Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Down 2.3% After Insider Selling

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) shares dropped 2.3% during trading on Tuesday after an insider sold shares in the company. The stock traded as low as $162.21 and last traded at $166.61. Approximately 8,832,006 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 44% from the average session volume of 15,695,956 shares. The stock had previously closed at $170.48.

Specifically, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 208 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The stock was sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total transaction of $35,360.00. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of research firms have recently issued reports on QCOM. Freedom Capital raised Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Friday, August 7th. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised Qualcomm to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. HSBC reiterated a “hold” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Wednesday, July 15th. Morgan Stanley cut their price objective on shares of Qualcomm from $231.00 to $220.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Finally, Lake Street Capital downgraded shares of Qualcomm to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Buy rating, twenty have assigned a Hold rating and two have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $203.76.

More Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm is expanding its AI PC footprint through a partnership with HUMAIN. HUMAIN’s Horizon Ultra is powered by Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X2 Elite platform, supporting the company’s effort to grow beyond smartphones and strengthen its position in AI-enabled personal computing. Can Qualcomm’s Tie-Up With HUMAIN for AI PC Lift Its Shares?
• Positive Sentiment: Investors continue to identify automotive, data-center and AI businesses as potential long-term growth drivers that could diversify Qualcomm away from its more mature handset operations. Analysts are watching for evidence of this growth ahead of the company’s fourth-quarter results. Qualcomm Outperforms Broader Market Slump
• Neutral Sentiment: Qualcomm named former Motorola Devices president Sergio Buniac to lead its Mobile, Compute and Personal AI businesses. The appointment could improve execution in smartphones, PCs, wearables and AI devices, but it also highlights the need to manage rising costs and potential reductions in Apple modem revenue. How Investors May Respond To QCOM Naming Sergio Buniac
• Neutral Sentiment: Chief Accounting Officer Patricia Grech sold 208 shares worth $35,360 under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. The relatively small, scheduled transaction is unlikely to materially change the investment outlook.
• Negative Sentiment: Qualcomm is facing renewed smartphone and Apple-related revenue concerns, while its latest quarterly earnings per share missed consensus and revenue declined year over year. A generally Hold analyst consensus reflects uncertainty over the pace of its diversification. Qualcomm’s AI Ambitions Run Into a Smartphone Reality Check
• Negative Sentiment: Higher long-term bond yields are pressuring semiconductor valuations, particularly companies with premium growth expectations. MediaTek’s agreement with Nvidia to develop AI chips also raises competitive concerns for Qualcomm in AI, PCs and automobiles. Semiconductor Stocks Slide as Global Bond Selloff Lifts Yields
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group Bank reduced its earnings estimates for Qualcomm, adding to concerns about fiscal 2027 earnings, margins and near-term handset weakness. Erste Group Bank Reduces Earnings Estimates for Qualcomm

Qualcomm Stock Down 2.3%

The company has a market capitalization of $174.98 billion, a PE ratio of 19.28, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 15.16 and a beta of 1.65. The firm’s 50-day simple moving average is $171.46 and its 200 day simple moving average is $169.06. 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 posted its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.23 by ($0.02). Qualcomm had a return on equity of 38.36% and a net margin of 21.01%.The company had revenue of $9.95 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.69 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $2.77 earnings per share. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. Qualcomm has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts forecast that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.74 earnings per share for the current year.

Qualcomm Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be issued a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.2%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 42.59%.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Qualcomm

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Baxter Bros Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the second quarter worth $17,844,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc boosted its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 112.2% during the fourth quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 43,986 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $7,524,000 after acquiring an additional 23,262 shares during the last quarter. Swedbank AB boosted its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 1.5% during the fourth quarter. Swedbank AB now owns 1,533,420 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $262,291,000 after acquiring an additional 23,110 shares during the last quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC increased its position in Qualcomm by 5.7% during the 4th quarter. Sequoia Financial Advisors LLC now owns 143,690 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $24,578,000 after purchasing an additional 7,804 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Valley Wealth Managers Inc. raised its stake in Qualcomm by 6.1% in the 4th quarter. Valley Wealth Managers Inc. now owns 40,009 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $6,844,000 after purchasing an additional 2,288 shares during the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Qualcomm Company Profile

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.