Imagine two scenarios. In the first, you learn that gold has been found in the surrounding area where you own land. In the second, you find out that previously undisclosed nuclear waste was buried in the surrounding area. In which scenario would you be more likely to try to buy more land adjacent to your original property?
That's a no-brainer, right? If you had a good reason to believe gold could be mined on your land, you'd be much more likely to buy additional acres. On the other hand, if you discovered news that could cause your property value to decrease once it became public knowledge, you'd probably be inclined to sell as soon as the opportunity arose.
This hypothetical exercise illustrates why it can pay off to notice when insiders are buying (or selling) the stock of their company. I bring this up for a simple reason: There's a quantum computing stock that insiders are quietly buying.
Image source: Getty Images.
All in on IonQ
Key insiders appear to believe they've found quantum gold with IonQ (IONQ 1.98%). Over the last six months, insiders have purchased 1,388,206 shares of the quantum computing pioneer. During the same period, insiders sold only 513,617 shares of IonQ.
Granted, the largest "purchase" during this period was actually a $6.75 million restricted stock award to IonQ's new CFO, Inder Singh, in September 2025. However, other insiders used their own money to buy IonQ shares during the period.
For example, Robert Cardillo, executive chair of IonQ Federal, bought $488,000 worth of IonQ shares on Sept. 12, 2025. This transaction increased his total stake in the company to $2.37 million. Nearly two months later, William Teuber Jr. purchased 2,000 shares at a price of approximately $54.82, totaling around $109,630.
It's also helpful to understand that some of the insider sales that have occurred over the last 12 months didn't reflect a negative opinion about IonQ's prospects. As a case in point, Chief Revenue Officer Rima Alameddine sold 100,000 shares on Nov. 20, 2025. However, this was a pre-planned sale using a Rule 10b5-1 trading plan that had been initially set up more than eight months earlier.
Why insiders' outlook about IonQ is upbeat
We don't know for sure why IonQ insiders might have upbeat outlooks on their company. However, I think we can make some pretty good guesses.
For one thing, IonQ's financial trajectory is encouraging. The company reported revenue of $39.9 million in the third quarter of 2025, representing a 222% year-over-year increase. This total even exceeded the high end of IonQ's previous revenue guidance.
NYSE: IONQ
Key Data Points
IonQ continues to make significant progress in advancing its quantum computing technology. It achieved a key technical milestone with its Tempo system three months ahead of schedule. The company also demonstrated quantum frequency conversion to telecom wavelengths, a significant advance that could pave the way for connecting quantum computers using the existing fiber optic infrastructure.
I wouldn't be surprised if insiders are also bullish in part due to IonQ's recent mergers and acquisitions activity. The company's deals to acquire Oxford Ionics and Vector Atomic, in particular, help position it as a full-stack quantum technology provider.
Should you buy IonQ stock, too?
Just because key insiders buy a stock doesn't mean that other investors should blindly follow suit. That's true with IonQ as it is with any other stock.
The reality is that IonQ remains a risky bet. Despite the company's rapid revenue growth, it continues to post hefty net losses. There's also no guarantee that IonQ will emerge as one of the winners in the quantum computing space over the long run.
That said, I think more aggressive investors may want to consider opening a position in this quantum computing stock. IonQ's trapped-ion architecture is promising. The company is winning contracts with major customers at a healthy rate. I also like its focus on quantum technologies beyond quantum computing. There just might be plenty of quantum gold under the surface with IonQ.
