Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Up 3.2% – Here’s What Happened

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)’s share price shot up 3.2% during trading on Wednesday . The company traded as high as $197.50 and last traded at $192.6120. 30,016,043 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 125% from the average session volume of 13,368,783 shares. The stock had previously closed at $186.55.

Key Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Daiwa upgraded Qualcomm to Outperform and lifted its price target to $225, arguing the market is undervaluing Qualcomm’s move into AI infrastructure and data center silicon. Daiwa Just Upgraded Qualcomm to Outperform: $225 Price Target Bets on Data Center AI Pivot
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 mobile chips are fueling optimism that the company can keep extending its product cycle into lower-cost devices while adding AI features. What’s driving Qualcomm stock higher?
• Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights Qualcomm’s buyback program, a Snap AR partnership, strong earnings, and custom silicon wins as evidence that the company is successfully pivoting beyond its core smartphone business. Qualcomm Climbs 8% as Buyback, Snap AR Partnership Power Pivot Beyond Smartphones
• Neutral Sentiment: Some traders note the stock has moved sharply higher in a short period, which can make it vulnerable to near-term pullbacks even if the longer-term AI thesis remains intact. Qualcomm Stock Is Soaring Today: What’s Going On?
• Neutral Sentiment: Another commentary piece says Qualcomm’s RSI is in overbought territory after the recent run, suggesting momentum may cool before the next leg higher. What’s driving Qualcomm stock higher?
• Negative Sentiment: DZ Bank downgraded Qualcomm from Buy to Hold and set a $195 target, reflecting some caution after the sharp rally. Trump Could Put These 8 Stocks In The Spotlight For China Trip: Here Are The CEOs That Could Be Invited

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of brokerages have recently commented on QCOM. Tigress Financial restated a “buy” rating and issued a $280.00 price target (up from $270.00) on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Friday. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and issued a $190.00 price target on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Morgan Stanley began coverage on Qualcomm in a report on Friday. They issued an “overweight” rating on the stock. Robert W. Baird set a $300.00 price target on Qualcomm in a report on Friday, May 1st. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Qualcomm in a report on Monday, March 30th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $135.00 price target on the stock. Fourteen investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $180.37.

Qualcomm Stock Up 8.2%

The firm has a market cap of $230.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 23.81, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 24.99 and a beta of 1.49. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a fifty day moving average of $138.77 and a 200-day moving average of $155.88.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.09. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 42.11% and a net margin of 22.31%.The business had revenue of $10.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.59 billion. During the same quarter in the prior year, the company posted $2.85 earnings per share. Qualcomm’s revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Qualcomm has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared 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. This is a boost from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.7%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 38.70%.

Qualcomm announced that its board has authorized a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, March 17th that allows the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization allows the wireless technology company to buy up to 14.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are often an indication that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Activity at Qualcomm

In other Qualcomm news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.82, for a total transaction of $569,024.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,735 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $7,065,677.70. The trade was a 7.45% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 192 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 30th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.00, for a total transaction of $33,024.00. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders sold 19,177 shares of company stock valued at $3,176,966. 0.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qualcomm

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Brighton Jones LLC grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 116.6% in the fourth quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,356 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $2,666,000 after purchasing an additional 9,343 shares during the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 15.4% in the fourth quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,542 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $391,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 44.3% in the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,325 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $530,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 6.1% in the second quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 5,778 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in shares of Qualcomm by 9.7% in the second quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 6,800 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $1,083,000 after purchasing an additional 603 shares during the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.