Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Up 1.8% – What’s Next?

Shares of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) were up 1.8% during trading on Friday. The stock traded as high as $176.98 and last traded at $175.91. 7,092,264 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 53% from the average daily volume of 15,113,714 shares. The stock had previously closed at $172.83.

Key Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: ETFs recorded approximately $141.5 million in net Qualcomm purchases on Tuesday, followed by additional ETF buying reported for October 21. Passive and institutional demand can provide near-term support for QCOM. Qualcomm sees $141.5 million in net ETF buying
• Positive Sentiment: An analyst upgrade and a higher price target of $200 signal improving sentiment and suggest potential upside from current valuation levels. Qualcomm stock jumps on analyst upgrade Qualcomm price target raised to $200
• Positive Sentiment: A bullish investment thesis argues Qualcomm is being undervalued as it builds businesses in automotive, data centers and custom silicon, potentially making it a longer-term artificial-intelligence beneficiary rather than solely a handset-chip company. This chip stock could be a sleeper AI winner
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm declared a quarterly dividend of $0.92 per share, or $3.68 annualized, representing an approximately 2.1% yield and reinforcing its shareholder-return appeal. Qualcomm declares quarterly dividend
• Neutral Sentiment: Qualcomm will release fiscal fourth-quarter and full-year 2026 results after the market closes on November 4. The report and guidance are the next major catalysts for the stock. Qualcomm schedules fiscal 2026 earnings release
• Neutral Sentiment: Coverage from 37 analysts highlights substantial investor attention ahead of earnings, while a valuation review says the shares are near fair value after strong long-term gains. Qualcomm schedules November results Qualcomm stock remains near fair value
• Negative Sentiment: Erste Group cut its fiscal 2027 EPS forecast to $7.28 from $7.31, below the broader consensus estimate of $7.71, indicating modest pressure on forward earnings expectations. Qualcomm earnings estimate cut
• Negative Sentiment: Qualcomm’s executive vice president sold approximately $437,650 of company stock, which may weigh modestly on sentiment, although a single insider transaction is not necessarily a change in business outlook. Qualcomm insider selling
• Negative Sentiment: Comparisons with Intel point to Qualcomm’s more uneven revenue trend and recent sequential declines. Reports also describe automotive growth being offset by pressure on handset earnings, keeping smartphone weakness a key risk. Intel versus Qualcomm revenue comparison Qualcomm automotive growth and handset pressure

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of equities research analysts recently weighed in on the company. Royal Bank Of Canada raised their price target on Qualcomm from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the company a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Craig Hallum downgraded Qualcomm from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. UBS Group decreased their price objective on shares of Qualcomm from $190.00 to $170.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Barclays restated an “underweight” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Mizuho raised their price objective on shares of Qualcomm from $170.00 to $210.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $205.83.

Qualcomm Trading Up 1.8%

The firm has a market cap of $187.84 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.36, a P/E/G ratio of 4.00 and a beta of 1.65. The business’s 50-day moving average is $175.97 and its two-hundred day moving average is $181.04. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a current ratio of 2.02 and a quick ratio of 1.28.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.02). Qualcomm had a net margin of 21.01% and a return on equity of 38.36%. The business had revenue of $9.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $9.69 billion. During the same quarter in the previous year, the firm posted $2.77 earnings per share. The firm’s quarterly revenue was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. Qualcomm has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. As a group, analysts predict that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.71 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm Dividend Announcement

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, December 17th. Investors of record on Thursday, December 3rd will be given a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, December 3rd. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Qualcomm’s payout ratio is currently 42.59%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Qualcomm

In related news, EVP Akash Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Tuesday, October 20th. The stock was sold at an average price of $175.06, for a total transaction of $437,650.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 20,799 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,641,072.94. This represents a 10.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Patricia Grech sold 208 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, August 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $170.00, for a total value of $35,360.00. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold a total of 33,458 shares of company stock valued at $6,198,144 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qualcomm

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in QCOM. Middleton & Co. Inc. MA raised its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 1.1% in the 3rd quarter. Middleton & Co. Inc. MA now owns 78,535 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $14,454,000 after purchasing an additional 891 shares during the period. Simplicity Wealth LLC lifted its stake in Qualcomm by 15.6% in the 3rd quarter. Simplicity Wealth LLC now owns 10,503 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $1,933,000 after purchasing an additional 1,420 shares during the last quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC grew its holdings in Qualcomm by 1.4% during the third quarter. Carolina Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 9,624 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $1,771,000 after purchasing an additional 129 shares during the period. Sowell Financial Services LLC grew its holdings in Qualcomm by 4.1% during the third quarter. Sowell Financial Services LLC now owns 30,606 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $5,633,000 after purchasing an additional 1,198 shares during the period. Finally, Mondrian Investment Partners LTD increased its position in Qualcomm by 27.0% during the third quarter. Mondrian Investment Partners LTD now owns 6,200 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $1,141,000 after buying an additional 1,319 shares during the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated is a technology company that develops and commercializes wireless communications and semiconductor technologies. Through Qualcomm Technologies, Inc, the company designs integrated circuits, system software and related platforms used in smartphones, personal computers, automobiles, industrial equipment, consumer devices and other connected products. Its Snapdragon platforms support mobile computing, connectivity, artificial intelligence and multimedia applications, while its broader portfolio includes radio-frequency systems, networking and edge-computing technologies.

Qualcomm also operates a significant technology-licensing business through its Qualcomm Technology Licensing segment.