Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM – Get Free Report)’s stock price traded down 2.6% during mid-day trading on Friday . The stock traded as low as $126.68 and last traded at $127.11. 8,944,022 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 22% from the average session volume of 11,448,434 shares. The stock had previously closed at $130.54.
Key Stories Impacting Qualcomm
Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Clarivate named Qualcomm to its AI50 list, highlighting the company’s leadership in AI-related technology — this supports Qualcomm’s growth narrative around AI-enabled chips and licensing. Qualcomm Weighs ParkerVision Patent Appeal Against Growing AI50 Recognition
- Neutral Sentiment: Zacks notes heightened investor attention on QCOM, signaling increased interest/volume but not a concrete catalyst by itself. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
- Neutral Sentiment: Consensus analyst rating sits at “Hold” (mixed buy/hold/sell split across coverage), suggesting limited near-term analyst-driven upside. Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages
- Negative Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded QCOM to Market Perform from Outperform and cut its price target to $140 (from $175), citing memory-related headwinds and the view that expectations are too high — an immediate negative catalyst. Bernstein Lowers Qualcomm (QCOM) PT, Says Expectations “Now Appear Much Too High”
- Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed its FY2026/FY2027 EPS forecasts modestly below prior estimates, which weighs on forward earnings expectations versus consensus. MarketBeat: Qualcomm analyst estimate update
- Negative Sentiment: ParkerVision’s appeal could reopen elements of a long-running patent dispute with Qualcomm, creating legal uncertainty and potential trial/retrial risk — a possible headline risk for the stock. Qualcomm Weighs ParkerVision Patent Appeal Against Growing AI50 Recognition
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In
QCOM has been the subject of several research analyst reports. Wall Street Zen downgraded shares of Qualcomm from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Tuesday, December 9th. Rosenblatt Securities reduced their price target on shares of Qualcomm from $225.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Royal Bank Of Canada lowered their price objective on shares of Qualcomm from $180.00 to $150.00 and set a “sector perform” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Loop Capital upgraded Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $185.00 target price for the company in a research report on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $177.00 price target on Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have issued a Buy rating, ten have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.14.
Qualcomm Price Performance
The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.51. The company’s 50 day moving average price is $141.77 and its 200-day moving average price is $160.49. The company has a market cap of $135.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 26.26 and a beta of 1.25.
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM – Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The wireless technology company reported $3.50 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.12. The business had revenue of $12.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $12.16 billion. Qualcomm had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 44.09%. The business’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the prior year, the business earned $3.41 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Qualcomm Announces Dividend
The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th were issued a dividend of $0.89 per share. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.8%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, March 5th. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is currently 73.55%.
Qualcomm announced that its board has approved a share repurchase plan on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to buyback $20.00 billion in shares. This buyback authorization permits the wireless technology company to purchase up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.
Insider Activity
In other news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 3,333 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.65, for a total value of $458,787.45. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 35,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,900,202.35. This trade represents a 8.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total transaction of $438,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,245,841. This represents a 16.33% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders sold 9,866 shares of company stock valued at $1,474,796. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Trading of Qualcomm
Several large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC grew its stake in Qualcomm by 116.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,356 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $2,666,000 after acquiring an additional 9,343 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted 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 worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC boosted its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 44.3% during the second quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,325 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $530,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020 shares during the period. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. boosted its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 36.6% during the second quarter. J.W. Cole Advisors Inc. now owns 31,578 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $5,029,000 after purchasing an additional 8,456 shares during the period. Finally, Richmond Investment Services LLC purchased a new position in Qualcomm during the second quarter valued at approximately $216,000. 74.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.
About Qualcomm
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.
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