Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Rating Increased to Hold at Piper Sandler

Piper Sandler upgraded shares of Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) to a hold rating in a research note released on Wednesday morning,Zacks reports.

A number of other brokerages also recently issued reports on QCOM. DZ Bank raised Qualcomm from a “hold” rating to a “buy” rating and set a $265.00 price objective on the stock in a research note on Friday, June 26th. Cantor Fitzgerald decreased their target price on Qualcomm from $200.00 to $165.00 and set a “neutral” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Morgan Stanley lowered their target price on Qualcomm from $231.00 to $220.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a report on Thursday, July 30th. Monness Crespi & Hardt raised Qualcomm to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Finally, Benchmark cut their price target on Qualcomm from $300.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, July 27th. Two equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Hold rating and two have assigned a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the stock presently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $204.10.

Qualcomm Trading Up 0.3%

QCOM opened at $176.88 on Wednesday. Qualcomm has a twelve month low of $121.99 and a twelve month high of $259.92. The company has a fifty day moving average of $168.34 and a 200-day moving average of $170.75. The stock has a market cap of $185.76 billion, a PE ratio of 20.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.68. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last released its 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 firm 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 earned $2.77 EPS. Qualcomm’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. On average, sell-side analysts predict that Qualcomm will post 7.74 EPS for the current year.

Qualcomm Announces Dividend

The company also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be issued a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.1%. Qualcomm’s payout ratio is currently 42.59%.

Insider Transactions at Qualcomm

In related news, EVP Akash Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the stock in a transaction on Tuesday, July 14th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.81, for a total value of $452,025.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,184 shares in the company, valued at $4,191,899.04. This trade represents a 9.73% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Heather Ace sold 3,200 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction on Monday, August 3rd. The shares were sold at an average price of $147.04, for a total transaction of $470,528.00. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 36,535 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,372,106.40. The trade was a 8.05% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders have sold 9,033 shares of company stock valued at $1,467,844 over the last ninety days. 0.05% of the stock is owned by company insiders.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

A number of hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the business. California State Teachers Retirement System boosted its stake in Qualcomm by 18,251.8% during the 2nd quarter. California State Teachers Retirement System now owns 301,278,659 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $55,673,283,000 after purchasing an additional 299,636,973 shares during the last quarter. BlackRock Inc. purchased a new stake in shares of Qualcomm in the second quarter worth approximately $17,583,115,000. Geode Capital Management LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 12.5% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 28,897,079 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $4,931,968,000 after purchasing an additional 3,221,924 shares in the last quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp lifted its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 22.7% in the second quarter. Van ECK Associates Corp now owns 17,202,619 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $3,178,872,000 after purchasing an additional 3,179,720 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Wellington Management Group LLP grew its holdings in Qualcomm by 34.5% during the fourth quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP now owns 16,727,862 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $2,861,301,000 after buying an additional 4,290,622 shares in the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Trending Headlines about Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Amazon deal strengthens Qualcomm’s data-center story. AWS will use Qualcomm custom data-center chips and optical networking technology, with warrants and potential purchases of up to $60 billion through 2036. The agreement provides tangible customer validation for Qualcomm’s push into AI infrastructure and diversifies revenue beyond mobile handsets. Qualcomm’s Data Center Bet Looks More Real After Amazon’s AI Deal
• Positive Sentiment: Management sees a sizable long-term opportunity. Qualcomm’s CFO highlighted a potential $5 billion data-center business and said its “port once” software and hardware approach could attract additional hyperscaler and AI-chip customers. Analysts and market commentators view the Amazon partnership as a meaningful change in the company’s investment thesis. Qualcomm up 3% on Amazon AI pact; CFO eyes $5B data center target
• Positive Sentiment: Rosenblatt reaffirmed a Buy rating with a $235 price target, implying substantial upside from the reference price. The target reflects optimism that AI infrastructure, data centers and other new markets can offset slower mobile-chip growth. Qualcomm analyst rating and price target
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are comparing Qualcomm with ASML as both semiconductor companies pursue AI and advanced-chip opportunities, but the comparison does not provide a specific new earnings forecast or valuation change for QCOM. ASML vs. QCOM: Which Semiconductor Stock is the Better Buy Now?
• Negative Sentiment: Apple is gradually reducing its dependence on Qualcomm. The iPhone 18 Pro reportedly uses Apple’s C2 modem, although the Pro Max still appears to rely on Qualcomm technology in some markets. Further in-house modem adoption could pressure Qualcomm’s handset revenue and licensing relationship with Apple. iPhone 18 Pro Debuts C2 Modem As Apple Keeps Weaning Off Qualcomm
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short-interest data appears unreliable: the update lists zero shares on both dates and a zero-day cover ratio, while also showing an undefined percentage change. It therefore offers no meaningful indication of changing bearish positioning.

Qualcomm Company Profile

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a technology company that develops wireless communications technologies, semiconductors and related intellectual property. Headquartered in San Diego, California, the company serves customers and partners worldwide across the mobile, automotive, consumer electronics and industrial markets.

Through its Qualcomm CDMA Technologies (QCT) business, Qualcomm designs and supplies integrated circuits, system software and hardware platforms. Its products include Snapdragon mobile platforms, 5G and other wireless modems, radio-frequency components, connectivity solutions, processors and artificial intelligence technologies.