Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Up 11.1% – Still a Buy?

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)’s share price shot up 11.1% during trading on Friday . The company traded as high as $151.54 and last traded at $148.85. 29,310,401 shares changed hands during trading, an increase of 160% from the average session volume of 11,252,503 shares. The stock had previously closed at $133.95.

Trending Headlines about Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Semiconductor sector rally lifted shares as the chip complex caught fire, driving a sharp intraday move higher. Qualcomm Stock Jumps 11% – Here’s Why It’s Still Down 13% in 2026
• Positive Sentiment: Unusually large options activity: roughly 120,444 call contracts were bought (about 165% above average), indicating strong bullish positioning that can amplify upside and intraday volume.
• Positive Sentiment: AI narrative supports longer-term upside: Qualcomm is highlighted as an “AI-at-the-edge” name that could benefit from AI-driven demand beyond smartphones. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM): One of the AI Stocks That Could Break Trillion Dollar Barrier
• Neutral Sentiment: Barclays began coverage / issued a new rating — a headline catalyst that can move sentiment but whose net impact depends on the specifics of the view and any price target. Barclays Begins Coverage on Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM)
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts and investors are focused on key Q2 metrics and guidance ahead of the quarter-end/earnings window; Zacks summarizes what Wall Street is watching for in the upcoming report. Wall Street’s Insights Into Key Metrics Ahead of Qualcomm (QCOM) Q2 Earnings
• Negative Sentiment: Analyst downgrades and valuation concerns persist: recent notes highlighted weak smartphone demand, rising memory costs, and limited near-term catalysts for the handset business — factors that have pressured the stock YTD. A Look At Qualcomm (QCOM) Valuation As Analyst Downgrades Highlight Handset Weakness And Limited Near Term Catalysts
• Negative Sentiment: Peer comparison: some coverage contrasts Qualcomm with mobile-chip peers (e.g., Cirrus Logic), noting supply constraints and demand headwinds that could weigh on share gains if handset cycles remain weak. Cirrus Logic vs. Qualcomm: Which Mobile Chip Stock is the Better Buy?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms recently commented on QCOM. Citigroup reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. Royal Bank Of Canada reduced their price objective on Qualcomm from $180.00 to $150.00 and set a “sector perform” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their price objective on Qualcomm from $225.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. UBS Group reduced their price objective on Qualcomm from $160.00 to $150.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Tuesday. Finally, Daiwa Securities Group cut Qualcomm from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $140.00 price objective for the company. in a research report on Wednesday, February 11th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, Qualcomm currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $158.25.

Qualcomm Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.83. The business has a 50-day simple moving average of $134.17 and a 200 day simple moving average of $155.58. The firm has a market cap of $158.82 billion, a PE ratio of 30.75 and a beta of 1.28.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The wireless technology company reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $12.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.16 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 44.09% and a net margin of 11.96%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business posted $3.41 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS. Equities research analysts forecast that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 8.25 EPS for the current year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be given a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 4th. This is a positive change from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.5%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 73.55%.

Qualcomm announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share repurchase program on Tuesday, March 17th that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the wireless technology company to buy up to 14.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are usually an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Qualcomm

In related news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.34, for a total transaction of $325,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,684 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,999,352.56. This trade represents a 7.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total value of $438,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,245,841. This represents a 16.33% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last 90 days, insiders sold 9,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,233,705. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Qualcomm

Institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 72.2% during the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Qualcomm during the third quarter worth about $27,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 90.9% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Qualcomm during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 17,000.0% during the fourth 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 in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

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.