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IonQ (IONQ), one of the most closely watched publicly traded quantum-computing companies, took a hit in January 2025 after Nvidia (NVDA) CEO Jensen Huang questioned how quickly useful quantum machines would arrive.

Huang said a reasonable estimate for very useful quantum computers was 15 to 30 years. IonQ shares fell 9.4% that day.

Less than two years later, Nvidia is preparing to put an IonQ quantum processor inside its own research center.

IonQ said Sept. 23 that Superion 256 will become the first on-premise quantum processor at Nvidia’s Accelerated Quantum Research Center, or NVAQC. The system is scheduled to be installed in 2027 and connected directly to an Nvidia GB200 NVL72 system.

IonQ shares were up about 4.98% to $42.77 around midday Sept. 23, after trading as high as $46.02 earlier in the session.

A day earlier, IonQ also announced a real-time quantum error-correction decoder that runs on a conventional CPU.

The two announcements show how IonQ is building around a system in which quantum processors work with CPUs and GPUs inside the same computing environment.

Nvidia will connect IonQ’s QPU directly to Blackwell

IonQ’s Superion 256 is scheduled to be installed at NVAQC in 2027 and directly linked to an Nvidia GB200 NVL72 through Nvidia’s NVQLink technology.

The workloads will run through CUDA-Q, Nvidia’s software platform for coordinating quantum and conventional computing. A quantum processing unit, or QPU, performs calculations using quantum bits, or qubits.

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In the planned Nvidia setup, the processors have different jobs.

IonQ’s QPU will perform quantum calculations. Nvidia’s GPUs will handle accelerated conventional computing, with CUDA-Q coordinating work across the systems.

Nvidia designed NVAQC around this type of architecture.

When the company announced the Boston research center in March 2025, Nvidia said the facility would integrate quantum hardware with AI supercomputers to work on problems such as qubit noise, error correction, and hybrid algorithms.

Superion 256 will be the first QPU installed on-site.

Nvidia moved from quantum skepticism to building infrastructure

Nvidia’s research-center deployment arrives less than two years after Huang’s long commercialization timeline helped trigger a selloff across quantum stocks.

By March 2025, Nvidia had already moved from discussing the timeline to building hardware and software around the technology.

NVAQC was announced with partners including Quantinuum, Quantum Machines, and QuEra, as well as researchers from Harvard and MIT. Nvidia equipped the center with AI supercomputing infrastructure designed to work with multiple types of quantum hardware.

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But no evidence has shown that Nvidia expects large-scale quantum computers to replace conventional supercomputers soon. IonQ is also not Nvidia’s only quantum collaborator.

The new step is narrower and more concrete: IonQ will be the first company to install an on-premise QPU at NVAQC.

Nvidia is now building the infrastructure required to test quantum processors beside its GPUs rather than simply debating when useful quantum computing will arrive.

Nvidia is building its quantum research center around systems that connect quantum processors with AI supercomputers.Yuichiro Chino / Getty Images

IonQ’s CPU decoder tackles the error-correction bottleneck

Qubits are highly sensitive to noise, which can introduce errors during a quantum calculation.

A fault-tolerant quantum computer must detect and correct those errors continuously.

The correction process relies on conventional computing hardware. If the classical decoder cannot process error information fast enough, the quantum processor may have to pause.

IonQ said Sept. 22 that it developed and tested an error-correction decoder that can run continuously on one standard off-the-shelf CPU.

What IonQ tested

Up to 408 logical qubits in simulated benchmark circuits.

More than 31.5 million quantum operations across those circuits.

As little as 0.02% added execution time, which IonQ calls “stretch” time.

Those figures need one important qualification. IonQ did not demonstrate a physical quantum computer running 408 logical qubits. The company tested its decoder on benchmark circuits simulating that scale.

The experiment tested whether a conventional processor could keep pace with the error-correction workload.

That fits the architecture IonQ plans to test with Nvidia: conventional processors handle the supporting computation around a QPU.

Nvidia gives IonQ a showcase: 2027 deliveries are the commercial test

IonQ began accepting orders for Superion 256 on Sept. 8.

The company expects first customer deliveries in 2027 and said it had pre-sold its first Superion 256 system during the first quarter.

IonQ has not disclosed the financial value of the NVAQC deployment.

Its latest financial figures also show a company growing rapidly and spending heavily as it expands both quantum technology and manufacturing.

IonQ’s business by the numbers

$80.1 million: Second-quarter revenue, up 287% year over year.

$120.3 million: Adjusted EBITDA loss for the quarter.

About $2.0 billion: Cash, cash equivalents and investments on a pro forma basis after the SkyWater acquisition.

$450 million to $460 million: IonQ’s latest 2026 revenue guidance.

IonQ’s earlier $280 million to $290 million outlook excluded SkyWater. The company raised its forecast to $450 million to $460 million after closing the acquisition, and the new range includes SkyWater revenue from July 31 through year-end.

So the higher forecast does not represent organic quantum-computing growth alone.

Superion provides a separate test of IonQ’s core quantum hardware business.

The Nvidia installation is scheduled for next year. Customer deliveries are also expected to begin in 2027, followed by IonQ’s target for commercially manufacturable fault-tolerant systems in 2028.

The next concrete proof will come when Superion starts shipping to paying customers in 2027, and those deployments begin generating repeat orders and revenue.

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People talk about the best time of year to buy a house, but the “best time” truly is subjective.

You might consider the “best time” to be when there are plenty of houses on the market to choose from. Or when home prices are the lowest. Or it may just be the time of year you need to move for a new job.

Research from the real estate technology company Redfin offers some answers for buyers with different goals and priorities.

If your priority is getting a lower price, October is the best time in certain markets, Redfin reports.

“October is when buyers finally get some breathing room,” said Natasha Bartolomeo, a New Jersey Redfin agent. “The market’s still competitive, so you can’t wait forever — but this is the window when listings that have been sitting since spring get more open to price drops or covering closing costs.”

“If you’re serious about buying, this is the smart time to shop, before that leverage disappears,” said Bartolomeo.

Redfin: October can be the best time for lower home prices

Of course, every local real estate market is different. The best time to snag a low home price in one part of the country might not be the same as in another.

In an analysis by Redfin and analytics and research firm Home Economics, the companies found that October is the best time for homebuyers to get good deals in 16 major U.S. metro areas, primarily on the East Coast and in the Midwest.

Here’s how the timing and locations break down:

Early October: Boston; Chicago; Minneapolis; New Brunswick, N.J.; and Orlando

Mid-October: Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; Indianapolis; Montgomery County, Pa.; Philadelphia; Pittsburgh; Providence, R.I.; and Virginia Beach, Va.

Late October: Cleveland, Phoenix, and Warren, Mich.

“Seasonality trends suggest buyers in these places looking to score a bargain may want to get serious about their home search now that fall is here,” senior economist Asad Khan told Redfin.

“If a lower price is a priority, October is the time to make a move in these places,” Khan continued. “Sellers who put their home on the market over the summer might be open to dropping their price or offering concessions now that we’re past Labor Day.”

Boston, Chicago, and Philadelphia are just a few metro areas where October is the best time to buy a lower-priced house.Lana2011 / Getty Images

Other cities have their own best times for lower prices

What if you don’t live in one of these metro areas, but your main priority as a buyer is still to get a low price? You may still have options before the end of 2026.

Late September is the best time to find a good deal if you live in Houston, Las Vegas, San Francisco, or Washington, D.C., according to the Redfin analysis.

Early November is best for homebuyers in Milwaukee; Riverside, Calif.; or Tampa.

Winter months can be the best time to get a low price in some areas, because fewer people are interested in buying. This often means less competition with other buyers, which can lead to lower home prices, according to American Home Shield.

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In fact, the Redfin analysis found that mid-December is the best time for a good deal in Detroit, as well as Fort Lauderdale and West Palm Beach, Fla.

If your priority is buying when housing prices are lowest, however, you may have to compromise on other parts of the home-buying process.

“Waiting until later in the fall can pay off, as prices often soften toward the holidays,” wrote Realtor.com. “Mortgage rates may also be lower, which along with softer prices can make a big difference on your wallet. However, the trade-off is fewer choices.”

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Fallout from these decisions pushed prices higher and pressured worker pay

Palantir’s last earnings report reignited investor enthusiasm, and now the company is basking in the glow of a real-world AI boom.

Bill Ackman, founder of Pershing Square Capital Management, held a Netflix position from January to April 2022 before selling every share at a loss of more than $400 million, according to Pershing Square’s 2022 investor communications. 

He conceded at the time that Pershing Square had lost confidence in its ability to predict the company’s future with sufficient certainty.

Four years later, his hedge fund’s Q2 2026 semiannual disclosure revealed a new Netflix position representing 4.9% of Pershing Square’s $19.47 billion Form 13F portfolio, worth roughly $950 million as of the end of June 2026, the fund’s SEC filing confirmed.

What changed at Netflix since Pershing Square’s 2022 exit

The conditions that drove Ackman’s exit no longer apply, starting with subscriber scale and the cash generation that follows it. 

Netflix produced $9 billion in free cash flow in 2025, a figure that would have been unthinkable during the subscriber-acquisition phase Ackman originally bought into. 

Netflix also surpassed 325 million paid memberships by the end of 2025, up roughly 7.7% year over year, reflecting financial strength that did not exist when Ackman first owned the stock.

Bill Ackman argued in the firm’s mid-2026 investor letter that Netflix’s subscriber dominance has ended the competitive threat that drove his 2022 exit, and that the company’s financial trajectory now supports sustained earnings growth.

Netflix has since effectively won the streaming wars. Looking forward, we expect Netflix to compound revenue at a double-digit growth rate, with content costs growing more slowly than revenue driving continued margin expansion.

Warner Bros. Discovery provides the sharpest contrast. Netflix declined to raise its acquisition offer for the company, and the deal terminated as a result.

The termination yielded a $2.8 billion fee payable to Netflix, the Q1 2026 shareholder letter confirmed.

Netflix targets $3 billion in ad revenue as its next growth engine

Netflix’s advertising-supported subscription tier drove more than 60% of first-quarter sign-ups in the markets where the cheaper plan is offered. The number of advertisers on the platform grew 70% year over year to more than 4,000 clients during the same period.

Netflix guided ad-tier revenue to roughly $3 billion in 2026, roughly doubling from about $1.5 billion in 2025, according to Netflix’s Q2 2026 shareholder letter. 

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Upfront advertising commitments for the 2026-27 season grew by close to 100% year over year, and Netflix President of Advertising Amy Reinhard confirmed that growth matched internal projections.

On the Q1 2026 earnings call, Netflix Co-Chief Executive Officer Greg Peters called the gap between ad-tier and standard-plan revenue per member a source of unrealized growth, with meaningful room to close it.

Netflix has also expanded its programmatic ad partnerships with Amazon, Google, The Trade Desk, and Yahoo to broaden automatic buying across the platform.

Management estimated that the platform currently captures just 7% of a roughly $670 billion addressable revenue market, leaving significant room for expansion. 

Netflix is scaling its advertising business rapidly, targeting $3 billion in 2026 revenue as advertiser growth and upfront commitments accelerate.simpson33 / Getty Images

Falling viewing hours divide Wall Street on Netflix’s outlook

Revenue growth is decelerating, with Chief Financial Officer (CFO) Spence Neumann targeting 13% to 14% top-line growth for the full year. 

Content spending is climbing at roughly 10% this year, and viewing hours grew just 2% in the first half of 2026, Netflix Q2 2026 Shareholder Letter confirmed.

Steven Cahall, senior research analyst at Wells Fargo, downgraded the stock from Equal Weight to Underweight on Sept. 18, 2026, and cut his price target to $57, citing deteriorating engagement, Quartz reported. 

Cahall estimated that subscribers watched 1.6 hours per day in the first half of 2026, roughly 8% below an adjusted 2023 comparison. He projected that hours from the top 100 original titles will fall 21% year over year in the second half on a thinner content slate.

Netflix repurchased $4.7 billion of its shares during the second quarter, its largest buyback on record, with about $27.1 billion still authorized, the firm’s Q2 letter stated. 

Evercore ISI raised its price target to $110 the same week Cahall downgraded the stock, illustrating how deeply divided the analyst community remains, 24/7 Wall St reported.

What Ackman’s bet signals for streaming-stock decisions

The risk profiles from 2022 and 2026 share almost no overlap, and that distinction matters for investors evaluating streaming-stock exposure in this market. 

Pershing Square’s letter declared the streaming war over and pointed to a scaled platform with industry-leading cash generation, a financial profile the company lacked during Ackman’s first attempt.

The deciding variable is whether the ad-tier revenue target is met while content costs remain disciplined, or whether declining engagement forces heavier programming spending, Cahall warned. 

The pace at which daily viewing hours are falling creates measurable tension, and Netflix’s Oct. 20, 2026, earnings report is the next point at which that tension will show up in the reported numbers.

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Americans are drinking less alcohol.

“2025 marked another challenging year for the U.S. Beverage Alcohol industry, with total off-premise dollar sales declining 3.4% to $110 billion, driven by broad-based volume softness across Beer, Wine, and Spirits. While inflationary pressures eased versus prior years, consumers remained highly value-conscious, moderating consumption and prioritizing fewer but more intentional purchase occasions,” according to data from NielsenIQ.

That broader shift toward alcohol-free and moderation-oriented beverages should have created an opportunity for Hoplark, a company that makes sparkling teas, tea and juice blends, sparkling waters, and alcohol-free beverage options.

Those are categories that have grown.

“At the same time, non-alcohol beer, wine, and spirits surpassed $1 billion in sales, signaling moderation as a complement, not a replacement, to alcohol consumption,” NielsenIQ added.

In addition, nonalcoholic beer, wine, and spirits generated $925 million in off-premise sales, up 21.9% vs. a year ago. These products now represent 0.8% of total alcohol sales, the same report showed.

It’s a robust market, but not a strong enough one to keep Hoplark from filing Chapter 7 bankruptcy.

Hoplark files Chapter 7 bankruptcy

“Sparkling water, tea and alcohol-free beverage brand Hoplark’s parent company has filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy liquidation and teased a ‘potential lawsuit against Brooklyn Brewery,’ alleging the New York craft brewery violated a licensing agreement and its fiduciary duties,” Brewbound reported.

Brooklyn Brewery invested in Hoplark and became a distribution partner in 2023. That was something Brooklyn Brewery CEO Eric Ottoway was very excited about at the time.

“The true attraction here goes way beyond just sales and logistics. We are captivated by Hoplark’s novel technological approach to hops. Their willingness to challenge established practices and think outside the box is extremely evident. They have crafted a unique brand narrative around using hops in a ‘triple zero’ concept — no alcohol, calories, or sugar — that is unparalleled in the beverage industry,” he said in a press release at the time.

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Now that relationship has broken down, and Hoplark suggested in the Chapter 7 filing that it will sue its former partner, while Brooklyn Brewery has said it can still brew Hoplark products, despite the bankruptcy liquidation.

“The Boulder, Colorado-based, non-alcoholic (NA) beverage maker reported more than $5.9 million in total liabilities, including more than $1.1 million in secured liabilities to Brooklyn Brewery, $113,252.21 in priority unsecured claims and more than $4.68 million in nonpriority unsecured claims,” according to the late August petition filed in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado by former CEO and board member Betsy Frost.

Americans are drinking less alcohol, while sales of nonalcoholic beer, wine, and spirits are growing.Shutterstock

Hoplark Chapter 7 bankruptcy at a glance

Hoplark Inc. filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy on Aug. 28, 2026, in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Colorado, according to PacerMonitor.

The Chapter 7 filing means Hoplark is seeking liquidation rather than reorganizing its debts while continuing as a stand-alone company, the U.S. government definition indicated.

Hoplark reported approximately $2.07 million in assets and $5.90 million in liabilities in its bankruptcy filing, according to Brewbound.

The company listed 74 creditors in its bankruptcy petition, according to documents filed on PacerMonitor.

Hoplark generated approximately $9.3 million in revenue in 2024 but reported only about $630,000 in revenue in 2025, according to information from the bankruptcy filing, added Brewbound.

The filing listed more than $1.1 million in secured obligations to Brooklyn Brewery, according to Brewbound.

Hoplark also listed $113,252 in priority unsecured claims and more than $4.68 million in other unsecured claims, Brewbound added.

Brooklyn Brewery became a minority investor in Hoplark in 2023 and had a licensing relationship with the company, Brewbound reported.

Brooklyn Brewery has indicated that the Hoplark brand can continue through its licensing arrangement, meaning the bankruptcy of Hoplark Inc. does not necessarily mean the Hoplark brand disappears from stores, according to Brewbound.

A Chapter 7 trustee, Joli A. Lofstedt, was appointed to the case, reported Inforuptcy.

Hoplark was founded by Dean Eberhardt and Andrew Markley in Boulder, Colorado, according to CB Insights.

The company raised more than $25 million over its history, CB Insights noted.

Americans are drinking less alcohol

“The share of Americans who say they drink alcohol remains at a record-low 54% for the second consecutive year, the lowest reading in Gallup’s trend dating back to 1939,” according to a 2026 Gallup report.

Some other data uncovered by the study includes:

13% say they sometimes drink too much, also a record low.

17% of Americans have substituted nonalcoholic beverages for alcohol.

Self-reported drinking fell over the previous three years, from 62% in 2023 to 58% in 2024 and 54% in 2025, before holding steady this year.

Gallup based the latest results on interviews with U.S. adults aged 18 and older in its July 1-19 Consumption Habits survey.

The study also showed that health concerns are a key reason as to why Americans are drinking less.

“Fifty-one percent of U.S. adults now believe drinking one or two alcoholic beverages a day is bad for one’s health. The figure is essentially unchanged from last year’s record-high 53% and marks only the second time since Gallup first asked the question in 2001 that a majority has expressed this view,” Gallup reported.

The increase in nonalcoholic beverage sales does not necessarily mean people are giving up alcohol.

“Ninety-three percent of non-alcoholic beverage buyers also buy alcoholic beverages,” NielsenIQ reported.

RTM Nexus CEO Dominick Miserandino sees Hoplark’s failure as part of a broader challenge facing companies in the category and expects more bankruptcies in the space.

“The challenge with a hot category is that everyone sees the same opportunity. Suddenly you have dozens of brands competing for a limited amount of shelf and cooler space. Retailers don’t need ten versions of the same idea. They’re going to keep the products that turn, and being interesting or innovative isn’t enough if the velocity isn’t there,” he told TheStreet.

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