DZ Bank lowered shares of Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM – Free Report) from a buy rating to a hold rating in a research report released on Friday morning, Marketbeat Ratings reports. DZ Bank currently has $195.00 price objective on the wireless technology company’s stock.
QCOM has been the subject of a number of other reports. Morgan Stanley reaffirmed an “underweight” rating and set a $146.00 price objective on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. The Goldman Sachs Group initiated coverage on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Monday, March 30th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $135.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company upped their price objective on shares of Qualcomm from $150.00 to $160.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Robert W. Baird set a $300.00 price objective on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Friday, May 1st. Finally, Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft reaffirmed a “hold” rating and set a $160.00 price objective on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday, April 30th. Fourteen analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $180.37.
Read Our Latest Stock Analysis on QCOM
Qualcomm Stock Performance
Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.09. Qualcomm had a net margin of 22.31% and a return on equity of 42.11%. The company had revenue of $10.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.85 EPS. The business’s revenue for the quarter was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. Qualcomm has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS. On average, sell-side analysts anticipate that Qualcomm will post 8.02 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.
Qualcomm Increases Dividend
The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Investors of record on Thursday, June 4th will be given a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Thursday, June 4th. This is a boost from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a yield of 1.7%. Qualcomm’s payout ratio is 38.70%.
Qualcomm declared that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase plan on Tuesday, March 17th that allows the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization allows the wireless technology company to buy up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are typically an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.
Insider Buying and Selling at Qualcomm
In related news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.34, for a total transaction of $325,850.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president owned 30,684 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $3,999,352.56. This trade represents a 7.53% decrease in their ownership of the stock. 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, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.82, for a total transaction of $569,024.00. Following the transaction, the executive vice president directly owned 39,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,065,677.70. The trade was a 7.45% 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 a total of 19,177 shares of company stock worth $3,176,966 in the last ninety days. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.
Institutional Investors Weigh In On Qualcomm
Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. Vanguard Group Inc. boosted its stake in Qualcomm by 0.6% during the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 114,144,068 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $19,524,350,000 after buying an additional 647,076 shares in the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC boosted its stake in Qualcomm by 12.5% during the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 28,897,079 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $4,931,968,000 after buying an additional 3,221,924 shares in the last quarter. Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its stake 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. Norges Bank acquired a new stake in Qualcomm during the fourth quarter worth $2,591,056,000. Finally, Amundi boosted its stake in Qualcomm by 9.9% during the third quarter. Amundi now owns 12,671,635 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $2,136,486,000 after buying an additional 1,138,541 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 74.35% of the company’s stock.
Qualcomm News Roundup
Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:
- Positive Sentiment: Daiwa upgraded Qualcomm to Outperform and lifted its price target to $225, arguing the market is undervaluing Qualcomm’s move into AI infrastructure and data center silicon. Daiwa Just Upgraded Qualcomm to Outperform: $225 Price Target Bets on Data Center AI Pivot
- Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm’s new Snapdragon 6 Gen 5 and Snapdragon 4 Gen 5 mobile chips are fueling optimism that the company can keep extending its product cycle into lower-cost devices while adding AI features. What’s driving Qualcomm stock higher?
- Positive Sentiment: Recent coverage highlights Qualcomm’s buyback program, a Snap AR partnership, strong earnings, and custom silicon wins as evidence that the company is successfully pivoting beyond its core smartphone business. Qualcomm Climbs 8% as Buyback, Snap AR Partnership Power Pivot Beyond Smartphones
- Neutral Sentiment: Some traders note the stock has moved sharply higher in a short period, which can make it vulnerable to near-term pullbacks even if the longer-term AI thesis remains intact. Qualcomm Stock Is Soaring Today: What’s Going On?
- Neutral Sentiment: Another commentary piece says Qualcomm’s RSI is in overbought territory after the recent run, suggesting momentum may cool before the next leg higher. What’s driving Qualcomm stock higher?
- Negative Sentiment: DZ Bank downgraded Qualcomm from Buy to Hold and set a $195 target, reflecting some caution after the sharp rally. Trump Could Put These 8 Stocks In The Spotlight For China Trip: Here Are The CEOs That Could Be Invited
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.
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