Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Earns “Market Perform” Rating from Sanford C. Bernstein

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM)‘s stock had its “market perform” rating reissued by Sanford C. Bernstein in a research note issued on Thursday, Marketbeat reports. They currently have a $140.00 price target on the wireless technology company’s stock, down from their previous price target of $175.00. Sanford C. Bernstein’s price target points to a potential upside of 10.14% from the company’s current price.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on QCOM. Rosenblatt Securities lowered their price target on Qualcomm from $225.00 to $190.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Argus decreased their target price on Qualcomm from $205.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research report on Friday, February 6th. Wells Fargo & Company upgraded Qualcomm from an “underweight” rating to an “equal weight” rating and upped their target price for the stock from $135.00 to $185.00 in a report on Tuesday, February 24th. Evercore dropped their price target on Qualcomm from $157.00 to $134.00 and set an “in-line” rating on the stock in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Cantor Fitzgerald cut their price target on Qualcomm from $185.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, February 2nd. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, ten have given a Buy rating, ten have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, Qualcomm presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $165.14.

Qualcomm Trading Down 2.6%

QCOM stock opened at $127.11 on Thursday. Qualcomm has a 12 month low of $120.80 and a 12 month high of $205.95. The firm’s 50-day moving average is $141.12 and its 200 day moving average is $160.26. The company has a market capitalization of $135.63 billion, a PE ratio of 26.26 and a beta of 1.25. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.83.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, February 4th. 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 company had revenue of $12.25 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $12.16 billion. Qualcomm had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 44.09%. The firm’s quarterly revenue was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.41 EPS. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS. On average, research analysts anticipate that Qualcomm will post 9.39 EPS for the current year.

Qualcomm declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback plan on Tuesday, March 17th that authorizes the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the wireless technology company to repurchase up to 14.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other Qualcomm news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total value of $438,400.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 16,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,245,841. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which can be accessed through the SEC website. Also, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 3,333 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.65, for a total transaction of $458,787.45. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 35,599 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $4,900,202.35. The trade was a 8.56% decrease in their ownership of the stock. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders have sold a total of 9,866 shares of company stock valued at $1,474,796 over the last 90 days. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several large investors have recently modified their holdings of QCOM. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. boosted its stake in Qualcomm by 72.2% in the third quarter. Harbor Capital Advisors Inc. now owns 155 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $26,000 after acquiring an additional 65 shares in the last quarter. Cloud Capital Management LLC acquired a new position in shares of Qualcomm during the third quarter worth $27,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. lifted its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 90.9% during the 4th quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 168 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 80 shares during the last quarter. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Qualcomm during the 4th quarter valued at $29,000. Finally, Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd boosted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 17,000.0% in the 4th quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 171 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

Key Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Clarivate AI50 recognition highlights Qualcomm’s leadership in AI-related tech — a positive credibility signal for longer-term growth in AI chips and platform licensing. Qualcomm Weighs ParkerVision Patent Appeal Against Growing AI50 Recognition
• Positive Sentiment: Increased investor attention flagged by Zacks suggests higher trader interest and volume flows may follow, which can amplify short-term moves. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) is Attracting Investor Attention: Here is What You Should Know
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm recently reported a quarterly EPS beat and provided Q2 guidance — a fundamental support for the stock despite near-term headwinds.
• Neutral Sentiment: Aggregate analyst coverage shows mixed views (roughly equal buy/hold/sell split), which can limit a decisive directional consensus among institutional holders. Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) Receives Consensus Rating of “Hold” from Brokerages
• Neutral Sentiment: Analyst rating shifts tied to indices and Nasdaq composition changes have generated chatter but are more technical than company-specific catalysts. Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Draws Mixed Ratings Amid Nasdaq Composite Shifts
• Negative Sentiment: Sanford C. Bernstein downgraded QCOM to Market Perform and cut the price target to $140 (from $175), citing memory-related headwinds and that expectations appear too high — a key near-term negative for sentiment and positioning. Bernstein Lowers Qualcomm (QCOM) PT, Says Expectations “Now Appear Much Too High”
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group trimmed FY2026 and FY2027 EPS estimates modestly — an indicator of slightly softened near-term profit expectations from at least one sell‑side shop. MarketBeat Qualcomm page (Erste estimate note)
• Negative Sentiment: A ParkerVision appeal could reopen aspects of long-running patent litigation — a legal overhang that introduces uncertainty and potential downside risk if trials or rulings shift. Qualcomm Weighs ParkerVision Patent Appeal Against Growing AI50 Recognition

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.