Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Releases Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) updated its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.100-2.300 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.300. The company issued revenue guidance of $9.2 billion-$10.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $10.2 billion.

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research analysts have weighed in on the company. Bank of America assumed coverage on Qualcomm in a report on Tuesday, March 10th. They set an “underperform” rating and a $145.00 target price for the company. Argus reduced their target price on Qualcomm from $205.00 to $180.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a report on Friday, February 6th. Sanford C. Bernstein reaffirmed a “market perform” rating and set a $140.00 target price (down from $175.00) on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Thursday, March 26th. Susquehanna lowered Qualcomm from a “positive” rating to a “neutral” rating and set a $140.00 price objective for the company. in a report on Thursday, February 5th. Finally, UBS Group reissued a “neutral” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Wednesday. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have assigned a Buy rating, thirteen have assigned a Hold rating and four have assigned a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, Qualcomm currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $158.25.

Qualcomm Price Performance

NASDAQ:QCOM traded up $6.00 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $156.00. The stock had a trading volume of 35,766,259 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,071,913. The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $134.67 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $155.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $166.45 billion, a P/E ratio of 32.23 and a beta of 1.28. Qualcomm has a one year low of $121.99 and a one year high of $205.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.51.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last released its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.58 by $0.07. The company had revenue of $10.60 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.59 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 44.09% and a net margin of 11.96%.Qualcomm has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS. As a group, analysts expect that Qualcomm will post 8.21 earnings per share for the current year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th will be given a $0.92 dividend. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 4th. This is a positive change from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is presently 73.55%.

Qualcomm announced that its board has authorized 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 board of directors believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The stock was 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 owned 16,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,245,841. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available through the SEC website. Also, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the business’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 of the company’s stock, valued at $3,999,352.56. The trade was a 7.53% 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 sold a total of 9,118 shares of company stock valued at $1,233,705 in the last 90 days. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Qualcomm News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: CEO said Qualcomm will ship data‑center chips to “a large hyperscaler” this year — comment cited by markets as material evidence of near‑term hyperscaler revenue for Qualcomm’s data‑center push. Qualcomm shares soar 16% on CEO comments about China orders, hyperscaler customer
• Positive Sentiment: Bottom‑line beat: Q2 EPS topped estimates materially (EPS beat and large YoY increase in net income per third‑party and company reporting), which supports valuation despite top‑line softness. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) Releases Q2 2026 Earnings: EPS Surges While Revenue Falls
• Positive Sentiment: Longer‑term AI upside: recent reports of collaboration on AI‑native smartphone processors (OpenAI/partners) remain a potential multi‑year growth driver if realized. Qualcomm Eyes AI Native Smartphones With OpenAI Partnership And 2028 Timeline
• Neutral Sentiment: Revenue was roughly flat/ down modestly YoY (~$10.6B) and near consensus depending on source — shows resilience in some end markets (automotive, IoT) even as memory constraints weigh on handset demand. Qualcomm Earnings Release Available on Company’s Investor Relations Website
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 guidance disappointed: company gave EPS guide of $2.10–$2.30 and revenue $9.2–$10.0B, below Street revenue expectations — the mid‑term outlook and memory‑supply headwinds were cited as the reason for initial share weakness. Qualcomm quarterly forecast underwhelms, but CEO says worst of memory crunch over
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling and modest analyst cuts: data shows multiple insider sales and at least one broker trimming FY estimates recently, which could weigh on sentiment if sustained. QUALCOMM Incorporated (QCOM) Releases Q2 2026 Earnings: EPS Surges While Revenue Falls

Institutional Trading of Qualcomm

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of QCOM. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its position in Qualcomm by 17,000.0% in the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 171 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $29,000 after purchasing an additional 170 shares during the last quarter. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. bought a new stake in Qualcomm in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. IFC & Insurance Marketing Inc. bought a new stake in Qualcomm in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $38,000. Swiss RE Ltd. bought a new stake in Qualcomm in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $47,000. Finally, Litman Gregory Wealth Management LLC bought a new stake in Qualcomm in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $58,000. Institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

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.