Shares of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM – Get Free Report) traded up 1.1% on Thursday . The stock traded as high as $135.70 and last traded at $134.47. 8,135,807 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 27% from the average session volume of 11,100,549 shares. The stock had previously closed at $133.05.
Key Headlines Impacting Qualcomm
Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.92 per share (record June 4, payable June 25), which supports income investors and signals confidence in cash flow. Qualcomm Announces Quarterly Cash Dividend
- Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm expanded its XR/mobile AI footprint with a multi‑year deal to supply Snapdragon XR processors to Snap’s Specs unit — strengthens QCOM’s positioning in AI wearables and adjacent compute markets. Qualcomm (QCOM) Makes A Strategic Bet That Could Matter More Than It Seems
- Positive Sentiment: Management is deepening automotive ambitions (direct investment in Wayve; expanded Bosch collaboration) to supply vehicle compute/ADAS platforms — a structural growth avenue beyond smartphones. Qualcomm’s Automotive Push Adds New Layer To QCOM Investment Story
- Positive Sentiment: Some analysts/investors view QCOM as attractively valued relative to fast‑rising peers, arguing the selloff creates a buying opportunity if mobile recovery and new verticals gain traction. Qualcomm: Rare Value In An Otherwise Inflated Sector
- Neutral Sentiment: Balanced bull/bear price‑case pieces highlight that upside depends on handset cycles, RF demand and execution in automotive/AI, so short‑term moves may be volatile. Qualcomm Stock Price Prediction: Bull and Bear Case
- Neutral Sentiment: Longer‑term thesis is mixed in market commentary — some outlets praise positioning while warning industry headwinds could cap near‑term growth. Could Qualcomm Stock be One of the Best Semiconductor Stocks to Buy Today?
- Negative Sentiment: JPMorgan cut QCOM from Overweight to Neutral, placed it on a negative‑catalyst watch and slashed the price target (cites smartphone/visibility concerns) — a high‑profile downgrade that can pressure sentiment and multiple compression. JPMorgan Downgrades Qualcomm and Puts It on Negative Watch: Is the Smartphone Giant’s Best Days Behind It?
- Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and relative underperformance versus peers (QCOM roughly flat over 12 months while peers rallied) keep selling pressure and raise execution expectations. Qualcomm: Rare Value In An Otherwise Inflated Sector
Analysts Set New Price Targets
Several research analysts have recently weighed in on the company. Wells Fargo & Company raised Qualcomm from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $135.00 to $185.00 in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Evercore reduced their target price on Qualcomm from $157.00 to $134.00 and set an “in-line” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Seaport Research Partners reaffirmed a “sell” rating and set a $100.00 target price on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Monday, March 16th. Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $140.00 target price (down from $175.00) on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, March 26th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $159.91.
Qualcomm Trading Up 1.3%
The company has a 50 day moving average of $134.48 and a 200 day moving average of $156.47. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.51. The stock has a market capitalization of $145.33 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 28.14 and a beta of 1.28.
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. The wireless technology company reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.12. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 44.09% and a net margin of 11.96%.The firm had revenue of $12.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.16 billion. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.41 EPS. The firm’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS. On average, research analysts predict that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 9.39 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Qualcomm Increases Dividend
The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th will be paid a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.7%. This is an increase from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is currently 73.55%.
Qualcomm declared that its board has approved a stock buyback plan on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the wireless technology company to purchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase plans are generally an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
Insider Buying and Selling at Qualcomm
In related news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 3,333 shares of the stock in a transaction on Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.65, for a total value of $458,787.45. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 35,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,900,202.35. This represents a 8.56% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total value of $438,400.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $2,245,841. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last three months, insiders sold 9,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,233,705. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.
Institutional Trading of Qualcomm
Large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its holdings in Qualcomm by 72.2% in the 3rd quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $26,000 after buying an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Qualcomm in the 3rd quarter valued at $27,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 90.9% during the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 168 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Qualcomm during the 4th quarter worth $29,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 17,000.0% during the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 171 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the period. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Qualcomm Company Profile
Qualcomm Incorporated is a global semiconductor and telecommunications equipment company headquartered in San Diego, California. Founded in 1985, the company is known for its development of wireless technologies and for playing a central role in the evolution of digital cellular standards, including CDMA and subsequent generations of mobile standards. Qualcomm’s business combines the design and sale of semiconductor products with a patent licensing program for wireless technologies and related intellectual property.
The company’s product portfolio includes system-on-chip (SoC) platforms marketed under the Snapdragon brand, cellular modem and RF front-end components, connectivity solutions for Wi‑Fi and Bluetooth, and processors and platforms aimed at automotive, IoT, networking and edge-computing applications.
Further Reading
Receive News & Ratings for Qualcomm Daily - Enter your email address below to receive a concise daily summary of the latest news and analysts' ratings for Qualcomm and related companies with MarketBeat.com's FREE daily email newsletter.
