The bell has a long tradition at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). Since 1870, it has rung at the opening and closing of trading. In 1956, for the first time, a guest was allowed to strike the bell to start a session. To this day, the NYSE holds on to this tradition. On September 12, 2025, IonQ’s top management stood on the famous balcony of the New York Stock Exchange. Chief Executive Officer Niccolo de Masi was permitted to activate the closing bell by pressing a button and then symbolically strike the gavel. Loud applause is part of this ritual. But on that day, the representatives of the quantum computing specialist had more than symbolic reason to celebrate. The IonQ share closed trading at the NYSE with a gain of more than 18%. The rally was to continue: within a week, the market capitalization of the technology company had expanded by nearly half.
It was not so much the “Closing Bell” but rather an event held the very same day that triggered IonQ’s rally. The Maryland-based company hosted an Analyst Day at the NYSE on September 12. Apparently, CEO de Masi and his team succeeded in convincing attendees of the prospects of its products and services. IonQ describes itself as a “first mover” in the field of quantum computing. The company claims to manufacture particularly powerful, cost-efficient, and space-saving systems. Its system “IonQ #AQ 64” opens up a computational space 36 quadrillion times larger than IBM’s most powerful quantum system.
While this is still a prototype, IonQ already has computers in the market that are being used by well-known companies. Among its clients and partners are Amazon.com’s cloud division, pharmaceutical giant AstraZeneca, and semiconductor heavyweight Nvidia. The success is also reflected in hard numbers. For 2025, IonQ is targeting revenue between USD 82 million and USD 100 million. Should the company reach the midpoint of this range, revenue would more than double compared to the previous year (see chart). Alongside technological innovation, acquisitions are a key part of its strategy. On the very day of its NYSE appearance, IonQ received approval in the United Kingdom for the acquisition of Oxford Ionics. Founded in 2019, the company builds high-performance computers and has set multiple records. Its customers include the UK’s National Quantum Computing Centre (NQCC) and Germany’s Cyber Agency.
If IonQ takes a calmer approach following its recent “quantum leap” on Wall Street, the new Softcallable Barrier Reverse Convertible could be an interesting investment alternative. Leonteq has launched two alternative structures on the soaring stock. In product currency CHF, investors can count on a fixed coupon payment of 12.60% p.a. The USD-denominated counterpart offers a quarterly distribution of 16.00% p.a. The barrier is uniformly set at a low 49% of the initial level. As long as IonQ does not fall to or below this mark within the next 15 months, Leonteq will repay the nominal amount in full. Otherwise, the partial protection will expire. The investment would then be fully exposed to the price risk of the U.S. underlying asset. Please also note the softcallable feature – it allows for an early termination and repayment of the BRC.
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