Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Trading Down 1.9% – Here’s Why

Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM) shares traded down 1.9% during mid-day trading on Tuesday . The stock traded as low as $179.00 and last traded at $182.97. Approximately 15,531,083 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 9% from the average session volume of 17,031,117 shares. The stock had previously closed at $186.48.

Qualcomm News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: 24/7 Wall St. published a bullish note saying Qualcomm’s next rally may be closer than investors think, citing a potential 12-month price target well above recent trading levels and pointing to the company’s data center pivot and automotive business as underappreciated growth drivers. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: DBS Bank upgraded Qualcomm (QCOM) to “moderate buy,” which can improve investor sentiment and support the stock by signaling more confidence in the company’s outlook. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Several recent articles highlighted Qualcomm as a potential beneficiary of renewed AI chip interest, arguing that its product roadmap and diversification beyond smartphones could help the stock recover in the second half of 2026. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Goldman Sachs reportedly kept its hold rating on Qualcomm, suggesting Wall Street is still waiting for clearer evidence of a stronger reacceleration. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Some commentary remains cautious, warning that Qualcomm’s smartphone exposure and tougher competition could limit near-term upside despite AI-related optimism. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Broader semiconductor weakness and Qualcomm’s removal from some Russell growth/defensive indexes may also have added pressure by affecting passive fund flows and signaling a shift in how the stock is categorized. Article Title

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently commented on the stock. Seaport Research Partners reissued a “sell” rating and issued a $100.00 price objective on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Monday, March 16th. Rosenblatt Securities raised their price objective on Qualcomm from $190.00 to $265.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Thursday, June 25th. Bank of America increased their price target on Qualcomm from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an “underperform” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Zacks Research raised shares of Qualcomm from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research report on Monday, May 4th. Finally, Roth Capital initiated coverage on Qualcomm in a research note on Friday, May 8th. They set a “buy” rating on the stock. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, sixteen have given a Buy rating, twenty have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat.com, the company has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $220.45.

Qualcomm Price Performance

The company’s 50 day moving average price is $208.10 and its 200-day moving average price is $168.10. The stock has a market cap of $201.28 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.76, a P/E/G ratio of 5.44 and a beta of 1.63. The company has a quick ratio of 1.61, a current ratio of 2.37 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.54.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) last issued its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.56 by $0.09. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 42.11% and a net margin of 22.31%.The company had revenue of $10.60 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $10.59 billion. During the same period last year, the business earned $2.85 EPS. Qualcomm’s quarterly revenue was down 3.5% compared to the same quarter last year. Qualcomm has set its Q3 2026 guidance at 2.100-2.300 EPS. As a group, sell-side analysts expect that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.96 earnings per share for the current year.

Qualcomm announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, March 17th that permits the company to repurchase $20.00 billion in shares. This repurchase authorization permits the wireless technology company to reacquire up to 14.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other news, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 829 shares of the business’s stock in a transaction dated Thursday, May 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $201.77, for a total transaction of $167,267.33. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CEO Cristiano R. Amon sold 10,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, May 4th. The stock was sold at an average price of $180.00, for a total value of $1,800,000.00. Following the completion of the sale, the chief executive officer directly owned 197,568 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $35,562,240. This represents a 4.82% 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. Insiders sold 21,721 shares of company stock valued at $3,918,290 over the last three months. Insiders own 0.05% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Qualcomm

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Richardson Financial Services Inc. increased its position 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 valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 80 shares in the last quarter. Torren Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Qualcomm in the fourth quarter worth approximately $29,000. Caitong International Asset Management Co. Ltd raised its position 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 worth $29,000 after acquiring an additional 170 shares during the period. Birchwood Financial Partners Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Qualcomm during the 4th quarter valued at $31,000. Finally, Commonwealth Retirement Investments LLC bought a new position in Qualcomm in the 4th quarter worth $32,000. 74.35% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other 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.