Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Stock Falls 1.5% Following Insider Selling

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) shares fell 1.5% during trading on Thursday after an insider sold shares in the company. The company traded as low as $191.75 and last traded at $194.26. 9,044,570 shares were traded during trading, a decline of 42% from the average daily volume of 15,657,798 shares. The stock had previously closed at $197.24.

Specifically, CEO Cristiano Amon sold 10,000 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, September 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $195.00, for a total value of $1,950,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer owned 187,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $36,575,760. The trade was a 5.06% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on the stock. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $190.00 target price for the company. Freedom Capital raised Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Barclays reiterated an “underweight” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Cantor Fitzgerald lowered their target price on Qualcomm from $200.00 to $165.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 27th. Finally, KeyCorp reissued a “sector weight” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $204.10.

More Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm secured an extension to its global patent-licensing agreement with Apple. The renewal supports recurring, high-margin licensing revenue and reduces near-term uncertainty related to Apple’s modem transition. Qualcomm secures extension to global patent licensing pact with Apple
• Positive Sentiment: The company is expanding its AI strategy with Snapdragon 8 Elite Gen 6 and Elite Extreme Gen 6 smartphone chips, designed for faster on-device and “agentic” AI processing. New Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 technology also targets intelligent wearables, potentially broadening Qualcomm’s addressable market beyond phones. Snapdragon Sound Elite Gen 2 for AI wearables
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm’s PickNik Robotics acquisition and its work on optical data-center interconnects reinforce efforts to diversify into physical AI, robotics and AI infrastructure. These initiatives could reduce reliance on cyclical smartphone upgrades over time. Qualcomm strengthens physical AI with PickNik Robotics
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts remain cautious despite the AI momentum. The consensus rating is “Hold,” with an average price target near $204, suggesting limited upside after the stock’s recent rally. Qualcomm’s dividend and buyback program provide some downside support. Chips to Bots: Qualcomm’s Agentic AI Breakout
• Negative Sentiment: Chip stocks broadly retreated, overshadowing Qualcomm’s Apple agreement. Investors also continue to monitor contracting smartphone demand, elevated memory costs, Apple’s eventual use of proprietary modem technology and the company’s recent revenue decline. CEO Cristiano Amon’s sale of 10,000 shares under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 plan is a modest additional negative signal, although it does not necessarily reflect a change in his outlook. Chip stocks retreat as Qualcomm secures Apple licensing deal

Qualcomm Stock Performance

The business’s 50-day moving average price is $169.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $173.68. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 2.02. The stock has a market cap of $204.02 billion, a P/E ratio of 22.48, a P/E/G ratio of 4.13 and a beta of 1.68.

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

Qualcomm Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 1.9%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is presently 42.59%.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP bought a new position in shares of Qualcomm during the 1st quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its stake in 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 acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC purchased a new position in Qualcomm during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $32,000. ABS Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Qualcomm during the second quarter valued at approximately $34,000. Finally, ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC bought a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the second quarter worth approximately $34,000. Institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a technology company that develops wireless communications technologies, semiconductors and related intellectual property. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company serves customers and partners worldwide across the mobile, automotive, consumer electronics and industrial markets.

Through its Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT) business, Qualcomm designs and supplies integrated circuits, system software and hardware platforms. Its products include Snapdragon mobile platforms, 5G and other wireless modems, radio-frequency components, connectivity solutions, processors and artificial intelligence technologies.