindset of buying and holding through at least 2030, regardless of what the roller coaster ride of the stock market is like.
If you're confident in IonQ, buying today makes sense, but your measure of success cannot be the stock price; it must be the company's announcements. If IonQ wins the quantum computing arms race, the stock will be a winner over the long term, but keep in mind that it will be incredibly volatile along the way.
