Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Stock Price Down 2.6% – Here’s Why

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM)’s stock price traded down 2.6% during trading on Thursday . The company traded as low as $168.31 and last traded at $171.11. Approximately 10,763,957 shares traded hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 35% from the average session volume of 16,615,338 shares. The stock had previously closed at $175.63.

Trending Headlines about Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm is benefiting from new Snapdragon launches that are expanding its AI, PC and smartphone opportunities, and recent reports say it has also signed AI-chip deals with three major hyperscalers, reinforcing its case as an emerging AI play.
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm’s partnership with Samsung to power the upcoming Galaxy lineup supports continued demand for its mobile chip business and could help sentiment into earnings.
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are watching Qualcomm’s Q3 results closely after analysts highlighted that the stock looks partly attractive on earnings metrics but closer to fair value on cash flow, suggesting limited valuation upside unless results impress.
• Neutral Sentiment: Shares have also moved with the broader semiconductor group, which has been strong this year, helping offset some stock-specific caution ahead of Intel’s earnings and the sector’s next read-through.
• Negative Sentiment: Several previews warn that Qualcomm could post declining earnings and that competition, along with softer Android demand, remains a key risk for the report.
• Negative Sentiment: A separate industry analysis flagged Qualcomm as vulnerable to margin pressure if foundry and component costs rise, since smartphone customers are highly price-sensitive and less able to absorb higher chip costs.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of equities analysts recently issued reports on QCOM shares. Citigroup raised their price target on Qualcomm from $160.00 to $198.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a report on Thursday, June 25th. Zacks Research raised Qualcomm from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, May 4th. Oppenheimer cut Qualcomm from a “market perform” rating to a “market perform” rating in a research report on Friday, May 8th. Mizuho lifted their target price on Qualcomm from $170.00 to $210.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Wednesday, June 24th. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fifteen have assigned a Buy rating, twenty-one have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $219.76.

Qualcomm Trading Down 2.6%

The firm has a market cap of $180.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.60, a PEG ratio of 5.16 and a beta of 1.63. The business has a fifty day moving average of $204.79 and a two-hundred day moving average of $168.41. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54, a quick ratio of 1.61 and a current ratio of 2.37.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.09. The firm had revenue of $10.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.59 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 42.11% and a net margin of 22.31%.Qualcomm’s revenue was down 3.5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the firm posted $2.85 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS. As a group, equities analysts expect that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.97 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, September 24th. Stockholders of record on Thursday, September 3rd will be given a $0.92 dividend. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, September 3rd. This represents a $3.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 2.2%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio is currently 40.00%.

Insider Buying and Selling at Qualcomm

In related news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, May 12th. The stock was sold at an average price of $211.90, for a total value of $529,750.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 28,184 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $5,972,189.60. This represents a 8.15% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the stock in a transaction on Monday, May 4th. The shares were sold at an average price of $177.82, for a total value of $569,024.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 39,735 shares in the company, valued at approximately $7,065,677.70. This trade represents a 7.45% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. In the last quarter, insiders sold 21,721 shares of company stock valued at $4,044,465. Company insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Qualcomm

Institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in the stock. Your Advocates Ltd. LLP purchased a new position in Qualcomm in the 1st quarter valued at about $26,000. Richardson Financial Services Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 90.9% during the fourth quarter. Richardson Financial Services Inc. now owns 168 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC purchased a new stake in shares of Qualcomm during the fourth quarter worth about $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd grew its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 17,000.0% during the fourth quarter. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd now owns 171 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $29,000 after buying an additional 170 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. acquired a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $31,000. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

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.