Erste Group Bank Reduces Earnings Estimates for Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) – Stock analysts at Erste Group Bank dropped their FY2026 earnings per share (EPS) estimates for Qualcomm in a research report issued to clients and investors on Tuesday, March 24th. Erste Group Bank analyst H. Engel now forecasts that the wireless technology company will earn $8.32 per share for the year, down from their prior forecast of $8.39. The consensus estimate for Qualcomm’s current full-year earnings is $9.39 per share. Erste Group Bank also issued estimates for Qualcomm’s FY2027 earnings at $8.25 EPS.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last posted its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The wireless technology company reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $3.38 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $12.25 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.16 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 44.09% and a net margin of 11.96%.The business’s revenue for the quarter was up 4.7% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the business earned $3.41 EPS. Qualcomm has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS.

A number of other brokerages have also weighed in on QCOM. Mizuho decreased their price objective on shares of Qualcomm from $160.00 to $140.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Daiwa Securities Group lowered Qualcomm from an “outperform” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $140.00 target price for the company. in a report on Wednesday, February 11th. Seaport Research Partners restated a “sell” rating and issued a $100.00 price target on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Monday, March 16th. TD Cowen decreased their price target on Qualcomm from $190.00 to $150.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, Citigroup reaffirmed a “neutral” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday, January 15th. One 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 company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the stock has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $165.14.

Qualcomm Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ:QCOM opened at $127.11 on Friday. The business has a fifty day moving average price of $141.12 and a 200-day moving average price of $160.27. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.83. The company has a market capitalization of $135.63 billion, a PE ratio of 26.26 and a beta of 1.25. Qualcomm has a 1-year low of $120.80 and a 1-year high of $205.95.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of QCOM. Westerkirk Capital Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Qualcomm during the 2nd quarter valued at $4,539,000. MASTERINVEST Kapitalanlage GmbH purchased a new stake in Qualcomm in the 2nd quarter worth $3,896,000. Inscription Capital LLC increased its stake in Qualcomm by 58.1% in the 3rd quarter. Inscription Capital LLC now owns 13,055 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $2,172,000 after buying an additional 4,799 shares in the last quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. raised its holdings in Qualcomm by 1.7% during the third quarter. Mirae Asset Global Investments Co. Ltd. now owns 1,004,339 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $167,082,000 after acquiring an additional 16,738 shares during the period. Finally, Simplify Asset Management Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the third quarter valued at about $725,000. Institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,393 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $2,245,841. This represents a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, 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 sale, the executive vice president directly owned 35,599 shares in the company, valued at $4,900,202.35. This trade represents a 8.56% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders sold 9,866 shares of company stock worth $1,474,796 in the last ninety days. Corporate insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Qualcomm Dividend Announcement

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th were given a $0.89 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Thursday, March 5th. This represents a $3.56 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.8%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.55%.

Qualcomm declared that its board has authorized a share repurchase program on Tuesday, March 17th that allows the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization allows the wireless technology company to reacquire up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are typically an indication that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Qualcomm News Summary

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.