The unreal intelligence (AI) marketplace has long past completely ballistic over the last couple of years and demonstrated stunning resilience. Regardless of what number of people have warned of the potential for an AI bubble bursting, AI shares have endured up and up, attaining new highs apparently each and every week.
Regardless of how bullish you may well be on AI, although, it is all the time value hedging your bets. And by chance, you do have an choice as an investor to make a tech play that does not contain AI in any respect.
I am speaking about quantum computing, particularly an organization known as IonQ (IONQ 9.59%).
Symbol supply: Getty Pictures.
The quantum revolution
Now, whilst AI definitely has some synergy with quantum computing, they are not dependent upon one some other.
Quantum computer systems are if truth be told horrible on the standard pc stuff that even essentially the most complicated agentic AI is designed to do, like browsing the online or compiling a spreadsheet.
It’s, alternatively, sensible at such things as encryption, refined modeling, and very advanced calculations. The medical programs are just about endless.
As an example, Alphabet‘s quantum pc, Willow, solved a math downside in 5 mins that will have taken even essentially the most complicated standard supercomputer 10 septillion years to resolve.
So, whilst there may be most likely a convergence level between quantum computing and AI coming sooner or later, the 2 aren’t dependent upon one some other but. And quantum shares like IonQ constitute a tech play that does not depend on AI.
These days’s Trade
(-9.59%) $-5.51
Present Worth
$51.96
Key Knowledge Issues
Marketplace Cap
$19B
Day’s Vary
$51.28 – $54.58
52wk Vary
$25.89 – $84.64
Quantity
2M
Avg Vol
28M
Gross Margin
-2879.52%
Taking a quantum soar
IonQ is the one end-to-end quantum computing corporate. It is going to immediately up promote you a quantum pc (if you are a big trade or the federal government, a minimum of).
However quantum machines do not come reasonable, so the majority of IonQ’s earnings comes from promoting get right of entry to to its personal quantum machines over the cloud.
For plenty of companies and analysis laboratories that may have a use for a quantum pc, purchasing and keeping up one isn’t economically possible. So, they may be able to hire get right of entry to to one among IonQ’s.
The corporate additionally provides quantum pc networking and safety products and services, in addition to quantum sensors and area infrastructure. It is all very sci-fi, and the era is somewhat past the scope of this text.
However what is not out of doors the scope of this text are IonQ’s financials, that are improbable for a tender corporate in a bleeding-edge box.
The corporate reported its Q1 2026 effects on Would possibly 6 and recorded earnings expansion of 755% over Q1 2025, marking the 3rd quarter in a row of triple-digit year-over-year will increase.
IonQ additionally reported internet source of revenue of $804.6 million in comparison to a internet lack of $32.25 million for Q1 2025. It is also the corporate’s 2d winning quarter in a row since first reaching profitability in This fall 2025.
In any case, the corporate has an overly forged stability sheet with a complete debt-to-equity ratio of 0.01, so we have now a low-debt corporate with triple-digit year-over-year earnings expansion that simply accomplished profitability and does not depend at the AI business.
That feels like a winner to me.
