Zacks Research Upgrades Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) to Hold

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) was upgraded by Zacks Research from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report issued on Monday,Zacks.com reports.

Other research analysts have also issued research reports about the company. Summit Insights raised Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating in a report on Thursday, April 30th. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 target price on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Weiss Ratings restated a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Friday, March 27th. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $200.00 target price on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group began coverage on Qualcomm in a research note on Monday, March 30th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $135.00 target price for the company. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, sixteen have given a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $172.40.

Qualcomm Stock Performance

Shares of NASDAQ QCOM opened at $186.67 on Monday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.37. The firm has a market cap of $196.75 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.29, a P/E/G ratio of 20.78 and a beta of 1.49. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $136.57 and its 200-day simple moving average is $155.41. Qualcomm has a 52 week low of $121.99 and a 52 week high of $205.95.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.09. The business had revenue of $10.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.59 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 42.11% and a net margin of 22.31%.The firm’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same quarter in the prior year, the firm posted $2.85 EPS. Qualcomm has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts expect that Qualcomm will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm announced that its Board of Directors has approved a share buyback program on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the wireless technology company to buy up to 14.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase programs are generally a sign that the company’s management believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Transactions at Qualcomm

In other Qualcomm news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 13th. The stock was sold at an average price of $130.34, for a total value of $325,850.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 30,684 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,999,352.56. This trade represents a 7.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 192 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.00, for a total value of $33,024.00. 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 22,510 shares of company stock worth $3,635,753 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Qualcomm

Hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. Brighton Jones LLC lifted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 116.6% during the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,356 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $2,666,000 after buying an additional 9,343 shares during the period. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 15.4% during the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,542 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $391,000 after buying an additional 340 shares during the period. Sivia Capital Partners LLC lifted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 44.3% during the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,325 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $530,000 after buying an additional 1,020 shares during the period. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC lifted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 6.1% during the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 5,778 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $920,000 after buying an additional 333 shares during the period. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 9.7% during the 2nd quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 6,800 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $1,083,000 after buying an additional 603 shares during the period. Institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

Qualcomm News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Major hyperscaler win + $20B buyback: Qualcomm reported a design win supplying custom AI silicon to a large hyperscaler and the board authorized a $20 billion buyback—this combination materially repositions Qualcomm toward AI infrastructure and is the primary driver of buying interest. QUALCOMM Is Up After Hyperscaler AI Win And $20B Buyback
• Positive Sentiment: AI chips + record automotive revenue: Management said shipments of custom AI silicon are starting and automotive revenue hit record levels, signaling durable revenue diversification beyond handsets (data center + automotive could lift margins and growth expectations). Qualcomm’s AI Chips And Automotive Growth Reshape Its Investment Story
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade (Zacks): Zacks Research moved Qualcomm from “strong sell” to “hold,” a tone improvement that can reduce seller pressure from some retail flows. Zacks.com
• Neutral Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald raised its price target to $150 but kept a Neutral rating—incremental support for the stock but not a conviction bullish upgrade. Cantor Fitzgerald Raises PT on QUALCOMM
• Neutral Sentiment: Competitive/talent signal: Intel hired a former Qualcomm executive to lead its PC/Physical AI business—an industry structural note on talent flow and competition, not an immediate revenue hit to Qualcomm. Intel appoints Qualcomm executive
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling by senior executives: CEO Cristiano Amon and EVP Heather Ace sold shares under pre‑arranged 10b5‑1 plans; high‑profile sales can be perceived negatively by some investors and amplify short‑term supply. Amon SEC filing Ace SEC filing
• Negative Sentiment: Bearish commentary and “sell the hype” pieces: Analysts and commentators note persistent handset weakness and urge caution that AI optimism may be priced in—these notes can cap near‑term multiple expansion. Bear of the Day: Qualcomm Qualcomm: Sell Into The Hype

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.