---
title: "Why IonQ Stock Is Sliding On Friday?"
type: "News"
locale: "en"
url: "https://longbridge.com/en/news/283141190.md"
description: "IonQ Inc. (NYSE: IONQ) stock fell 2.75% to $43.45 in premarket trading on Friday, driven by a rise in short interest to 22.78%. Despite a strong week for the sector, including a contract win from DARPA and Nvidia's AI model launch, profit-taking from investors contributed to the decline. The stock is currently trading 38.1% above its 20-day SMA but remains 6.7% below its 200-day SMA, indicating mixed technical signals."
datetime: "2026-04-17T11:58:29.000Z"
locales:
  - [zh-CN](https://longbridge.com/zh-CN/news/283141190.md)
  - [en](https://longbridge.com/en/news/283141190.md)
  - [zh-HK](https://longbridge.com/zh-HK/news/283141190.md)
---

# Why IonQ Stock Is Sliding On Friday?

**IonQ Inc.** (NYSE:IONQ) shares are under pressure Friday morning. Nasdaq futures are up 0.20% while S&P 500 futures have gained 0.26%.

After skyrocketing more than 50% this week, the stock is seeing natural profit-taking from investors.

No specific company event triggered the slide, but recent data shows a climb in bearish bets.

Short interest in the quantum firm rose from 79.48 million to 80.93 million shares during the last reporting period. This currently places 22.78% of the company’s float in short positions.

## Sector Momentum and Nvidia Catalyst

The dip comes despite a massive week for the industry. **Nvidia Corp.** (NASDAQ:NVDA) recently launched its “Ising” family of AI models, which acted as a sector-wide catalyst.

S&P Global analysts noted that “2025 ignited interest. 2026 is triggering change,” as market revenue is projected to hit $9 billion this year.

Earlier this week, IonQ also surged after winning a contract for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's (DARPA) HARQ program.

## Technical Analysis

IonQ is sitting in the middle of its 52-week range of $23.48 to $84.64 high. The stock is trading 38.1% above its 20-day simple moving average (SMA) and 6.9% above its 100-day SMA.

The relative strength index (RSI), a momentum gauge, is 74.41.

The 50-day SMA crossed below the 200-day SMA in February (a "death cross"), and the stock is still 6.7% below its 200-day SMA.

-   **Key Resistance**: $44
-   **Key Support**: $38

**IONQ Stock Price Activity:** IonQ shares were down 2.75% at $43.45 during premarket trading on Friday, according to Benzinga Pro data.

_Image via Shutterstock_

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