QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Up 1.2% Following Better-Than-Expected Earnings

QUALCOMM Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)’s stock price shot up 1.2% during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $153.47 and last traded at $148.89. 18,318,492 shares traded hands during trading, an increase of 87% from the average session volume of 9,809,353 shares. The stock had previously closed at $147.18.

The wireless technology company reported $3.50 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $12.25 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.16 billion. QUALCOMM had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 43.08%. The business’s revenue was up 4.7% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period in the prior year, the company earned $3.41 EPS. QUALCOMM has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS.

QUALCOMM Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be issued a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.6%. QUALCOMM’s payout ratio is 72.80%.

QUALCOMM News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting QUALCOMM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: QCOM beat on the quarter — adjusted EPS of $3.50 and strong revenue (record automotive/handset contribution) showed the company can still print solid results despite industry headwinds. Zacks: Qualcomm Surpasses Q1 Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: Some firms remain constructive — a few analysts still have buy/overweight views and multi-quarter bull cases that point to upside if handset memory constraints ease. Benzinga: Analyst Coverage
• Neutral Sentiment: Management frames the problem as a memory supply constraint rather than weak end-demand — CEO Cristiano Amon said handset demand isn’t the core issue, which matters for how durable the slowdown may be. Bloomberg Tech Interview (YouTube)
• Neutral Sentiment: Market commentary highlights that QCOM’s selloff has pushed the stock back to 2020 price levels — that raises long-term questions but also creates short-term relief-rally potential for traders. MarketBeat: Qualcomm Is Back at 2020 Levels
• Negative Sentiment: Q2 guidance came in below consensus — EPS and revenue ranges were trimmed because memory shortages are expected to constrain smartphone build plans, directly pressuring Qualcomm’s handset-related revenue. That guidance drove the bulk of the selloff. Reuters: Memory Shortage Hits Outlook
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts have reacted with price-target cuts and tone shifts (Evercore, Mizuho, Bank of America and others), and several firms moved to neutral/in-line ratings — increasing near-term selling pressure. Benzinga: Analysts Lower Forecasts
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction has been severe — heavy volume and a double-digit intraday move reflect headline-driven risk: strong quarter but weak forward outlook. Short-term volatility is likely to continue until memory supply visibility improves. CNBC: Qualcomm Stock Sinks on Memory Warning

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of analysts recently issued reports on QCOM shares. Zacks Research downgraded QUALCOMM from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. TD Cowen reduced their target price on shares of QUALCOMM from $190.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a research note on Thursday. Wall Street Zen cut shares of QUALCOMM from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Tuesday, December 9th. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of QUALCOMM in a report on Monday. Finally, Citigroup reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of QUALCOMM in a research note on Thursday, January 15th. Nine analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, nine have given a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $167.00.

Insider Activity at QUALCOMM

In other news, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 513 shares of QUALCOMM stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $160.95, for a total transaction of $82,567.35. Following the completion of the sale, the chief accounting officer owned 203 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $32,672.85. The trade was a 71.65% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Ann C. Chaplin sold 7,180 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, December 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $178.03, for a total value of $1,278,255.40. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,944 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,262,750.32. This trade represents a 23.07% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders sold 39,684 shares of company stock valued at $7,004,088. 0.05% of the stock is owned by insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in QCOM. waypoint wealth counsel raised its stake in QUALCOMM by 2.2% in the third quarter. waypoint wealth counsel now owns 2,863 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $476,000 after buying an additional 61 shares in the last quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. increased its holdings in shares of QUALCOMM by 1.5% in the 3rd quarter. Greykasell Wealth Strategies Inc. now owns 4,126 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $686,000 after acquiring an additional 61 shares during the period. Baron Wealth Management LLC raised its position in shares of QUALCOMM by 4.5% in the 3rd quarter. Baron Wealth Management LLC now owns 1,431 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $238,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Certified Advisory Corp raised its position in shares of QUALCOMM by 0.6% in the 3rd quarter. Certified Advisory Corp now owns 10,085 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $1,678,000 after acquiring an additional 62 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Avion Wealth lifted its stake in shares of QUALCOMM by 16.7% during the 2nd quarter. Avion Wealth now owns 441 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $70,000 after purchasing an additional 63 shares during the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

QUALCOMM Stock Performance

The business has a 50-day moving average of $167.75 and a two-hundred day moving average of $165.06. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a current ratio of 2.82 and a quick ratio of 2.10. The company has a market cap of $145.58 billion, a P/E ratio of 28.16, a P/E/G ratio of 3.33 and a beta of 1.22.

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.