Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Up 6.2% – Should You Buy?

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) was up 6.2% on Thursday . The company traded as high as $203.84 and last traded at $202.96. Approximately 18,841,150 shares were traded during mid-day trading, an increase of 16% from the average daily volume of 16,262,034 shares. The stock had previously closed at $191.20.

Key Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm’s upcoming investor day on June 24 could be a major catalyst if management outlines a credible data center and AI expansion plan, with revenue targets for non-handset businesses. Qualcomm’s 50% Surge: Bubble Territory or Breakout Moment?
• Positive Sentiment: JPMorgan raised its price target on Qualcomm to $265 from $160, signaling that even after the pullback, some analysts still see meaningful upside if the diversification story gains traction. Qualcomm forecast page
• Positive Sentiment: QCraft said it demonstrated urban NOA on Qualcomm’s Snapdragon Ride SA8650P platform and is targeting global mass production in 2026, highlighting continued automotive design-win momentum. QCraft Demonstrates Urban NOA on Qualcomm’s Latest Snapdragon Ride SoC, Targets 2026 Global Mass Production
• Neutral Sentiment: Erste Group Bank cut its FY2027 EPS estimate to $7.66 from $7.79, a modest downward revision that reflects slightly softer long-term expectations but not a major change to the outlook. Qualcomm stock page
• Negative Sentiment: Recent reports say Qualcomm has been underperforming peers and slipping alongside the broader semiconductor group, reinforcing concern that the selloff is driven by sector-wide de-risking and profit-taking. Qualcomm stock underperforms Tuesday when compared to competitors

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research analysts have commented on QCOM shares. HSBC began coverage on Qualcomm in a research note on Friday, May 8th. They issued a “buy” rating on the stock. Loop Capital raised Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $185.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Melius Research set a $220.00 price target on Qualcomm in a research note on Monday, May 18th. Freedom Capital downgraded Qualcomm from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Wednesday, May 13th. Finally, UBS Group lowered shares of Qualcomm from a “neutral” rating to an “underperform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $181.79.

Qualcomm Trading Up 6.2%

The company’s fifty day moving average is $181.26 and its 200-day moving average is $164.25. The company has a current ratio of 2.37, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54. The firm has a market capitalization of $213.92 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.06, a P/E/G ratio of 25.41 and a beta of 1.59.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.09. Qualcomm had a net margin of 22.31% and a return on equity of 42.11%. The firm had revenue of $10.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.59 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.85 EPS. The business’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. As a group, sell-side analysts anticipate that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 8 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The firm 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 of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.8%. This is an increase from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 40.00%.

Qualcomm declared that its Board of Directors has approved a stock buyback program 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 repurchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are generally an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Activity at Qualcomm

In related news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.90, for a total transaction of $529,750.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 28,184 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $5,972,189.60. This trade represents a 8.15% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available 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 company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.82, for a total value 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 approximately $7,065,677.70. This trade represents a 7.45% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last three months, insiders have sold 19,306 shares of company stock worth $3,435,583. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of the company. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new stake in Qualcomm in the 1st quarter valued at $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its stake in Qualcomm by 90.9% in the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 168 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares during the period. Torren Management LLC acquired a new position in Qualcomm in the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position in Qualcomm by 17,000.0% in 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. Finally, Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. bought a new position in Qualcomm during the fourth quarter worth about $31,000. 74.35% of the stock is owned by 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.