Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Shares Climb 1.3% on Analyst Upgrade

Key Points

• Qualcomm shares rose 1.3% after TD Cowen raised its price target from $175 to $200 and maintained a “Buy” rating.
• Analyst sentiment remains mixed: Qualcomm has a consensus “Hold” rating and an average price target of $204.97, despite several buy ratings.
• Recent results showed revenue of $9.95 billion, above estimates, but earnings per share narrowly missed expectations and revenue declined 4% year over year; insiders have also sold shares worth $5.76 million over the past three months.

Shares of Qualcomm Incorporated (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) shot up 1.3% during mid-day trading on Tuesday after TD Cowen raised their price target on the stock from $175.00 to $200.00. TD Cowen currently has a buy rating on the stock. Qualcomm traded as high as $177.05 and last traded at $175.71. 6,796,333 shares changed hands during mid-day trading, a decline of 55% from the average daily volume of 15,194,509 shares. The stock had previously closed at $173.53.

A number of other equities analysts have also weighed in on QCOM. Benchmark decreased their target price on Qualcomm from $300.00 to $270.00 and set a "buy" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, July 27th. Citigroup dropped their price target on Qualcomm from $198.00 to $175.00 and set a "neutral" rating for the company in a research report on Wednesday, July 29th. Bank of America lifted their price target on Qualcomm from $165.00 to $195.00 and gave the company an "underperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, June 23rd. DZ Bank raised Qualcomm from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $265.00 price objective for the company in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Sanford C. Bernstein restated a "market perform" rating on shares of Qualcomm in a research report on Wednesday, September 9th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have issued a Buy rating, twenty-one have assigned a Hold rating and three have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock has an average rating of "Hold" and a consensus price target of $204.97.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Qualcomm news, EVP Ann C. Chaplin sold 1,827 shares of Qualcomm stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 16th. The stock was sold at an average price of $174.75, for a total transaction of $319,268.25. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 25,770 shares of the company's stock, valued at $4,503,307.50. The trade was a 6.62% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, CAO Patricia Y. Grech sold 625 shares of the company's stock in a transaction dated Friday, August 21st. The stock was sold at an average price of $162.85, for a total value of $101,781.25. Following the completion of the transaction, the chief accounting officer owned 208 shares of the company's stock, valued at $33,872.80. The trade was a 75.03% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders sold 30,958 shares of company stock valued at $5,760,494 in the last three months. 0.05% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Qualcomm News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: TD Cowen raised its price target to $200 and upgraded Qualcomm to “Buy,” implying approximately 14% upside from recent levels. The call reinforces confidence in Qualcomm’s valuation and growth prospects. TD Cowen Qualcomm price-target report
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm’s planned acquisition of PickNik Robotics could accelerate its push into physical AI, robotics software and the Dragonwing edge-computing ecosystem. Investors may view the deal as a way to diversify beyond smartphones and create longer-term growth opportunities. Qualcomm PickNik acquisition article
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm is being highlighted as a potential beneficiary of the next phase of AI investment, as spending broadens from leading GPU suppliers toward other semiconductor companies and edge-AI providers. Its cash generation and dividend growth also support the stock’s income-investment case. AI trade semiconductor stocks article
• Positive Sentiment: Qualcomm pushed back against reports of Snapdragon overheating associated with Samsung’s Galaxy S27 Ultra, potentially limiting concerns about product quality and customer relationships. Snapdragon overheating report
• Neutral Sentiment: Qualcomm disclosed $610,000 in third-quarter lobbying focused on trade controls, wireless technology, patents and intellectual-property legislation. The spending could influence its regulatory environment but has no immediate earnings impact. Qualcomm lobbying update
• Negative Sentiment: Qualcomm plans worldwide job cuts following performance-focused employee reviews, with layoffs expected to begin in November. Cost savings could improve efficiency, but the announcement also signals management pressure to improve performance and may raise concerns about execution and employee morale. Reuters Qualcomm workforce cuts report
• Negative Sentiment: ETFs were reported to be net sellers of QCOM, while company insiders—including the CEO and CFO—have recorded open-market sales without reported purchases in recent months. These flows may weigh on near-term sentiment, although they do not necessarily indicate a change in business fundamentals. ETF Qualcomm selling report

Institutional Trading of Qualcomm

A number of hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of QCOM. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC increased its holdings in shares of Qualcomm by 3.4% in the second quarter. JFS Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 1,595 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $295,000 after buying an additional 53 shares during the period. Wall Street Financial Group Inc. lifted its stake in shares of Qualcomm by 1.9% in the 2nd quarter. Wall Street Financial Group Inc. now owns 3,050 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $564,000 after acquiring an additional 57 shares during the last quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC boosted its holdings in Qualcomm by 3.7% during the 2nd quarter. Sunbeam Capital Management LLC now owns 1,637 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $303,000 after acquiring an additional 58 shares during the period. Basepoint Wealth LLC boosted its holdings in Qualcomm by 1.8% during the 1st quarter. Basepoint Wealth LLC now owns 3,333 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $429,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the period. Finally, Five Oceans Advisors grew its position in Qualcomm by 3.3% during the 2nd quarter. Five Oceans Advisors now owns 1,827 shares of the wireless technology company's stock worth $338,000 after acquiring an additional 59 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 74.35% of the company's stock.

Qualcomm Trading Up 1.3%

The firm has a 50-day moving average of $175.25 and a 200-day moving average of $180.01. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46, a quick ratio of 1.28 and a current ratio of 2.02. The firm has a market capitalization of $187.63 billion, a P/E ratio of 20.34, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 3.88 and a beta of 1.65.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Wednesday, July 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.21 EPS for the quarter, missing analysts' consensus estimates of $2.23 by ($0.02). The company had revenue of $9.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $9.69 billion. Qualcomm had a return on equity of 38.36% and a net margin of 21.01%. Qualcomm's revenue for the quarter was down 4.0% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period last year, the firm earned $2.77 earnings per share. Qualcomm has set its Q4 2026 guidance at 2.050-2.250 EPS. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Qualcomm Incorporated will post 7.74 EPS for the current fiscal year.

About Qualcomm

Qualcomm Incorporated is a technology company that develops and commercializes wireless communications and semiconductor technologies. Through Qualcomm Technologies, Inc, the company designs integrated circuits, system software and related platforms used in smartphones, personal computers, automobiles, industrial equipment, consumer devices and other connected products. Its Snapdragon platforms support mobile computing, connectivity, artificial intelligence and multimedia applications, while its broader portfolio includes radio-frequency systems, networking and edge-computing technologies.

Qualcomm also operates a significant technology-licensing business through its Qualcomm Technology Licensing segment.

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