Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Down 1.1% – Time to Sell?

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) fell 1.1% during trading on Thursday. The company traded as low as $181.77 and last traded at $182.09. 9,268,012 shares traded hands during trading, a decline of 40% from the average daily volume of 15,545,396 shares. The stock had previously closed at $184.04.

Qualcomm News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Robotics acquisition expands Qualcomm’s AI strategy. Sidley announced that it represented Qualcomm in the acquisition of PickNik, a robotics software company. The deal could support Qualcomm’s efforts to diversify beyond smartphones and build exposure to robotics and physical AI, although financial terms and the expected earnings contribution were not disclosed. Sidley Represents Qualcomm in Its Acquisition of PickNik
• Positive Sentiment: Market outperformance reflects continued investor interest. Coverage of Qualcomm’s latest session noted that QCOM outpaced the broader stock market. The move suggests investors remain receptive to the company’s diversification plans and AI-related growth opportunities, though the report did not identify a single major catalyst. Why Qualcomm Outpaced the Stock Market Today
• Neutral Sentiment: High search activity indicates heightened investor attention, not necessarily a fundamental change. Qualcomm was among the stocks receiving substantial attention from Zacks users. This may increase near-term trading interest, but the report mainly directs investors to existing factors affecting the company’s outlook. Investors Heavily Search Qualcomm
• Neutral Sentiment: Insider sale appears routine. Chief Accounting Officer Patricia Grech sold 98 shares for approximately $18,282 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The small, scheduled transaction is less meaningful as a signal of management’s view of QCOM’s valuation. Qualcomm Insider Transaction Filing
• Negative Sentiment: AI opportunity remains unproven and valuation leaves limited room for disappointment. Analysts continue to question whether Qualcomm’s AI strategy can offset declining Apple-related sales. Qualcomm is pursuing automotive and data-center chips, while higher pricing may help offset rising memory costs, but investors may wait for clearer evidence that these businesses can deliver sustained growth. What Is the Case for Waiting on Qualcomm Stock?

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have recently weighed in on QCOM. UBS Group lowered their price objective on shares of Qualcomm from $190.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Raymond James Financial assumed coverage on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Thursday, June 25th. They set a “strong-buy” rating on the stock. Oppenheimer set a $200.00 price target on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Craig Hallum downgraded shares of Qualcomm from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Piper Sandler started coverage on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $190.00 price target for the company. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Qualcomm currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $204.10.

Qualcomm Trading Up 1.5%

The firm’s 50 day moving average is $171.48 and its 200 day moving average is $176.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.28. The company has a market capitalization of $194.16 billion, a PE ratio of 21.40, a P/E/G ratio of 4.10 and a beta of 1.65.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.02). The firm had revenue of $9.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $9.69 billion. Qualcomm had a net margin of 21.01% and a return on equity of 38.36%. The company’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $2.77 EPS. Qualcomm has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.74 EPS for the current year.

Qualcomm Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, September 24th. Investors of record on Thursday, September 3rd were paid a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.0%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 42.59%.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.04, for a total transaction of $470,528.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 36,535 shares in the company, valued at $5,372,106.40. This represents a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a legal 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, CEO Cristiano R. Amon sold 10,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Friday, September 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $2,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 177,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $35,513,600. The trade was a 5.33% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 31,631 shares of company stock worth $5,893,251 in the last quarter. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Baxter Bros Inc. bought a new stake in Qualcomm during the second quarter worth about $17,844,000. PBU The Pension Fund of Early Childhood & Youth Educators bought a new position in shares of Qualcomm during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $13,446,000. SmartHarvest Portfolios LLC bought a new position in shares of Qualcomm during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $851,000. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd increased its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 18.4% during the fourth quarter. Harvest Fund Management Co. Ltd now owns 115,140 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $19,694,000 after purchasing an additional 17,928 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Y Intercept Hong Kong Ltd purchased a new position in shares of Qualcomm during the second quarter valued at approximately $28,068,000. 74.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Qualcomm Company Profile

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a technology company headquartered in San Diego, California, that develops wireless communications technologies, semiconductors and related software. Its products support mobile devices, connected computing, automotive systems, industrial equipment and consumer electronics.

Qualcomm’s semiconductor business operates primarily through its Qualcomm CDMA Technologies segment. Its offerings include Snapdragon platforms and systems-on-chip, cellular modems, radio-frequency components, connectivity products, and processors for smartphones, personal computers, extended-reality devices, vehicles and the Internet of Things.