Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Share Price Crosses Above 50 Day Moving Average – Should You Sell?

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) passed above its 50-day moving average during trading on Monday. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $176.11 and traded as high as $181.00. Qualcomm shares last traded at $179.60, with a volume of 9,654,009 shares changing hands.

Qualcomm News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm’s automotive business is emerging as a key growth driver, with reports highlighting record revenue and a 61% surge. Investors see the segment as helping reduce the company’s dependence on smartphones. Qualcomm Automotive Revenue Hits Record as AI Device Cycle Reshapes the Investment Case
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm is being positioned as an underappreciated AI beneficiary. Reports cite two hyperscaler custom-silicon agreements and potential upside from its Alphawave IP acquisition, suggesting expanding opportunities beyond handset chips. Qualcomm Stock Has an AI Opportunity Most Nvidia Investors May Be Overlooking
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm and Anduril are launching BlueChip, a U.S.-focused laptop initiative for defense, government and first-responder customers. The program could create new demand for Qualcomm processors while supporting secure, domestically oriented supply chains. Anduril, Qualcomm Partner on New Line of US-Made Laptops
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical coverage says QCOM has reclaimed an important price level, but questions remain about whether the move can hold. Another report notes that exchange-traded funds have been buying the shares, potentially offering some support.
• Negative Sentiment: Qualcomm is trading lower alongside semiconductor peers after weak guidance from NXP revived concerns about slowing automotive-chip demand. ON Semiconductor and NXP were particularly weak, broadening pressure across the sector. Auto Chip Worries Pressure Semiconductor Stocks
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts expect Qualcomm’s upcoming fourth-quarter earnings to decline, and a preview argues that the company may lack the catalysts needed for a likely earnings beat. This is reinforcing near-term caution ahead of results. Qualcomm Q4 Earnings Expected to Decline
• Negative Sentiment: Bernstein maintained a Hold rating, while broader semiconductor weakness has recently hurt QCOM and raised concerns about valuation, handset exposure and competitive pressure. Bernstein Keeps Hold Rating on Qualcomm

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

QCOM has been the subject of a number of recent research reports. Barclays reissued an “underweight” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Citigroup cut their price objective on Qualcomm from $198.00 to $175.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Dbs Bank raised Qualcomm to a “moderate buy” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 7th. Royal Bank Of Canada increased their target price on Qualcomm from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Zacks Research cut Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a report on Tuesday, September 15th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, Qualcomm currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $205.83.

Qualcomm Stock Performance

The company has a market capitalization of $195.38 billion, a PE ratio of 21.18, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.96 and a beta of 1.65. The stock’s fifty day simple moving average is $177.28 and its 200-day simple moving average is $169.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 2.02.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates 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 return on equity of 38.36% and a net margin of 21.01%. The business’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $2.77 earnings per share. As a group, equities analysts predict that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current year.

Qualcomm Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 3rd will be given a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, December 3rd. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.0%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.59%.

Insider Transactions at Qualcomm

In related news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 3rd. The stock was sold at an average price of $147.04, for a total transaction of $470,528.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 36,535 shares in the company, valued at approximately $5,372,106.40. This represents a 8.05% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 208 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $35,360.00. 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 sold 33,458 shares of company stock worth $6,198,144 in the last three months. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Trading of Qualcomm

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the business. CFC Planning Co LLC boosted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 7.4% in the third quarter. CFC Planning Co LLC now owns 1,805 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $332,000 after acquiring an additional 124 shares during the last quarter. Arta Finance Wealth Management LLC grew its holdings in Qualcomm by 22.9% in the third quarter. Arta Finance Wealth Management LLC now owns 3,005 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $553,000 after purchasing an additional 560 shares during the period. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. grew its holdings in Qualcomm by 6.7% in the third quarter. Raleigh Capital Management Inc. now owns 2,898 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $533,000 after purchasing an additional 183 shares during the period. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC increased its position in Qualcomm by 21.8% during the third quarter. Lebenthal Global Advisors LLC now owns 4,636 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $853,000 after purchasing an additional 831 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Canopy Partners LLC increased its position in Qualcomm by 1.4% during the third quarter. Canopy Partners LLC now owns 4,148 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $763,000 after purchasing an additional 56 shares during the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

Qualcomm Company Profile

Qualcomm Incorporated is a technology company that develops and commercializes wireless communications and semiconductor technologies. Through Qualcomm Technologies, Inc, the company designs integrated circuits, system software and related platforms used in smartphones, personal computers, automobiles, industrial equipment, consumer devices and other connected products. Its Snapdragon platforms support mobile computing, connectivity, artificial intelligence and multimedia applications, while its broader portfolio includes radio-frequency systems, networking and edge-computing technologies.

Qualcomm also operates a significant technology-licensing business through its Qualcomm Technology Licensing segment.