Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Upgraded to “Hold” at Piper Sandler

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) was upgraded by equities researchers at Piper Sandler to a “hold” rating in a report issued on Wednesday, Zacks reports.

A number of other analysts have also weighed in on QCOM. Monness Crespi & Hardt upgraded shares of Qualcomm to a “buy” rating in a research note on Thursday, June 25th. Lake Street Capital cut shares of Qualcomm to a “hold” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Wells Fargo & Company reduced their price target on shares of Qualcomm from $265.00 to $170.00 and set an “equal weight” rating for the company in a research report on Thursday, July 30th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated a “market perform” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Wednesday. Finally, Dbs Bank raised Qualcomm to a “moderate buy” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 7th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating, twenty-two have issued a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $204.10.

Qualcomm Trading Up 0.3%

Qualcomm stock opened at $176.88 on Wednesday. Qualcomm has a 12 month low of $121.99 and a 12 month high of $259.92. The company has a market capitalization of $185.76 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 20.47, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.68 and a beta of 1.68. The business’s fifty day simple moving average is $168.34 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $170.75. The company has a current ratio of 2.02, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 earnings per share for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $2.23 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $9.95 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $9.69 billion. Qualcomm had a net margin of 21.01% and a return on equity of 38.36%. Qualcomm’s revenue was down 4.0% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $2.77 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. As a group, equities analysts predict that Qualcomm will post 7.74 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In other news, EVP Akash Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, July 14th. The shares were sold at an average price of $180.81, for a total transaction of $452,025.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 23,184 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $4,191,899.04. The trade was a 9.73% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Patricia Grech sold 625 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, August 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $162.85, for a total transaction of $101,781.25. Following the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 208 shares in the company, valued at approximately $33,872.80. This trade represents a 75.03% decrease in their position. 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 sold 9,033 shares of company stock valued at $1,467,844 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Qualcomm

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the company. Baxter Bros Inc. purchased a new position in Qualcomm in the 2nd quarter worth $17,844,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc grew its stake in Qualcomm by 112.2% during the 4th quarter. MUFG Securities EMEA plc now owns 43,986 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $7,524,000 after purchasing an additional 23,262 shares during the last quarter. Requisite Capital Management LLC purchased a new stake in Qualcomm during the 4th quarter valued at about $700,000. Financial Synergies Wealth Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the fourth quarter worth about $499,000. Finally, Verity & Verity LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 5.0% during the fourth quarter. Verity & Verity LLC now owns 69,248 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $11,845,000 after purchasing an additional 3,279 shares during the period. 74.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

Qualcomm News Roundup

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.