QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) Releases Q2 2026 Earnings Guidance

QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) issued an update on its second quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share guidance of 2.450-2.650 for the period, compared to the consensus earnings per share estimate of 2.660. The company issued revenue guidance of $10.2 billion-$11.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $11.1 billion.

QUALCOMM Stock Performance

Shares of QUALCOMM stock traded up $1.71 during trading on Wednesday, reaching $148.89. The company’s stock had a trading volume of 18,753,127 shares, compared to its average volume of 9,825,023. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.70, a quick ratio of 2.10 and a current ratio of 2.82. The business’s fifty day moving average price is $168.65 and its 200-day moving average price is $165.38. The firm has a market cap of $159.02 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 30.45, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.41 and a beta of 1.22. QUALCOMM has a one year low of $120.80 and a one year high of $205.95.

QUALCOMM (NASDAQ:QCOM) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, February 4th. The wireless technology company reported $3.50 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $3.38 by $0.12. The firm had revenue of $12.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $12.16 billion. QUALCOMM had a return on equity of 43.22% and a net margin of 12.51%.QUALCOMM has set its Q2 2026 guidance at 2.450-2.650 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts predict that QUALCOMM will post 9.39 earnings per share for the current year.

QUALCOMM Announces Dividend

The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, March 26th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, March 5th will be given a $0.89 dividend. This represents a $3.56 annualized dividend and a yield of 2.4%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, March 5th. QUALCOMM’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 72.80%.

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of brokerages have commented on QCOM. UBS Group reiterated a “neutral” rating on shares of QUALCOMM in a research report on Monday. Zacks Research lowered shares of QUALCOMM from a “hold” rating to a “strong sell” rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 27th. Mizuho reduced their target price on QUALCOMM from $175.00 to $160.00 and set a “neutral” rating on the stock in a report on Monday, January 26th. Sanford C. Bernstein restated an “outperform” rating and set a $200.00 price target on shares of QUALCOMM in a research report on Monday. Finally, Wall Street Zen downgraded QUALCOMM from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 9th. Eleven investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $188.50.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, insider Heather S. Ace sold 1,600 shares of QUALCOMM stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, November 7th. The shares were sold at an average price of $172.87, for a total transaction of $276,592.00. Following the completion of the sale, the insider owned 19,593 shares in the company, valued at $3,387,041.91. The trade was a 7.55% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this link. Also, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 10,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, December 18th. The shares were sold at an average price of $175.12, for a total transaction of $1,751,200.00. Following the completion of the transaction, the executive vice president owned 44,803 shares in the company, valued at $7,845,901.36. This represents a 18.25% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. In the last ninety days, insiders have sold 44,820 shares of company stock worth $7,883,482. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Key Headlines Impacting QUALCOMM

Here are the key news stories impacting QUALCOMM this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Forbes highlights Qualcomm’s strong free cash flow, which supports buybacks/dividends and underpins upside potential for the stock. Why Qualcomm Stock’s Strong Cash Flows Point To More Upside
• Positive Sentiment: Yahoo reports Qualcomm is expanding beyond handsets into Open RAN, AI and automotive (Zenith), diversifying revenue drivers and reducing reliance on smartphone cycles. Qualcomm Expands Beyond Handsets With Open RAN AI And Auto Growth
• Positive Sentiment: Zacks notes the next‑generation Snapdragon Elite is being used in ECARX’s Zenith platform, strengthening Qualcomm’s position in software-defined, AI-enabled vehicles. Will Qualcomm’s Next-Generation Snapdragon Elite Chip Fuel Its Shares?
• Positive Sentiment: Bernstein reiterates value in Qualcomm despite smartphone concerns, citing valuation and longer-term growth levers. Why Bernstein Still Sees Value in Qualcomm (QCOM) Despite Smartphone Fears
• Neutral Sentiment: Several previews and guides (Blockonomi, Seeking Alpha, Yahoo, MSN) set expectations for the earnings call, emphasizing watchpoints: handset revenue trends, data‑center commentary and forward guidance. Qualcomm (QCOM) Stock: What Wall Street Expects from Earnings Today?
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts reset price targets ahead of earnings — adjustments reflect differing views on near-term handset demand and longer-term growth, producing mixed signals for traders. Analysts reset Qualcomm stock price target ahead of earnings
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor pieces (InsiderMonkey, Blockonomi buy‑the‑dip takes, Hussman portfolio mention) note QCOM’s strategic positioning but treat near-term risk/reward as balanced. Qualcomm Inc. (QCOM): Navigating Global Smartphone Challenges with 5G and IoT Strength
• Negative Sentiment: Cantor Fitzgerald cut its price target to $160, citing conservative guidance and possible market‑share shifts, which pressures sentiment and increases downside risk if guidance disappoints. Cantor Fitzgerald Lowers Qualcomm (QCOM) PT to $160, Cites Conservative Guidanc, Looming Market Share Shifts
• Negative Sentiment: Seeking Alpha and other previews flag handset headwinds and that investor focus will be on data‑center commentary and guidance; weak forward commentary could drive a pullback. Qualcomm Q1 Earnings Preview: Handset headwinds, data center commentary in focus

Hedge Funds Weigh In On QUALCOMM

Several institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of QCOM. Amundi raised its position in shares of QUALCOMM by 9.9% in the 3rd quarter. Amundi now owns 12,671,635 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $2,136,486,000 after acquiring an additional 1,138,541 shares during the period. Rafferty Asset Management LLC boosted its position in shares of QUALCOMM by 59.1% during the second quarter. Rafferty Asset Management LLC now owns 4,418,406 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $703,675,000 after purchasing an additional 1,641,068 shares in the last quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC increased its position in shares of QUALCOMM by 3.5% in the 3rd quarter. Lazard Asset Management LLC now owns 3,375,638 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $561,571,000 after buying an additional 112,734 shares in the last quarter. Viking Global Investors LP increased its position in shares of QUALCOMM by 120.1% in the 2nd quarter. Viking Global Investors LP now owns 3,152,866 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock valued at $502,125,000 after buying an additional 1,720,529 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co raised its stake in QUALCOMM by 0.3% during the 3rd quarter. CANADA LIFE ASSURANCE Co now owns 1,547,536 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $255,798,000 after buying an additional 4,502 shares during the period. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

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.