Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Stock Price Up 1.4% – What’s Next?

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) shares shot up 1.4% during trading on Tuesday. The company traded as high as $180.78 and last traded at $176.86. 11,614,908 shares were traded during mid-day trading, a decline of 24% from the average session volume of 15,318,946 shares. The stock had previously closed at $174.43.

More Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Apple licensing agreement renewed: Qualcomm’s renewed license with Apple reduces uncertainty surrounding a crucial customer relationship and supports the company’s high-margin patent-licensing business. Qualcomm renews Apple license as investors reassess Qualcomm stock
• Positive Sentiment: Arm litigation outcome strengthens Qualcomm’s strategic flexibility: A Delaware jury found that Arm Holdings breached its licensing agreement with Qualcomm and interfered with Qualcomm’s relationship with Meta. Although damages were nominal, the verdict affirmed Qualcomm’s ability to continue developing its custom Oryon CPUs, supporting its ambitions beyond smartphone chips. How Qualcomm’s Legal Win Over Arm Could Reshape the Long-Term Thesis for QCOM Investors
• Positive Sentiment: Diversification remains an investment attraction: Qualcomm continues to generate substantial cash flow from mobile and automotive markets while pursuing growth in AI and data-center processors. The Arm ruling may make that transition easier by protecting its custom CPU roadmap. Intel vs. Qualcomm: Which Tech Stock Is a Better Buy in 2026?
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor debate centers on the AI transition: Analysts are weighing Qualcomm’s established wireless franchise and free-cash-flow generation against the execution risk of shifting from handsets toward AI and data-center chips.
• Negative Sentiment: AI-chip competition is increasing: A reported potential ByteDance partnership with MediaTek for custom AI data-center chips highlights competitive pressure from alternative chip designers and could limit Qualcomm’s opportunity in this market. QCOM, AVGO, NVDA Stocks In Focus As ByteDance Reportedly Closes In On A MediaTek Pact For AI Data Center Chips
• Negative Sentiment: Handset exposure remains a concern: Commentary warns that Qualcomm’s smartphone business is under pressure, making upcoming quarterly results and guidance important tests of whether automotive, AI, and other newer businesses can offset slower handset growth. Qualcomm at $175: The Narrative Shift Sending Capital Out The Door

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

Several research firms recently issued reports on QCOM. Benchmark decreased their target price on shares of Qualcomm from $300.00 to $270.00 and set a “buy” rating for the company in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Piper Sandler initiated coverage on Qualcomm in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $190.00 price objective on the stock. Craig Hallum cut Qualcomm from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. KeyCorp reaffirmed a “sector weight” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Wednesday, September 9th. Finally, Royal Bank Of Canada upped their target price on shares of Qualcomm from $160.00 to $180.00 and gave the stock a “sector perform” rating in a report on Wednesday, September 9th. Two analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-one have given a Hold rating and three have given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $204.10.

Qualcomm Stock Performance

The firm has a market capitalization of $190.44 billion, a PE ratio of 20.64, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.98 and a beta of 1.65. The company has a quick ratio of 1.28, a current ratio of 2.02 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $174.58 and a 200 day moving average price of $179.02.

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

Insider Activity at Qualcomm

In related news, CAO Patricia Grech sold 625 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction 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 sale, the chief accounting officer directly owned 208 shares in the company, valued at $33,872.80. This trade represents a 75.03% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Cristiano Amon sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, September 25th. The shares were sold at an average price of $200.00, for a total value of $2,000,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 177,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $35,513,600. This trade represents a 5.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Over the last three months, insiders have sold 29,131 shares of company stock valued at $5,441,226. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Large investors have recently bought and sold shares of the business. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd lifted its holdings 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 acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. ABS Investment Management LLC purchased a new position in Qualcomm in the second quarter valued at $34,000. ABS Direct Equity Fund LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Qualcomm during the 2nd quarter worth about $34,000. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Finally, Burk Holdings LLC boosted its position in Qualcomm by 191.7% during the second quarter. Burk Holdings LLC now owns 210 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $39,000 after purchasing an additional 138 shares in the last quarter. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 74.35% of the company’s stock.

Qualcomm Company Profile

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ: QCOM) is a technology company headquartered in San Diego, California, that develops wireless communications technologies, semiconductors and related software. Its products support mobile devices, connected computing, automotive systems, industrial equipment and consumer electronics.

Qualcomm’s semiconductor business operates primarily through its Qualcomm CDMA Technologies segment. Its offerings include Snapdragon platforms and systems-on-chip, cellular modems, radio-frequency components, connectivity products, and processors for smartphones, personal computers, extended-reality devices, vehicles and the Internet of Things.