Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM) Given New $225.00 Price Target at Benchmark

Key Points

• Benchmark raised its price target to $225 (from $200) and maintained a "buy" rating, implying roughly a 21.9% upside from the then-current share price.
• Qualcomm beat Q2 EPS with $2.65 versus $2.56 expected on $10.6B revenue, but issued Q3 guidance of $9.2B–$10.0B and EPS $2.10–$2.30 that disappointed some investors while the stock surged to $184.60 on heavy volume.
• The board approved a $20 billion stock buyback (up to ~14.5% of shares), even as the analyst consensus remains a "Hold" with an average target of $163.83 amid mixed analyst actions.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) had its price target raised by Benchmark from $200.00 to $225.00 in a research report issued to clients and investors on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The brokerage presently has a "buy" rating on the wireless technology company's stock. Benchmark's price target suggests a potential upside of 21.89% from the company's current price.

Several other research analysts have also commented on QCOM. Susquehanna reissued a "neutral" rating and issued a $160.00 price objective on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday. Morgan Stanley reiterated an "underweight" rating and issued a $146.00 price target on shares of Qualcomm in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. downgraded shares of Qualcomm from an "overweight" rating to a "neutral" rating and decreased their price target for the stock from $185.00 to $140.00 in a research note on Thursday, April 16th. Loop Capital upgraded shares of Qualcomm from a "hold" rating to a "buy" rating and set a $185.00 price target for the company in a research note on Tuesday, February 24th. Finally, Citigroup reissued a "neutral" rating on shares of Qualcomm in a report on Thursday. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, nine have given a Buy rating, fifteen have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the company. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock has a consensus rating of "Hold" and a consensus target price of $163.83.

Qualcomm Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ QCOM traded up $28.60 during mid-day trading on Thursday, reaching $184.60. The company's stock had a trading volume of 30,307,382 shares, compared to its average volume of 12,237,653. The stock has a 50-day moving average of $134.93 and a two-hundred day moving average of $155.16. The stock has a market capitalization of $196.96 billion, a P/E ratio of 38.18 and a beta of 1.28. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.64, a quick ratio of 1.83 and a current ratio of 2.51. Qualcomm has a 1-year low of $121.99 and a 1-year high of $205.95.

Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Wednesday, April 29th. The wireless technology company reported $2.65 earnings per share for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $2.56 by $0.09. Qualcomm had a net margin of 11.96% and a return on equity of 44.09%. The company had revenue of $10.60 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $10.59 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm posted $2.85 earnings per share. Qualcomm's 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. On average, equities research analysts anticipate that Qualcomm will post 8.21 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Qualcomm announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program on Tuesday, March 17th that authorizes the company to buyback $20.00 billion in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the wireless technology company to purchase up to 14.5% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback programs are generally a sign that the company's board believes its shares are undervalued.

Insider Buying and Selling at Qualcomm

In other Qualcomm news, EVP Akash J. Palkhiwala sold 2,500 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, April 13th. The shares were sold at an average price of $130.34, for a total transaction of $325,850.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president directly owned 30,684 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,999,352.56. The trade was a 7.53% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Also, EVP Heather S. Ace sold 3,200 shares of the business's stock in a transaction on Monday, February 9th. The stock was sold at an average price of $137.00, for a total transaction of $438,400.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 16,393 shares in the company, valued at $2,245,841. The trade was a 16.33% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Insiders have sold a total of 9,118 shares of company stock worth $1,233,705 over the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.05% of the company's stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Qualcomm

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently made changes to their positions in 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 buying an additional 9,343 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC raised its stake in Qualcomm by 15.4% in the 4th quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC now owns 2,542 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $391,000 after purchasing an additional 340 shares during the last quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC raised its stake in Qualcomm by 44.3% in the 2nd quarter. Sivia Capital Partners LLC now owns 3,325 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $530,000 after purchasing an additional 1,020 shares during the last quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC raised its stake in Qualcomm by 6.1% in the 2nd quarter. Main Street Financial Solutions LLC now owns 5,778 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $920,000 after purchasing an additional 333 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC raised its stake in Qualcomm by 9.7% in the 2nd quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 6,800 shares of the wireless technology company's stock valued at $1,083,000 after purchasing an additional 603 shares during the last quarter. 74.35% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Qualcomm

Here are the key news stories impacting Qualcomm this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q2 results beat on EPS and showed strength in automotive and IoT — adjusted EPS of $2.65 topped estimates and auto revenue growth helped offset handset softness. Qualcomm tops estimates on automotive surge, eyes data center opportunity
• Positive Sentiment: Management announced plans to begin shipping a custom data‑center chip to a large hyperscaler within the calendar year — investors are pricing in a new AI/data‑center revenue runway beyond handset exposure. Qualcomm Stock Soars After Earnings. Why the Market Is So Excited.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst activity supports the upside: Rosenblatt reaffirmed a "buy" (with a $190 PT) and at least one shop (Summit Insights) upgraded to buy, helping momentum into the close. Benzinga
• Neutral Sentiment: Company filings and the earnings call transcript are available for detailed read‑through; investors are parsing segment disclosures (licensing, auto, handset) and guidance nuances. Qualcomm Investor Relations — Earnings Release
• Negative Sentiment: Q3 guidance was below Street expectations — revenue guidance of $9.2B–$10.0B and EPS guidance of $2.10–$2.30 disappointed some investors and reflects near‑term headwinds. Qualcomm quarterly forecast underwhelms, but CEO says worst of memory crunch over
• Negative Sentiment: Handset revenue declined year‑over‑year (double‑digit drop reported), and the company cited a memory‑chip shortage that pressures near‑term demand — risks to the top line remain until inventory/memory supply normalizes. Qualcomm surges despite Q2 results featuring 13% decline in handset revenue

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.

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