IonQ Inc. (IONQ) shares pushed higher Monday afternoon as investors responded positively to news of a strategic acquisition that could reshape the company's approach to quantum networking.

The Acquisition Deal

Monday morning, IonQ revealed it entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Skyloom Global, a U.S. leader in space-based optical communications. The company plans to integrate Skyloom's satellite link technology to accelerate development of a worldwide quantum networking and sensing infrastructure.

It's a forward-looking bet that quantum computing won't just be about individual machines, but about networked systems that can communicate across vast distances. Satellite-based optical communications could be a key piece of that puzzle.

A Welcome Rebound

The positive news provides a much-needed bounce after a brutal sector-wide selloff last week. Quantum stocks saw over $30 billion in market value evaporate as investors grew increasingly skeptical about commercialization timelines—what some analysts described as a potential "dot-com moment" for the quantum computing sector.

But IonQ has some fundamental momentum working in its favor. Back on Nov. 6, the company posted strong third-quarter results, beating both revenue and earnings per share estimates. Management also raised its full-year 2025 sales outlook to a range of $106 million to $110 million, well above the previous estimate of $91.33 million.

The Volatility Story

Market data highlights the recent turbulence. IonQ maintains a strong Momentum score of 87.25 even as its short- and medium-term price trends are rated negatively—a sign of just how wild the ride has been for quantum computing investors lately.

Price Movement

IonQ shares were up 2.48% at $48.35 at the time of publication on Monday.