Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Releases Q3 2026 Earnings Guidance

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) issued an update on its third quarter 2026 earnings guidance on Wednesday morning. The company provided earnings per share (EPS) guidance of 2.100-2.300 for the period, compared to the consensus estimate of 2.300. The company issued revenue guidance of $9.2 billion-$10.0 billion, compared to the consensus revenue estimate of $10.2 billion.

Qualcomm Price Performance

NASDAQ QCOM traded down $7.75 during trading hours on Friday, reaching $171.83. 3,844,628 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 12,553,937. The stock has a 50 day simple moving average of $135.69 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $155.33. Qualcomm has a 1 year low of $121.99 and a 1 year high of $205.95. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a current ratio of 2.51 and a quick ratio of 1.83. The company has a market cap of $183.35 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 18.74 and a beta of 1.28.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last released its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.09. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 43.63% and a net margin of 22.31%.The business had revenue of $10.60 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $10.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $2.85 earnings per share. The company’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, analysts predict that Qualcomm will post 8.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm Increases Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Thursday, June 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, June 4th will be given a dividend of $0.92 per share. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, June 4th. This is a positive change from Qualcomm’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.89. This represents a $3.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 2.1%. Qualcomm’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 40.00%.

Qualcomm announced that its board has authorized a share buyback plan on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization permits the wireless technology company to reacquire up to 14.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are typically a sign that the company’s leadership believes its stock is undervalued.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities research analysts have weighed in on QCOM shares. Seaport Research Partners restated a “sell” rating and set a $100.00 price target on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Citigroup raised their price target on Qualcomm from $140.00 to $160.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Cantor Fitzgerald raised their price target on Qualcomm from $135.00 to $150.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Thursday. Rosenblatt Securities restated a “buy” rating and set a $190.00 price target on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday. Finally, Robert W. Baird set a $177.00 price target on Qualcomm in a research report on Thursday, February 5th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, eight have assigned a Buy rating, fifteen have issued a Hold rating and four have given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $165.88.

Insider Transactions at Qualcomm

In other news, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 192 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, April 30th. The stock was sold at an average price of $172.00, for a total value of $33,024.00. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available through this link. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, February 9th. The shares were sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total value of $438,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 16,393 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,245,841. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. In the last three months, insiders have sold 9,310 shares of company stock worth $1,266,729. 0.05% of the stock is currently owned by insiders.

More Qualcomm News

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat EPS estimates and showed margin strength, with upside in automotive and licensing that helped reassure investors after the print. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Data‑center/hyperscaler win — CEO comments that Qualcomm will begin shipping custom data‑center chips to a large hyperscaler this year created a new, potentially large addressable market and is the main narrative propelling the rally. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst support — Several firms raised ratings or targets (e.g., Benchmark to $225, Rosenblatt reaffirmed buy) and independent upgrades (Summit Insights) added buying momentum. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Technical momentum — Chart indicators show a strong breakout and very overbought readings (high RSI), which can attract momentum buyers but also increase short‑term volatility. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Mixed analyst views on valuation — Price‑target moves are clustered above some legacy targets, reflecting divergent views on how quickly data‑center revenue will scale versus handset risks. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Weaker Q3 guidance and memory shortage — Qualcomm guided Q3 below Street expectations (EPS $2.10–$2.30; revenue $9.2B–$10.0B) and cited a memory‑chip shortage that could pressure handset demand, which originally triggered post‑earnings weakness. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling flagged — A CAO disclosed a small sale under a 10b5‑1 plan; while minor and pre‑arranged, broader patterns of insider sales are being monitored by data aggregators. Read More.

Institutional Trading of Qualcomm

Several large investors have recently bought and sold shares of QCOM. Brighton Jones LLC boosted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 116.6% in the 4th quarter. Brighton Jones LLC now owns 17,356 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $2,666,000 after purchasing an additional 9,343 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC boosted its position in shares of Qualcomm by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,542 shares of the wireless technology company’s stock worth $391,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares in the last quarter. Garton & Associates Financial Advisors LLC bought a new stake in shares of Qualcomm in the 4th quarter worth approximately $151,000. Advocate Investing Services LLC bought a new stake in shares of Qualcomm in the 4th quarter worth approximately $165,000. Finally, Ankerstar Wealth LLC bought a new stake in shares of Qualcomm in the 4th quarter worth approximately $91,000. 74.35% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

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.