IonQ, SoundHound and Unity Earnings Previews: What Investors Should Watch
IonQ, SoundHound, and Unity all head into Thursday's earnings after brutal selloffs, yet each stock carries a completely different set of make-or-break questions that could send shares soaring or accelerate the pain.
Three high-growth, high-volatility tech stocks report results on Thursday, Nov. 5. Unity Software (NYSE:U | U Price Prediction) reports before the open, while IonQ (NYSE:IONQ) and SoundHound AI (NASDAQ:SOUN) report after the close. Two of the three come into the week after steep selloffs.
Record Quarters Collide With a Tech Selloff
On Mad Money on Nov. 2, Jim Cramer said growth stocks away from tech are “pretty darn good” while tech stocks “remain in purgatory.” IonQ closed most recently at $29.99, down 30.2% in a month and 35.9% this year. SoundHound, at $4.12, has lost 29.9% in a month and 61.1% this year. Unity has held up better at $40.48, off 11.3% in a month and down 8.5% year to date.
The declines came after strong second quarters. IonQ’s release quoted CEO Niccolo de Masi saying revenue of $80.1 million “again exceeded our guidance” in a “fifth consecutive quarter of record results.” SoundHound’s release quoted CEO Keyvan Mohajer noting revenue reached 10 times its Q2 2022 level. Unity called the period “arguably the best quarter in Unity’s history as a public company,” crediting “the ongoing success of Unity Vector AI.”
All three are speculative, high-risk stocks. IonQ and SoundHound still lose money, and the stocks can move sharply on results. Unity fell 26.3% on the day of its fourth-quarter 2025 report even though it beat estimates.
Consensus Points to Steep Growth and Wider IonQ Losses
| Metric | IonQ | SoundHound | Unity |
|---|---|---|---|
| Q3 EPS estimate | −$0.80 | −$0.05 | $0.345 |
| Year-ago Q3 EPS | −$0.17 | −$0.03 | $0.20 |
| Q3 revenue estimate | $141.2M | $62.2M | $567.4M |
| Implied YoY revenue growth | 254.2% | 47.9% | 20.6% |
| FY2026 EPS estimate | −$4.03 | −$0.164 | $1.2117 |
| FY2026 revenue estimate | $455.1M | $237.7M | $2.22B |
Cash Burn, Agentic AI, and Vector Will Set the Tone
Qubits are the basic units of a quantum computer and are prone to errors. Error correction identifies and fixes those mistakes while the machine keeps running. De Masi cited “powerful strides” toward a 256-qubit computer. On Sept. 23, a Fast Money panelist said IonQ had solved real-time error correction but warned that quantum companies “burn a ton of cash.” Keep an eye on revenue against the $280 million to $290 million standalone guidance, the first contributions from SkyWater Technology (NASDAQ:SKYT) and Nexus, and cash burn. The full-year consensus runs well above standalone guidance, which excludes SkyWater, so the way IonQ accounts for the purchase will shape the revenue figure.
SoundHound’s growth story centers on agentic AI, meaning software that completes tasks such as taking a drive-thru order or scheduling a meeting. The key checks are revenue against the raised $230 million to $260 million outlook, whether the Q2 adjusted EBITDA loss of $9.61 million keeps narrowing, cash of $202.78 million, and timing on the LivePerson (NASDAQ:LPSN) deal, which management said would bring updated guidance.
Vector is Unity’s AI-driven advertising engine, which uses prediction models and real-time bidding to match ads with players. Unity guided strategic revenue of $540 million to $550 million and adjusted EBITDA of $185 million to $190 million. Management also moved its target for GAAP profitability up to this quarter.
IonQ Carries the Most Risk on Thursday
| Company | Must show |
|---|---|
| IonQ | Standalone growth on pace, credible cash-burn path |
| SoundHound | Narrowing losses, LivePerson close date |
| Unity | Continued Vector growth, GAAP profit |
IonQ carries the most risk. Consensus calls for a loss of $0.80 per share versus $0.17 a year ago, and purchase accounting will make revenue harder to compare. Its $12.9 billion market cap is predicated on 256-qubit systems that IonQ has scheduled for commissioning in 2027. Unity comes in with the clearest picture, while SoundHound has to show its losses keep narrowing.
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Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.
Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community.
Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.
Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions.
